"I'm sorry!"
The campers stared at her as tears fell from her grey eyes and ran down her pale cheeks. She clutched onto her arms as if holding herself together, not wanting to break.
"I never meant..." More tears streamed down "to be so... mean."
Her gaze laid low as her tears fell. Her knees dropped to the dock and her hold got tighter. She gripped her arms so tight with her knuckles turning white. Eyes remained to stare at her as she slowly broke down.
"I'm so sorry..." She shook, her body shivering as her emotions overwhelmed her. Her words came out in a stutter and hurt, "T-they always s-said that w-when you a-apologise, y-you..." she forced back a sob and tried her best to keep from stuttering "it makes you feel a lot better..." her voice broke.
The campers' gazes never left her figure. From the moment she called them out to the dock, to the moment she started to rummage through their memories together on the island, and until she started to slowly break down from the Heather they all knew and... hated... to this young girl who wanted nothing more but a second chance.
"But it doesn't!" She lifted her gaze up to them "I'm here right now and on my knees crying! I've said I'm sorry and begging for your forgiveness!" She paused as her teeth chattered and lowered her voice "Yet I don't feel any better... No load has been lifted from my shoulders. There's still that guilt in me that's slowly clawing me inside!" She looked at them pleadingly. She watched as their gazes remained silent with no response.
She lowered her gaze back down and stuttered "W-why w-would s-someone s-say s-something... s-so far f-from the t-truth?"
A second chance. That was all she wanted. Another chance for her to be a different person. She just wanted for them to try and see her differently. She just wanted for them to forgive her. Was that so much to ask?
Heather continued to sob in silence.
Underneath that empty sky kneeled a girl who let out a cry long since overdue. A long history of betrayal, neglect, expectations and loss led her to be that monster she thought she was. The way she used people, the way she thought so low of them and the way she never trusted them, was the only way the campers saw her.
Then guilt blended in with her long history of a lost childhood and then led her to break down into that little girl whose whole world is slowly crushing her.
That same little girl who was promised a memorable day camping in the woods with her happy family but the only memorable day that came was the hearing of her custody between her father and mother.
That same little girl who watched other kids walking down the street with their parents holding their hands as they were swung back and forth happily up the street while she walked alone.
That same little girl who would always get the best but with the price of having to be the best. The best clothes to show off to others. The best jewellery to let them know only she can afford them. The best reputation so that she'll be respected and feared. She was that little girl who grew up to be what people expected her to be and then... she lost everything.
All that little girl ever wanted was someone to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright.
Heather stilled and lifted her gaze the moment she noticed someone standing before her. A hand extended towards her offering a tissue. Her tears ceased and watched as Noah kneeled down in front of her. He leaned in closer and slowly wiped her face of the tears she shed. He smiled.
"We forgive you, Heather."
Heather couldn't believe his words. They felt like wings slowly lifting her, making things so much... better. She looked at the other campers behind him and they all smiled and nodded in reassurance. Her whole world lifted.
Noah continued to wipe her face when she looked back down. She muttered "I'm sorry." Noah stopped. He looked at her in confusion. She looked up at him "I'm so sorry." She let go of her arms and leaned towards Noah into an embrace. She nestled her head on his shoulder as she started to sob again.
Noah turned red. He blushed furiously by the sudden connection he had with her. It was something so out of character, so unexpected, so... new. He wrapped his arms around her and returned her embrace. "It's alright." He lifted his hand onto the back of her head and pulled her closer. He whispered in her ear, "From now on... everything's going to be alright."
This is just a short fic for Superbiana on DA. She made this really awesome wordless comic of Noah and Heather and it's so cute and sweet! You just have to go see it! go to her profile and rummage through her gallery when you get the time lol... maybe even rummage through mine hehe just a thought!
Anyways hope you liked it!