Strangers

Scarlett is visibly shaken by the revelations. Her hands are clammy and her blood has gone cold. An icy silence has fallen over them following Troy’s story and the others are cautious about her reaction. Troy, who’s feeling the most guilt, is ashamed to be in her presence and he knows that she hates him. Kat is standing in a corner while Ryder is still gripping Scarlett’s palm.

“I was being mean to you so that I could protect you,” Troy says, gulping. “I couldn’t bear to see what would’ve happened to you if I had told you the truth then. Hector may have tried to kill you in prison. I just-”

“Stop,” Scarlett simply says. She takes a deep breath and looks up at the boy. Somewhere in her mind, she expected to hate him but there is nothing. Instead, she’s trying to find the remnants of the innocent boy who used to adore her. She still remembers how he was mistreated by his family, yet he loved her as a sister with his whole heart.

“I don’t hate you, Troy,” she says. “I…I understand why yo