She-Hulk Finale REWRITTEN

Part 1 - All Afraid Of Me

2000.
Los Angeles High School.

A teenage girl with pale skin, and frizzled dark hair. She was petite and with average height. But her personality, to the people, spoke more than her size ever could.

Fifteen-year-old Jen sneaked through the corridors. With a classmate. The pair kept quiet, as it was closing time. The perfect opportunity for them to sneak into the library.

Jen had arranged this for her and her friend, whom she admired deeply. As she was also running away from a problem at home.

"How are you so sure the guard's--?" He asked her, as they quietly walked into the school library.

"I know Mr. Owens. He understands anyone when they have a problem." Jen said. "He won't tell anyone."

"Yeah, but--" The boy said. "won't he get fired if the Principal finds out he's in on this?"

Jen shrugged. "Then let's make sure the Principal will never find out." she smiled and pointed to the windows.

The boy raised a brow at Jen.

The girl smirked,
"What, Daniel? You too pure of a boy to lie about spending a single peaceful night in the school library?" She said.

"No, sometimes I guess I gotta do dirty to do what's right." Daniel said, as he shut the library door then walked over to the shelves with Jen. Both with flashlights that helped them navigate through the shelves.

"Speaking of what's right. What's up with you? And . . . may I ask, how does this comfort you?" Daniel asked.

Jen looked at him, seen how he was just genuinely confused. She bit her lip.
"My cousin Bruce." She said.

"Your . . . " Daniel said.

"There was this girl who'd do the exact same thing with him."
"They'd spend the night in the public library. Just to help him escape his dad who was . . . no good." Jen said as she leaned against the shelf, took a little rhyme book then stared at it as she went.

"Abusive." She said.

"Drinker?" Daniel asked.

Jen raised a brow. "I think so." She looked down. "I just, always heard my mom, talking about those times she saw Bruce walking outside and then asking him where he got all those bruises."
She looked straight.
"He always lied about them. Said he was clumsy. But really, he was trying to protect his dad."
"I never understood that." Jen said.
"Like, how could you have the strength and willpower to protect someone who was---hurting you?" she said.

Daniel pondered, as he stared blankly.

"All that shit made a mess out of him." Jen said. As she imagined the scenario of Bruce being physically abused by his father Brian. She gulped, and this heavy feeling climbed up her throat. Until it forced her eyes to tear up.

"I don't know why. But I could imagine how hard it was." Jen said.

Daniel stood beside her and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Where's your cousin now?" he asked.

Jen looked at Daniel then his hand. "He is 31, and working full-time as an instructor in Culver University with his girlfriend. Biochemistry, y'know . . . all that smarty stuff." She said, as her smile returned.

"What you said about protecting--" Daniel started.

Jen raised a brow. "Protecting someone you---who was hurting you." She said. "That just sucks, doesn't it?"

"I guess, from what I could tell about your cousin?" Daniel said.

"Yeah?" Jen said.

"Maybe there was a part of his dad that was good and, he believed in that." He said. "Or atleast he thought so."