“Please help me with this.”

The words surprised Abby and Haven. Obviously to them I was not the type of person to lower my pride and face. However, whether they had an opinion or not they made no actions in response.

“Why? Why would you ask for help?” The pile of blankets known as Rachael asked these questions in a very pitiful voice. My current state, deeply depressed, did not allow me to care about lying or tricks.

“I want Kurt to be punished, and I want your help doing it.” I said without much emotion.

“Why would you want such a thing?” Rachael asked again.

“You need to be more clear. I want Kurt to be punished because he is a sc-... because he did something horrible. And why I want your help... Because I want it, you can testify.” The pauses in my words, caused by self doubt, created hesitation in the three girls around me.

“What are you doing?” Abby asked me.

“What do you mean?” I responded already knowing what she meant. She somehow understood that I already knew and kept silent.

“Are you willing to testify?” I asked clearly.

“No.” She replied with hesitation.

“Can you tell me why not?” I asked moving forward.

“I just want to put this behind me, and I don’t want people to know about what happened. Besides, even if you tried it would mean nothing.” Her words sounded depressed.

“Are you sure that is what you want, or what you think you want?” I asked a very cryptic question.

“What do you mean?” Rachael asked angrily.

“I mean if there were no obstacles in your path, would you testify. Or do you really want nothing to happen to him?” A silence followed my words and eventually Abby got impatient.

“Do you have an answer? We didn't come here just to smell you.” Abby said a very insensitive comment.

“Why would you say something like that?” I asked rudely. Her words were really harsh.

“Of course I would say to them, she needs to answer your questions. She doesn’t even understand your intentions. And what about you? You are too different today. You are holding back too much… Why are you being so gentle with her?” Abby exploded, words running from her mouth faster and louder than a veteran sailor.

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I looked over to Haven, who only gave me a slight nod. It seemed to be true, had what happened the previous day really affected me this much?

I really didn’t know how to answer this, but staying silent would only kill the conversation.

“Could you answer my question?” I asked politely. Abby, upset that I had no response, crossed her arms and pouted.

“I am too weak and cowardly. I can’t even leave the house, and I give up so easily.” Rachaels voice was slightly frightened.

“That is not true. You are brave.” I said confronting her.

“It-it can’t be true, have you seen the state that I live in? How could someone like me be brave?” Rachael’s voice sounded small like an animal's.

“Stop wasting time you are being too soft on her. When it was Haven you rushed forward head on.” Abby whisked in with an annoying voice. It was starting to get on my nerves.

“What do you know?” I asked her coldly.

“You have changed too much, why can’t you be more upfront?” Abby replied.

“Out of all the people here you have the least right to complain, don’t you? You didn’t get assaulted, you didn’t get beat up, you were just there. More importantly, do you even know how hard it is to do even this? You are probably the most useless person here, stop complaining.” My words spoken very coldly, had an effect on Abby. She was shocked, then hurt, and finally depressed. She only looked down at her hands.

That was probably too harsh, I had only wanted to shut her up, and I probably ruined another relationship.

Rachael poked her head out of her pile of blankets and looked at me blankly. I could not tell her thoughts, and I had even less desire to try my useless power on her.

Silence filled the room as I tried to find a way to get the conversation back on track. Luckily I had brought somebody else.

“Azure I understand that you would try a different approach on Rachael than you did with me. But I still don't understand how she is brave? Or why you would talk like that to Abby?” Haven spoke calmly but sadly.

“She is really brave even if you can’t see it.” I replied. I got confused stares from the three girls.

“Look around you.” I said. Quick glances around made nothing a new sight.

“She has been living like a slob, how does that make her brave?” Abby said with a vengeance.

“If you look closer, you will understand.” I said, still trying to be vague. All three of them still looked in confusion around them.

Finally Rachael asked, “I don’t understand either, how could living like this make me strong?” I considered keeping it a secret till the end, but now that she wanted to know for herself I would tell her.

“You are brave, do you think clothes fall to the ground themselves?” I replied but only Rachael's face gave any change from the previous confusion.

“Rachael, you have been trying to leave haven’t you? One by one you tried to get dressed in these clothes. Everything in this room is dusty, except the mirror which you used to look at yourself.” On the ground what had to be hundreds of pieces of clothing strewn the floor.

“Everyday you tried to leave, you have been trying to move forward all this time, alone. You haven’t given up on yourself, you keep on moving forward.” Abby and Haven finally understood my words, but the three were still confused.

“How does that make me brave?” Rachael asked.

“Bravery does not come from success, you are brave when you try even if it scares you to death. You have been struggling so hard all alone and never gave up. Even when you hear the voices yelling at you to stop, yelling to run away. When your body can’t move out of fear and you still push forward.You are truly brave when your heart is in your throat and you continue forward anyway.” I said, revealing part of myself I didn’t want to.