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𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

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The door shut softly behind Sunshine, pausing for a moment as she processed everything that had happened. Turning to Tate, she searched his face for answers, her mind spiraling with questions as the silence stretched between them.

After a long moment, she broke the stillness. "They knew you, Tate."

"But I don't know them."

"How can they hate you, then?" 

"Th-They're just high school assholes," he finally managed, his voice strained. "I mean, the world's full of 'em. It's popular kids who get off on being mean and cruel. I thought you understood that." 

He cast his eyes down, focusing on his hands as he nervously picked at his nails, his weight shifting as he leaned against her dresser. When he finally met her gaze again, his eyes were filled with a sadness that pierced her heart.

Sunshine sighed, taking a tentative step toward him. "I do understand, I ju—"

The sound of laughter and shouts from outside her window sliced through the moment, freezing her mid-sentence. Sunshine turned her head sharply, dread pooling in her stomach as she walked toward the window. She peered outside, her heart sinking when she saw the group of teens from earlier had found her home. Tate moved closer, peering over her shoulder, his body tense and rigid.

Sunshine looked up at Tate for a brief moment, her anger radiating from her features. Without another word, she stormed past him, her footsteps thumping angrily down the stairs, echoing in the otherwise quiet house. She pushed through the kitchen side door, stepping out into where the group stood.

"Oh, great. He sends his little girlfriend out," Kyle mocked, a smirk playing on his lips as he leaned casually.

Sunshine squared her shoulders. "You all have about five seconds to leave, or I'm calling the cops,"

"Go ahead. Call them. You'll probably need them," the cheerleader taunted as she perched on the brick wall.

"Screw that. She deserves whatever happens to her," Kyle spat.

"Yeah. She's like those lonely, fat chicks who marry guys on death row," the goth girl chimed in, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're deeply, deeply disturbed."

"Just go home," Sunshine pleaded, her voice wavering slightly but still firm.

The cheerleader skipped over to her. "Home? Where is that?" she asked, her voice rising sharply. "I'm an only child. After what happened, my parents split up, sold the house, moved away. No forwarding address. So I don't have a home."  Without waiting for a reply, the cheerleader flounced over to the steps and plopped down.

"I'm sorry... but I can't help you," Sunshine replied, her voice softer now, almost pleading.

"Can you help this?" Kyle interjected, pointing to the fake blood smeared across his forehead. "Can you give me back my scholarship to Georgia Tech? I'm supposed to be starting quarterback freshman year."

"She doesn't care. She's in love, and she'll do anything for him, including giving him her virginity," the cheerleader scoffed, crossing her arms and regarding her with condescension. "Tonight was the night, wasn't it?"

Sunshine clenched her jaw, her frustration boiling over. "Shut up," she spat back.

"You stupid slut. She's worse than he is. She thinks it's okay what he did to us," Kyle berated as he prowled around her.

Sunshine rolled her eyes, trying to project confidence despite the pit of anxiety in her stomach. "What could he have possibly done to you?" 

The cheerleader stepped forward, a flicker of realization crossing her face as she stood up to join the others, closing in around Sunshine. "She doesn't know," 

"Know about what?" Sunshine asked.

Before anyone could answer, a member of the group who had been silent until now stood up, attempting to speak. But as he opened his mouth, fake blood pooled and dripped from the corners, causing him to instinctively clutch his grotesque mouth.

"It's okay," the cheerleader said, her voice adopting a soothing tone.

"Have you seriously not heard about Westfield High?" Kyle continued, his gaze piercing through her as if searching for an answer within her eyes.

Sunshine took a step back. "We just moved here,"

"Pick up a yearbook, bitch,"

"Or read a newspaper," 

"We're kind of famous," 

Sunshine narrowed her eyes, struggling to hold back a laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Are you seriously mad that I don't know who you are?"

"Let's put her down, get her out of her misery," the goth girl threatened, stepping forward and invading Sunshine's personal space.

"Leave her alone!" Tate's voice cut through the tension as he emerged, positioning himself protectively in front of Sunshine. 

"Finally. The prodigal son returns," Kyle sneered. "We've got some questions."

"Go inside." Tate shot a glance over his shoulder at Sunshine, his voice firm "I can handle this."

"What? No." Sunshine shook her head vehemently.

"Go inside!" Tate's sudden burst of authority made her flinch.

"I'm not leaving you," she insisted.

"Karma's a bitch, Tate," the goth girl hissed, her eyes narrowing as she took a step closer.

"You want to talk to me? Let's see how fast you can run," Tate challenged, adrenaline coursing through him as he turned on his heel and sprinted away. The teens erupted into a frenzy, trailing after him as they surged forward like a pack of wolves on a hunt.

Sunshine stood frozen, unsure of what to do next. Panic clawed at her as she pulled out her phone, fingers shaking as she dialed for help. "Hello? There's a bunch of kids chasing after my friend," she explained as she ran a hand through her hair. "I think they want to kill him."

Unexpectedly, she felt a grip on her arm, spinning her around to face Constance, who loomed over her like a storm cloud.

"Come with me to my house now," Constance demanded, her grip painfully tight as she tugged at Sunshine.

"What? Are you crazy?" Sunshine protested, discomfort surging through her as she struggled against Constance's iron grasp.

"Addy is dead because of you,"

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"She wanted to be a pretty girl." Constance began, her voice tremulous yet steady as she sat across from a visibly shaken Sunshine in her kitchen. 

"Of course, she didn't look so pretty lying on that table, under those harsh, energy-efficient lights," Constance said, her voice thick with grief. She paused before continuing, "One of the few comforts of having children is knowing your youth hasn't disappeared... it's simply been passed on to the next generation. Something you'll understand for yourself soon enough."

Sunshine felt a wave of confusion wash over her, but she chose not to react to the strange comment, remaining silent instead.

"They say when a parent dies... a child feels his own mortality. But when a child dies... it's immortality that a parent loses."

Sunshine sniffled, a shuddered breath escaping her as she quickly wiped away her tears. "I'm so sorry, Constance. I didn't think this would happen," she murmured, her voice laced with guilt.

"Well, you did encourage her," Constance replied, her voice quavering as she poured steaming tea into a cup. "That's true. But you were just trying to be kind, weren't you? I was the one who sent her out into the world tonight. And it did what it will do."

Sunshine frowned, a pang of empathy piercing her heart as she absorbed Constance's pain. "It's not your fault."

"Go ahead, drink your—drink your tea, honey." Constance commanded softly, pushing the steaming cup closer to Sunshine. Nodding, Sunshine lifted it to her lips, the heat enveloping her face as she blew gently at the steam before taking a sip. 

"You know, Adelaide was a willful child. I suppose if she... inherited anything from me, it was that," Constance mused, her gaze drifting into the distance as she took a spoonful of sugar, the grains dissolving in the liquid when she stirred. "In truth, I think my little monster was more like me than any of my other children."

"You have other children?" Sunshine asked, surprise threading through her voice.

Constance brushed a stray hair from her face, her expression solemn. "Tate is my son."

Sunshine nearly dropped her cup, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What?"

"He cannot know about this, Sunshine." Constance's urgency heightened, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "He cannot know... that his sister has passed. Not now. He doesn't... react well to certain things. So you— you have to promise me." Desperation tinged her tone as she grasped Sunshine's hand, her grip firm yet pleading.

"I—" Sunshine shook her head, confusion washing over her. "I don't—"

"He's a sensitive boy. You've seen that. He—he's a young man with... too deep feelings... the soul of a poet... but none of the grit or steel that acts as a bulwark against these horrors of this world. The steel that has protected me... that Adelaide possessed. And that— that you have too."

"I, uh... I think— that's why he's taken so with you. He craves your strength. Look, maybe he misses his sister. But we must protect him, Sunshine." Constance's eyes locked onto hers, conveying a depth of vulnerability that made Sunshine's heart ache. 

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