dex returns alone [old version]

4: The scars go deep

Forkle

As soon as Timkin's daughter barges in the room Soph flinches and Stina starts bawling.

"Thank the gods you're not dead! I'm sorry Sophie, I'm so sorry if I'd never said those mean things to get back at Biana, you never would have gotten kidnapped. Please forgive me."

Then it hits me, Timkin's daughter is the big mean bully Soph was talking about. Soph must be feeling hysterical right now, watching Stina Heks begging on the floor to be forgiven, not only that but there are so many people in the room including Wylie. He stares in shock with a big smirk on his face.

To my dismay and many others, Soph looks so compassionate towards her bully and helps Stina stand up as they walk out of the room to chat.

I guess Soph is exactly what we designed her to be like, kind and caring, understanding to all. A total success.

"So that just happened," Wylie blurts out and we all start laughing.

When Ora leaves she tells me to give Soph her love and that she'll be back soon.

Stina

How can Sophie be this nice? Am I just getting lucky? Is she putting on an act? I really hope not, after seeing all the hearts she's changed and is still changing, like my own, I realize I'm so wrong about her.

When I start crying more, she doesn't laugh or make snarky comments, she looks at me with so much compassion, I'm taken aback.

How is she acting like this, why is she acting like this? Then I go back to what daddy said, "Though the Moonlark isn't necessary, she is the change the world needs. To put an end to the wrong, like talentless and scorn and prejudice."

Daddy was right because right in front of me stands the girl I have bullied the whole time she was at the Lost Cities, she doesn't look at me in disgust, but hope. She thinks I can change.

Sophie

"Stina, there is no need to apologize. I don't care anymore, I have been wronged so many times, I forgot to look at the reason. You, you have been wronged before and that has changed you. But you can still change for the better. I have hope that you can, with hope you can do anything." I say with such ease, because it is the truth, Stina had to have been wronged in order to be this cold.

"What do you mean, why are you being so nice?" I give her a sympathetic look.

"Stina, no one, no matter how evil they are, are truly evil. There is a reason behind it all. Everyone deserves to be treated equally 'equal rights for all, special privileges for none'. That's one of my favorite quotes from 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. No matter how different we are, we are all the same." After I say that Stina looks at me like she's truly seeing me for the first time.

"You know the story I'm guessing," she admits. "My mother and father are a bad match. You must have heard all the gossip saying your friends with Marella Redek. All my father wanted to do was to be normal, to not be scorned, so he faked an ability. When he was found out because you really can't fake an ability, there were so many rumors flying around. When I started going to foxfire I got the brunt of his action. Everyone wondered out loud if I was going to be talentless and things like that. I started getting bullied because I kept my head up high and didn't bother to listen to them, just like you. I got sick of being the victim and turned into the beast they all wanted me to be." She confesses that all to me and it's a lot to take in.

"You're right, but now, you have the choice to change. Stina, take my "death" and use it as a turning point. Let the world see the real you."

"What if they don't accept me?" She starts crying again and so do I.

"It takes true hardship to learn Stina, not everything is easy. If you want something you need to fight. If it helps I'll be your friend."

"You'd be my friend?" She asks in wonder, not believing me.

"Of course. To whatever end." She looks confused when I say that but I elaborate, "I'm using famous book quotes to change your mind." I say with a smile.

"To whatever end," she responds. "I also need to read whatever books you read. They sound really good." I laugh.

"We can do that as our first act as friends." I say with a smile that she returns in kind.

And just like that a bond was created.

Forkle

What Soph was talking about, it made all of us teary eyed. There are cameras in that room, we all watched as they had a heart to heart.

Soph just created an unbreakable bond with her bully, how is this possible. I guess only she knows. Project Moonlark so far is a success.

Stina

Listening to Sophie makes me cry. She is so compassionate and kind, not caring about who I am and what I've done to her. She only seems to care about me, not herself.

I had judged her too quickly. She's not some trashy girl going after Fitz Vacker, she's the girl willing to go to lengths to change his perspective.

I'm so happy I have a real friend. I'm going to take her advice and apologize to the whole school, on Monday.

Like Sophie said, if I don't try nothing will happen, some of the easiest decisions are the hardest to accomplish.

I'm not worried, now, I'll alway have Sophie Foster in my corner coming to back me up.

And damn those books. I really need to read them: 'To Kill a Mockingbird bird', 'Throne of Glass', 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', 'The Cruel Prince', 'Red Queen' damn.

All these books have either war or injustice in them.

I now believe project Moonlark was a success and 100% works.

I'm Stina Heks and I'm no longer afraid to show my true self!

Sophie

I'm so proud of Stina, from her telling me those secrets and her being willing to go through the hardship to change. I'm proud of her.

I'm also happy because now we can gossip about my favorite books together!

In the book reference to the Red Queen, Stina is Evangeline and I'm Mare.

They both need each other, when Mare finally sees through Evangeline's armor, there's a scared little girl who wants to be with Elain, but in this case Stina wants to be loved, like me.

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