Valeriana

Commercial Break: Making Amends

Commercial breaks are little stories/oneshots that are canon to the storyline but aren't a part of this book's plot.

This takes place on the last day of Scott's freshman year of high school. It's also before he started using they/them pronouns.

.•°*°•.

Scott fidgeted nervously as he watched tens of students pass by him, exiting the school for the last time that school year, whilst he waited for Gem to come out to meet him. He got up on his toes to search the crowd for her face. The longer he waited, the more nervous he became. As less and less students were leaving the school, Scott sighed and started to walk away thinking she wasn't going to show.

"Scott!" she shouted as he took his first step, and he turned around to look at her. She was panting and her backpack was open and falling off her shoulder. "Scott, wait, I'm here!"

Scott had to stop himself from snapping at her, the words 'Took you long enough, dumbass,' dying on his tongue as he remembered why he needed to talk to her in the first place. "Hi," he said awkwardly instead, smiling a bit.

Gem laughed exhaustedly as she grabbed stuff that fell out of her bag. "Sorry, fWhip wanted to make plans to go to the ice cream place and Sausage wanted my opinion on an outfit for a date-" She paused to breathe. "But I'm here now. What's up?"

Scott blinked at her, confused. He expected her to be angry at him, to hate him. But... "You don't hate me?" he asked quietly, wanting to cry.

"No?" She smiled a bit. "Why would I hate you?"

"After what I did..." He could feel his eyes filling with tears. "I hurt you."

Gem took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "You hurt me. But that doesn't mean I have to hate you. You're still one of my best friends."

Scott sobbed at that, covering his face with his hands. He didn't understand why she didn't hate him. He was horrible to her. And yet she still considered him one of her best friends? Why? If she did what he did to her, he would be furious. He would hate her. Does that make me a bad person?

"Do you want a hug?" Gem asked softly, and Scott sobbed harder, practically answering her question. She stepped forward and hugged him, and he latched onto her like a leech. "I forgive you for what you did." With every word, Scott cried harder and harder. "I know about Zach and how stressed you were back then. I know you didn't mean it. The Scott I know wouldn't do that. You're so kind and gentle and soft. I'm so sorry about all that you went through. And I forgave you a long time ago."

It was a while until Scott finally calmed down, but once he did, Gem smiled at him.

"Do you feel better?"

Scott rubbed at his eyes. "A little?" he said. "I just... I thought that- I expected you to be mad at me."

"I was at first," she admitted, "but then fWhip told me about your boyfriend and I understood. I'm not mad and I certainly don't hate you."

Scott let out a long sigh of relief. "I'm so glad."