The Outsider (Original Version)

Chapter 17- The Truth

Tucker seems to be avoiding me today.

To my surprise Lindee was avoiding him, and hanging with me.

This was odd to me.

"So why exactly is Tucker mad at me and why are you mad at Tucker?" I ask as I wash dishes in the kitchen sink.

Lindee leans against the counter, chewing on a price of bread.

"Tucker is mad at you because he thinks that you should open up but you basically told him that he needed to instead." She starts, making me feel bad.

"And I'm pissed at him because he can't man up and just tell you how he feels." She finishes, making me roll my eyes.

I doubt that will ever happen.

"Even if he does, I'm kids hoping he doesn't, I'm not sure I could let him down gently." I confess, pulling the drain from the soapy water.

As I walk out into other hall she takes my wrist, spinning me around.

"What's that mean?" She asks, making me sigh.

"Lindee, I'm not one to have people like them, and I don't handle it well. If he were to tell me, I'm not exactly sure if I were to be able to tell him gently that I'm not interested." I state with a shrug.

Lindee grabs my face, moving it so she can stare into my eyes.

"You liar." She says, pushing me playfully.

"What?" I ask, not understanding.

She smirks, walking up to me.

"You like him, you just don't want to admit it." She teases, making me narrow my eyes, being as stubborn as always.

Yeah, I'm stubborn about basically everything but being stubborn.

"Sure. When once have I shown that I liked him?" I ask pointedly.

She smiles, putting her hands on her hips.

"The day you blacked out. You could have asked anyone to stay with you that night, but you chose him." She starts, making me open my mouth open to protest.

"No. I'm not done." She says, making me close my mouth.

She takes a step closer.

"Or the time you asked him to come with you and Mig to the underground place." She lists, making me roll my eyes as a defence.

She glares at me.

"He also has saved your life multiple times, and you have always been kind to him, even though you 'don't like him'." She says, wiggling her eyebrows.

I'm not sure what to say in defence so I turn away from her, grumbling as I stomp into the living room.

"Just admit you like him!" She shouts, making me a bit annoyed.

"Nope. You know why? Because I don't." I shoot back, making her roll her eyes for about the tenth time in this conversation.

Yup, I've been counting.

"Just say it. You will feel a lot better!" She says, hugging me from behind.

I shake her off, letting her fall onto the couch.

"Feel better about what?" I ask, utterly confused with this girl at this point.

She sighs loudly, dramatically letting herself drape on the chair.

"Look, he wants you to open up, so why not open up?" She says, changing the subject.

I hug my torso, not liking the new conversation.

Lindee sees the change in emotion.

"I don't want to talk about my last okay? There isn't anything good to say." I mutter, sitting onto the arm chair.

Lindee's face goes from joking around to serious.

"Come on. What did you do, or what happened to you that was so bad?" She asks gently.

I'm not sure why, but I feel like one person should know.

The voice from the wind sounds in my mind of how I belong here.

When you belong, they will understand.

"If I tell you, please, don't think of me any differently?" I ask, making her nod.

I sigh.

The guilt has been sitting on my chest for the longest time.

"The only way I survived all these years, and the only reason I got kicked out of every town I was in was because I stole Lindee." I say, covering my face with my hands.

Its silent for a minuet.

"That's it? Petra, just cause you stole in other towns, doesn't mean that's what oyou are." She points out, making me not feel any better.

She realizes that.

"How much good have you done? Look back to every town and name at least one thing you did good. If you can do that, I would think that it doesn't matter." She says, making me think back.

Memories of every town flood into my mind.

The day I gave up the things I stole to a poor family.

The town where I saved the town leader's son.

The year where I worked as a helper in the homeless shelter to get some money, only to get ripped off and still work there for nothing.

"Maybe, but Tucker won't be as forgiving as you. The town won't be as forgiving as you." I say, making her sigh.

"That's what you don't get Petra. To Tucker, you are who he thinks he loves at the moment. He can't even get dressed before coming to see you. The day we were coming to see you on the day you blacked out, he was so nervous that I had to pick out his clothes." She says, making me smile lightly.

The idea of Tucker liking me isn't bad, but it makes my stomach turn with a feeling I've never had before.

I don't like it.

"Why would he get nervous over me? I'm nothing special." I mutter, letting my smile drop.

She sighs again, making me face her.

"What you don't understand is you are special. To him and to the people who consider you family now." She says, making me brighten up.

"Well, what will he say?" I ask, getting up off the chair.

"He will understand." She counters.

My mind is trying to think of every excuse it can to not have to do this.

"What if my words fail me?" I ask, making her face palm.

She grabs me by the shoulders, shaking me lightly.

"He will understand!" She shouts, making me a little nervous.

My stomach flips over and over, giving me the nervous feeling again and again.

"Lindee." I start, making her look to me.

"Thank you. For everything you just said." I say, hugging her.

She hugs me back, her smile so bright I could almost feel it.

As we pull apart, both confident about what was about to happen, little did we know something else was going down.

Third Person

Tucker is strapped into a chiar with a large helmate fastened to his head.

"Now, let's try that answer again. Who is Petra to you?" Frederick asks, stepping from the shadows.

Tucker looks up, hate and anger filling his once kind brown eyes.

"Nothing." He spits, making Frederick smirk.

The entire room is filled with hate as the once kind, nervous wreak of a boy is released from his cage.

"I'm glad you finally see the right side of things." His father says, both smirking.