Yes, she does.

“Yes, I know.” She nods. “Back in middle school, I was the target of ****. I know how terrible it is, so when I got to high school, I decided I’d get ahead of everyone else, no matter the cost. This is how things are, John. The spot I have on this school, the influence I have? If it’s not me, then it’s someone else. And I’m _not _going through middle school again.”

Taylor says with a straight, determined face.

Is she… telling the truth?

You wish for her to answer the next questions with complete honesty.

“Is that true?” You ask tentatively.

“Yes. It was during my last two years of middle school.” She says.

“Does anyone else know his?”

She shakes her head. “Only you.”

“Are you happy now? Like this?”

Taylor shakes her head again. “I don’t know. It’s definitely better than before, but… I can’t say for sure.”

“What about the people whose life are shit because of you?” That question is not an accusation, you are not demanding compensation. You just want to know.

She you can see her eyes water a little bit. “Better them than me.”

You wish for her to be free of her truth bind. You step towards her and give her a hug.

She’s startled for a moment an you can feel her tense up, but she recovers quickly and returns the hug. Taylor is just a little under 6 feet tall, which makes her about as tall as you. She leans her head on your shoulder and hugs you tightly.

You hear her sob a couple of times, but she’s not outright crying.

You gently run your hand around her back, trying to comfort her.

“Are you…” You start. “Are you really sorry about what you did to me?”

She nods in you shoulder. “I didn’t think I’d ever care about you like this…”

Ouch. It’s not like it’s surprising, but it still kinda hurts.

“Then I forgive you,” You tell her. “Let’s start over, okay?”

“Okay.” She nods into your shoulder again. You feel the tension release from her body as she sighs. “Thank you.”