Alex turned around when she heard the voice. It was a voice she hadn't heard for a long time. Disbelievingly she took a long hard look at the female. Her eyes seemed to shoot fire and with a bitter voice she finally spoke.
"Look who's back in town." She said still sitting on the edge of the stage.
"Summer." Alexspoke the name as if it was some kind of venom.
"I know you're mad Alex…" Summer started carefully.
Before she could finish her sentence Alex jumped off the stage, lunged forward and stopped just inches from Summer's face.
"Mad does NOT cover it." She spat out. "I understand you didn't know how to handle the situation when Marissa got put away. But a real friend does not just give up on their Best. Friend." She punctuated her last words to empathize them.
"You didn't even stop to think about what they were doing to her. You didn't visit her once! You just went on with your life, you were too wrapped up in Seth to stop and think about doing something to help those who DO love Marissa. Or Marissa herself."
Her voice softened a bit and she took a step back from Summer. Emotionally, her voice filled with obvious pain she continued.
"You were one of the few who had the chance to go in there, to visit her and see how she was doing. To tell her the people on the outside still care for her. But you didn't."
Anger flashed in her eyes again. "So mad, no. Furious is more like it. You disgust me. I just really want to place my fist in your face right now. You're lucky I've grown older and wiser."
Summer's lips had started to tremble. She knew Alex was right and there was no way around it.
"You're right. And I'm so sorry I didn't. But I can't delete the past, I can't take away what has happened."
"Then what are you doing here?" Alex asked. She was boiling inside and couldn't keep the harsh tone from her voice.
"Seth and I are here to visit our parents. I had to know if anything changed, if Marissa got out yet… But I understand she's still in." her voice had become barely audible when she spoke her last words.
Alex could see it really was hard on Summer to speak and think about it, to deal with the guilt. She pushed her anger as far away as she could. It took all her strength to do so.
"Yes, she is. But it won't be long before we'll get her out. Things are changing for the better, at last."
Summer took a moment to ponder what had just been said to her. She wanted to know what Alex had meant when saying Marissa would be out soon. But she knew she was in no position to actually ask what was going on. She had given up that right. So she said the only thing she could think of. "You must really love her if you're still fighting for her."
"More than life itself. And I will until the moment my last breath leaves my lips." Alex concluded, effectively ending the conversation. Summer left without saying anything else.