Family Line

nine.

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"I was there I was in the past."

"You're ok." Cindy tried to comfort the rambling girl. Her leg was practically split in half.

"I saw the...the killers. They killed so many and you're next. Both of you are next." Alice said making Maddy go pale. "You're fucking next!" Alice yelled at them. Maddy shook her head, convincing herself she was in shock.

"Alice we're right here." Maddy said as she sat down next to her and Cindy.

"The witch did this. She did all of this. She put a curse on Shadyside. Mary was right." Alice cried out, Maddy didn't want to believe it. But it was true. Everything Alice said was true.

"I know." Cindy said before taking a pause. "The cave was alive, Alice. Tylenol can't do that." Cindy said, making Alice laugh, then scream in pain. She gasped as Cindy nodded her head. "You were right by the way. I am a snitch. The day after we stole Mr. Evan's JVC player, Harold Hines saw me with it." Cindy said as she started to try and fix Alice's leg.

"Fucking Harold Hines." Alice cursed as she seethed in pain. Cindy at forced Alice's bones back together and Alice let out another pained scream.

"Next thing I know, I'm in the principles office, and my dad can't come in because he just tan off with some girl not much older than I am now. And my mom, well, she was having a few drinks at O'Connell's. And I knew then...I wasn't different from other Shadysiders." Cindy said as tears streamed down her cheeks. Maddy looked at Cindy with a saddened expression. "I was cursed. I told myself if I was perfect, if I did everything right, I could beat it. I snitched on you, I got new friends, I started dressing like this." Cindy said before ripping off a piece of her polo shirt. Maddy raised her eyebrows, because those polos were pretty expensive. Cindy started to wrap Alice's leg with the fabric as she looked down. "I dated sweet Tommy. Trying to ignore the other feelings I had for females." Cindy said making Maddy raise her eyebrows. She wasn't judging, but she could've almost celebrated when she said that. But it was a sentimental moment. "I avoided you, but I couldn't avoid Ziggy. Because she was always there, reminding me of the truth. That this town, this place..was cursed." Cindy said, sniffling. "And so are we. Now I know. She was right. All this time." Cindy said tightening the shirt around Alice's leg.

"I've been a bad sister. I've been a bad friend. I should've just...skipped class, partied, had sex, had fun." Cindy cried as Alice shook her head.

"I hate to break it to you, but the fun...it's not any more real than your polo shirt. That's a reason I wear these." Alice said as she took off the leather bracelets she wore on her wrists. "And it's not just because they're awesome." Alice said before showing the girls her wrists. Maddy covered her mouth as tears formed in Alice's eyes. She sighed shakily before telling them what happened. "We all have our ways to deal with Shadyside. None of us had perfect Sunnyvale lives." Alice said looking at Maddy.

"Sunnyvale isn't perfect, neither is my family." Maddy said as she looked down at her legs. She went to explain further on why before putting a piece of hair behind her ear. "I was 14 when I came out to my parents, I told them I found a girl. They weren't fond of it." Maddy said as she fought back tears that went into her eyes. "So they sent me off to a "service trip" Maddy said with finger parenthesis. "That "service trip" was a conversion camp." Maddy said as they stared at her with sadness. Maddy sniffled as she wiped her eyes. "Where old men touch you and shit, try to return you to god."

"When I got back, I tried to um...I tried to end it all. They had tried to fix me, and I thought I couldn't be fixed. So I almost drove my car off of a lookout." Maddy said before bringing her knees to her chest. Cindy wiped her tears away as Alice stared at the girl, almost understanding what she was going through.

"In Sunnyvale I'm perceived as this girl with a perfect life, a perfect family. But in reality it's all shit." Maddy said leaning her head on her knee caps.

"Who was the girl?" Alice asked, Maddy looked up at her. She shook her head as she put a hand through her hair.

"You really wanna know?" She asked, Alice nodded her head. Maddy turned to Cindy who was looking at her and Alice.

"Oh, uh it doesn't..." Cindy trailed off and Maddy nodded her head. She bit her lip as she thought about answering the question.

"A girl from Shadyside. She's one year older than me, and she has red hair. She likes polo shirts, and she has a younger sister." Maddy said, Alice smirked hearing what Maddy had said. Cindy's face heated up, knowing what Maddy had said. "And, I'm hoping she'd be my girlfriend one day. Maybe after we get out of the cave, save the camp, she'd go on a date with me." Maddy said, looking up at Cindy.

"I'm sure she'd love that. I'm also sure she feels the same way." Cindy said, putting a smile on Maddy's face.

"Does she like cheeseburgers?" Maddy asked, Cindy nodded her head, chuckling.

"She might like it as much as the girl taking her out on the date." Cindy chuckled, Alice sighed, looking at the two females.

"Just kiss already."

Maddy grabbed Cindy's cheek, leaning in. Cindy leaned in, and their lips connected. Cindy's hand went on the small of Maddy's back as Alice cheered, slightly ruining it.