Meanwhile, up on the surface, Za-Naron was wreaking havoc and causing damage to the city.

Hiding in an alleyway, Ryan was quivering in fear. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew she was scared of the events playing out at that very moment.

"Oh God. . . what's going on?" Ryan said as she was breathing heavily. "I never meant for this to happen. . . I didn't want this."

Ryan then thought back to the conversation back in the hunters' hideout.

. . . .

"No, that's not fair! There's no reason for this!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because. . . Jake loved her. He loved her with all his heart! And. . . I know she loved him just as much. Trust me, I've seen those two together their whole relationship. It seemed healthy to me. The reason for their break-up, I'm still unsure of. But all I know, is that Jake was trying his best. He truly cared about you, Ryan! Would a true monster care so much about someone?"

"Yeah. . . even when I was bleeding on the ground from her attack, he didn't even go out of his way to attack her back. In fact. . . he basically let her off with a warning. He could've done so much more. And quite frankly, he should have. . ."

. . . .

"Why did they even bother to defend me?" Ryan asked herself. "I'm an awful person! I did awful things! I don't deserve redemption."

"Of course you do." A voice said, catching Ryan's attention.

She turned to look and saw Trinity walking up to her, holding her arm, which was bleeding a bit.

"Trinity?" Ryan said in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"I know you're probably mad at me." Trinity said. "But I need you to hear me out."

"You lied to me." Ryan said. "How can I trust what you say next is true?"

"I know. . . I should've warned you about Natalie's true intentions." Trinity said. "But I was just trying to protect you. I never meant for things to go this far. It just happened."

"I just. . . I don't know what to think anymore." Ryan said. "Things have just been so confusing since me and Jake broke up."

"You wanna. . . talk about it?" Trinity asked.

"Well. . . before we were friends, you know my life always hasn't been the best." Ryan said. "And when I met Jake. . . I noticed that he was different. He gave me a chance."

As she said that, a memory began to replay in her head as she remembered the day that she met Jake.

Flashback. . .

Ryan was just a young middle-schooler with longer hair. She was the new kid just looking for a place to sit down. She sighed and sat down on a bench far away from anyone else.

But she didn't realize that two girls were walking up to her with smirks on their faces.

"Well, lookie here." One of the girls said. "Another loser to push around."

Ryan looked up and began to feel nervous around them. "H-Huh?" She said.

"It's about time." The other girl said. "That other girl we were mean to left too long ago."

"It's been a while since we had some fun." The other girl said.

Ryan just sighed and tried not to pay them any attention. But her attempt was futile.

"Don't ignore me, you brat!" The first girl said angrily as she grabbed Ryan's hair and yanked her up. "We're trying to show you who's the queen bee around here!"

"Hey, let me go!" Ryan said, struggling to get out of the girl's grip.

"I know what we can do." The other girl said, before teaching into her backpack and took out a pair of scissors. "Let's teach her a lesson, she'll never forget!"

The other girl smirked as she took the scissors from her friend. "Ooh, you're evil." She said. "I like that."

"What're you gonna do to me?" Ryan asked in a shaky voice as tears formed in her eyes.

The bully girl then took the scissors, and while still holding Ryan's hair, used them to cut off a large chunk of her hair, making it as short as it is today.

"Ha! What a stupid, ugly loser!" The other girl said. "No one will like you now with that horrible haircut!"

"I wonder what else we can cut to make her uglier!" The bully girl said with a smirk.

"No, stop!" Ryan said, her tears falling from her face.

"Hey, leave her alone!" A voice said from behind them.

The girls looked over and saw a young boy with light blue hair. This is Jake back in middle school.

"Don't make me tell the principal!" Jake said. "Leave this poor girl alone!"

"Ugh, whatever!" The bully girl said. "Let's go. I'm done with this girl anyway."

With that said, the two girls left Ryan alone and she was left crying. Jake walked up to her and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"No. . . I'm not." Ryan said, still crying. "Those girls. . . they cut my hair. . . and now I'm ugly."

"You're not ugly." Jake said. "Actually, I like your hair. It looks cute."

Ryan stopped crying for a second and looked up at Jake. She blushed a bit as she was surprised to hear such kind words after being bullied. She let a smile smile slip as she ran her hand through her hair.

"You. . . you really like it?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I do." Jake said. "My name is Jake, by the way."

"I'm Ryan." Ryan said.

"Do you, um. . . wanna hang out?" Jake asked, blushing a bit. "You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"Sure." Ryan said with a smile. "I don't mind."

The two of them then began to hang out all the time from there on out.

End of flashback. . .

"I never let my hair grow long again after that." Ryan said, running her hand through her hair. "And we've been friends for a long time after that. And when he spilled his feelings on me, it felt so sudden. Cause I only saw him as a good friend the whole time. But. . . I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I accepted his feelings."

"So. . . why did you break up with him then?" Trinity asked. "Why. . . did you listen to me?"

Ryan sighed and looked at her best friend. "I don't know." She said. "I mean. . . over time my feelings grew for him, too. But. . . I guess your influence was stronger on me."

"I'm sorry, Ry." Trinity said. "If I hadn't have intervened, none of this would've happened. I should've just let you be happy."

"Then. . . why did you do it?" Ryan asked. "Why did you tell me to break up with him?"

"Well. . . I guess I just let my true feelings get on the way as well." Trinity said.

"Huh?" Ryan said.

"Nevermind that." Trinity said. "But I'll just say this. . . I'm done being this way. I can't keep helping others hurt people."

"You know. . . I've been having that thought for a long time." Ryan said. "I never wanted to hurt Jake the way I have."

"Well, then if you still want Jake to forgive you. . . it's time to stand up for what's right." Trinity said. "We're gonna help him take down that freak that has taken control of April!"

"You think he'll appreciate that?" Ryan asked. "What if he doesn't want my help?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try." Trinity said. "This would be your last chance to redeem yourself for him."

Ryan thought for moment before forming a serious look on her face. "You're right." She said. "Jake may not like me anymore, but I'll always love him. And I have to help him."

"That the spirit, Ryan." Trinity said. "Now, let's go and help Jake."

'I'll show him. . .' Ryan thought to herself. 'I'll let him know that I still care deeply for him!'

To be continued. . .

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