A Threat to their Existence
(Day 37: Monday Morning)
"It's just therapy," Carlos comments at the cafeteria table. "I looked it up. All they do is listen to you, help you understand what you're feeling, and occasionally try to offer a solution. But they can't make you do anything you don't want to do."
"Which is why they're going to brainwash me," Evie skeptically responds before taking a sip of her apple juice. "They're going to say things like that nurse did. They're going to say it's bad for me, that it's pointless and that I could die." She grips the glass hard, "They're just going to try to scare me so that I can't reach my full potential."
"What?" Jay replies in frustrated confusion. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Evie," Carlos slowly asks, "are you even hearing yourself? Why would they want to stop you from reaching your full potential?"
Evie shrugs, "Maybe they're jealous." as she raises her plucked eyebrows in thought. "That's how it goes, isn't it? That someone fails to make their dreams come true, so they just start to stop other people from making theirs come true."
Carlos and Jay glance at each other, knowing that to an extent she isn't wrong; however, Carlos still looks back at her and denies the idea, "Not everyone's idea of happiness is to look perfect. They're not trying to sabotage you. They want to help you."
Evie scoffs, "Help. Right." before she grits her teeth and narrows her eyes at him. "That's what they all say."
Carlos sighs before he sees Mal join the table, "It's about time. Can you tell her that she's completely lost it?"
Mal darts her eyes from Carlos to Jay, "What is he talking about?"
"We've been trying to get Evie to see a therapist about her eating issues," Jay explains, "but she still doesn't want to go."
"Oooh, no," Mal lets out and shakes her head. "There's no way I'm getting involved in this. You're just going to have to convince her yourself."
"Mal," Jay starts.
"No," Mal finishes. "I'm not losing her trust. She has to tell the truth to someone. You can forget it."
"Fine," he reluctantly accepts, and after a moment of quiet he brings his attention to her. "How's your morning going so far?"
"Just brilliant," she sarcastically answers, but then she frowns and becomes contemplatively quiet.
"What is it?" asks Carlos.
"Part of the reason why it took me so long to get here…" Mal looks up between the two of them. "Someone told me to go back to Hell where I belong."
"That's horrible," Jay sympathizes. "Who told you that? I should—"
"You shouldn't do anything," Mal tiredly interrupts, before she stares down at her plate of bacon and toast. "If it wasn't them, it would have just been someone else."
"Wait. Them?" Carlos questions.
"There was a group of them," she explains. "All these preppy girls grouped together like some sort of hunting pack." She laughs, "I mean, of course they'd be grouped together like that. I'm dangerous… a threat to their existence."
"Mal," Jay places a hand to her arm, but then his previous thoughts escape him. "You're cold." He gives her a look, but Mal can't tell if it's filled with more accusation or concern.
She pulls her arm away, "I don't care." before she looks off towards the table that Audrey sits at with Lonnie, Ruby, Chad, and a couple other guys from the tourney team; however, soon after Audrey spots her stare, causing her smile to fall into a deep frown.
"Mal," Jay starts again, but then she stands from the table. "Wait. Where are you going?"
"Apologizing," Mal simplify states before walking over to Audrey's table, but by the time she reaches it Chad stands in her way.
"You're not getting to her," he firmly comments, and Mal can hear the anger underneath his pitiful attempt to keep her at bay. She could just hypnotize him to move, but she knows that won't earn her any favors.
"I don't want to get to her," Mal disputes. "I just want to talk to her."
"Talk to her," Chad unsurely says.
"To apologize," Mal insists, and a minute later Audrey stands from her seat to face her.
"Apologize?" she stresses at the absurdity. "You didn't seem very keen on apologizing when you were attacking me."
Mal shuts her eyes for a second, "Look. I don't know what happened, but—"
"You don't know what happened," Audrey sasses in disbelief.
"I don't remember," Mal says louder, and as she looks around she can see the entire cafeteria observing the spectacle, including Ben. She eyes him for a moment, so much just wanting to make him the least bit proud, before she turns back to Audrey. "Look. I just really need you to know it was never my intention to hurt you."
"Really?" Audrey doubts. "It didn't seem that way that the time." She nods, "In fact, I'm pretty sure when your bestie asked if you really wanted to do it, you said you did."
"Like I said," Mal insecurely restates, "I don't know what happened. But you have to believe me when I say that I'm sorry and that I want to apologize."
Audrey huffs, "There's no way I'm accepting an apology from you for something you claim to not even remember."
"Why not?" Mal yells in frustration. All she was told to do was apologize. She was never told that there was a chance for it to not be accepted.
"Because," Audrey starts. "When you apologize for doing something, you're making a promise not to ever to that thing again." Mal glances back at Ben. It hadn't appeared that way when his family was explaining the importance of an apology before. "If you don't know what you did wrong, then you can't promise to not do that thing again."
Mal is quiet for a long moment, her mouth slightly agape, "I hurt you. I know that, and that's enough of a reason to apologize." She looks into her eyes, "I'm sorry."
Audrey stares at her, "Don't tell me you're sorry. Tell the judge. If you can convince him, then he may have mercy on you."
"Audrey," Mal begins.
"If you convince him, then I may just believe you," Audrey comments. "Until then… or even after…" She looks from the floor to the predator, "If I couldn't trust you before, I certainly can't now."
"So, that's it," Mal sadly laughs. "There's nothing I can do to convince you."
"You mean, short of your magic?" Audrey points out, and it's quiet for a moment. "No. I'm afraid you can't."
Mal gulps with a nod, before she walks away and moves past her own table. Jay calls after her, "Mal. Your breakfast." but she doesn't listen. She just moves forward, heading to her locker to grab her things. The hallways are mostly quiet, only a single person here or there minding her own business, and when she finds the room number her suspension is to take place in she leans against the wall, her knee out and foot on the wall, as she waits for the door to open.
- Mal dIdn't Even correct her on the hypnotism not being magic.