Molly felt her hair blowing out behind her, as tears streamed down her face. She vaguely heard footsteps running after her, but didn't notice anything until Toby touched her shoulder.
"Molly." He said, and as soon as she turned to face him, he stopped walking as well. "Oh, Molly." Toby whispered. He pushed her hair behind her ears, moving it from her tear-stained face, and he hugged her.
Molly felt herself stiffen, then hug him back, crying fully. "I'm going to get your shoulders all teary." She joked.
"Who cares?" Toby asked. His Scottish accent was concerned and caring.
Molly pulled back from the hug, and began to walk along with the blonde boy again.
"What happened to them?" Toby asked. He didn't need to explain, she already knew what he meant. "You don't have to tell me."
"My two youngest sisters drowned when we were at the park with our old care home. Elektra was there for a while. My dad took me out after that, but then he dumped me again. But…my sisters…I didn't realize they'd wandered off until it was too late." Molly explained. "Ever since Mum died…it's just been so…" she trailed off.
"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Toby put his hand in hers. "What about your dad?" he asked.
"He's ill…near to death too." Molly said tearfully. "He can't look after me." She added, her voice cracking.
"Both my parents are dead, Molly." Toby whispered, and just saying this brought tears to hit eyes too.
"Oh my…I'm so sorry, I didn't know…" Molly said. "How?" she whispered.
"Car accident…I was in it too, but…I survived…it's all my fault…" he said.
"No, no it isn't Toby." Molly said, and she stopped walking to hug him again. "You surviving…and then your parents dying…that doesn't make it your fault. Don't think that." She whispered.
"But…" Toby said.
"No buts. I know how it must feel, but it's never our fault. Your parents, my mum and my sisters…it wasn't our fault. We couldn't have done anything to stop it, despite what it seems like." Molly said.
Toby choked and melted into Molly's hug, the two of them sobbing and crying together.
"God, look at us!" Molly said. "We're a right pair, aren't we?"
"Yeah, no kidding." Came the Scottish reply. They pulled away from each other.
"Come on, there are bathrooms back at the Dumping Ground. We should go get our faces cleaned up." She said.
They walked back together. "Please don't say anything to the others, Toby. The only other person I'm going to tell is Carmen. She's my roommate and my friend." Molly showed Toby the friendship bracelet.
"Okay, I won't." Toby promised. As the two walked in together, Carmen looked up from the sofa.
She was crying, too. "You're okay!" she said, jumping up and hugging Molly. "I thought you weren't going to come back. Elektra said you wouldn't!" she told her.
"I'm okay, Carmen. We're okay." Molly said. "Come on, you two. We'll go get cleaned up and I'll explain…" she said. She put her arm through Carmen's, and her other arm through Toby's. "About my sisters…" and as the three walked upstairs, Molly talking and Carmen and Toby listening, Elektra lurked from the bottom of the stairs, glaring up after them.