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"You res and the Spicers?" Her voice is soft, scared "You re you and the other kids? It’s not just a story that Eli convinced you to believe?"

"I remember every second"

She looks down, "I feel so bad for you both They o in the hole? He was a little boy? I don’t even knohat to say, Eh, "Me either It’s cool if you call irl in some ways"

She smiles It doesn’t look real It’s broken and devastated "All the good ways But I think you should be Sarah now Let E, "Yup"

She pretty much tackles et a second opinion if you want Like if you don’t want to see hi hi I know Mom and Dad will help We talked about it at Christ for our shit anymore And that doctor is a quack"

She is getting snot and tears on h, "Dude, it worked I drank sink water and ate fro dish and was beaten and violated and hu was taken away But all the crazy ith it All the fears and despair and pathetic Emalyn Spicer I feel new I feel brave and fearless in so enius quack" I glance over at her and blink, "I haven’t s or le and sniffles, "You still noticed it?"

"Yeah Old dog new tricks But I have never been this free I’uilty and horrid and sad, but at the sahts I sne and I just enjoyed it He smelled nice And that was it I wasn’t scared of hi it all, "Okay I agree If you sht be on to so But, I still question thosenuts"

We both laugh

I sigh, "Tell es me, "He’s a player piece of shit Never date Italian h "I’ll never date anyway" I stop laughing and turn and face her, "That’s not true I want to date I don’t want to let any of that defineout of habit"

A slow and steady smile creeps across her lips She nods, "You are better"

I smile back, "I’s Things I never want to lose

Her eyes sparkle, "You should call Sebastian He ed hiood for you He’s so normal and nice and vanilla"

I bite my lip and wonder if I can I want to That is the difference in ive up and die in the hole I’m not really trapped in If I’ain But that’s not likely

My phone vibrates

’Stuart will be there in fifteen’

I glance at it and feel the excite inside ofI didn’t see how messed up he was at first, but I see it now And soand what’s worse is I see it He wants to play victiratification for his own injuries and sadness He talked aboutbetter, but I’et better, in fourteen years It makes me sad I want hiet up and pull o " She is defiant I knew she would be If it were her, I would be too I look back, "Okay"

"Why are you changing?" She sits up

Blush creeps across et sweaty"

Her jaw drops, "Shut the front door You like hi hi to look horrified or guilty of her accusation, I sneer, "No I just don’t want to be sweaty"

She crosses her arms and tilts her head, "Is this that Stockholm syndrome where he holds you captive and beats you and you feel like you deserve it, so you love hih, and lower aze, "Maybe I do like him But he doesn’t see me beyond the science experi it’s just leftover froin horror and fear

"You want that?"

I shakethe little girl And I want so He has all the control"

She stands up and grins, "Well, this is e Let me make you up and we can torture hihtly shocked "Whoa Easy I don’t want to be part of soame play I just like him…like a friend…who I maybe want to kiss"