EVAN. TIME TO DEAL WITH BETH.

Two girls approached the Nineteens.

Tiny “Katier” Ryuyama wore short legged, dark blue denim overalls, a violet, mildly frilly crop top thing which had those little useless sleeve loops on the arms that left the wearer’s shoulders bare, and highish-heeled sandals. She had also totally changed her hair. Pulled back into two mid back length braided pigtails, it had been colored black, with streaks of striking blues, greens, and violets in the shades you would see in the aurora borealis.

Well over a head taller than Katier, Beth Mishra wore a blue sundress with white polka dots, but she’d changed her hair color as well; her frothy clouds of hair were now dark gray, like storm clouds, instead of bright white.

“I don’t know if you guys know this yet,” Megan said as the three girls approached. “But Beth didn’t know until earlier this year. Everyone kept her in the dark the same way they did me, until someone slipped up at a party.”

There was silence for a long moment. “Noted,” Evan said.

The two girls got to twelve meters or so away, and Beth stopped, clearly trepidatious. Katier said something while looking at Beth, and then reached out and took Beth by one hand, turning to lead her forward again, an expression of fierce determination on her face for four or five steps before she, with visible effort, composed her face into a more friendly, cheerful expression.

When the pair reached speaking distance, Katier glanced over her shoulder at Beth once more, giving a smile that was probably encouraging, and then, a cheerful smile still on her face, she almost skipped forward (impressive in those heels) and in a sing-song manner said, “On day two at Persephone, girls and guys, dear Beth here would like to apologize, to you,” and here she pointed at Megan, who released a little “Oh!” of surprise, and then she pointed at Angie and singsaid, “And you, and you,” at Ryan “and you.”

She didn’t just point at Evan last, she pranced up and poked him in the center of his chest with a finger—and there was a lot going on in her voice and her eyes that Evan couldn’t really interpret. Then she stepped back and (Evan thought it was fair to say) raked her eyes up and down his form, lingering slightly around his waist, which Evan assumed had to do with his sidearm and not her checking out his crotch. He couldn’t help but notice, as she did so, how toned her shoulders and arms were.

Despite himself, the way she said ‘you’ and looked at him, combined with the unexpected contact, sent a shiver rattling through Evan’s frame. He wasn’t sure, but one corner of Katier’s lips might have quirked up a touch when he shivered. He could see that she wore aurora purple eyeshadow and slightly darker purple lipstick. Her large golden eyes gleamed.

Katier stepped back to Beth, and almost but not quite too quiet for Evan to hear, said, “Okay Bethie, go ahead. You’ll apologize and they’ll accept it and no one is going to hate anyone, okay?”

Beth nodded. The voluminous cloud of dark gray hair balanced artfully up on top of her head shifted back and forth with the motion. Her expression seemed somehow both timid and determined. Then she took several steps forward, and (fucking of course) fixed her eyes on Evan first.

“Eh-evan,” Beth said, then closed her eyes. She inhaled, a deep breath, then as she exhaled she opened her eyes again and said, “Evan. I want to ah-apologize.” Her voice wavered, but kept coming out of her mouth as she continued, slowly, over-enunciating her words, “For firstly trying to speak to you as, as if…” She trailed off, then spun around one eighty and took two steps toward Katier. “I don’t know if I can…” she said.

“Bethie,” Katier said, low and urgent, “You have the words. You just have to say them. You’re fine!”

“You can do it, Beth,” Chris said. “It’ll be okay.”

Evan shot Chris an oblique, reproachful glance. Chris raised an eyebrow in return.

Beth stilled enough for Evan to realize she’d been trembling. As well she should be.

Beth took another deep breath, then turned around, locked her eyes on Evan but not on Evan’s eyes—his chin maybe—and said, all in one go, “I’m sorry for trying to speak to you as if it weren’t the first time in three years, and I’m sorry I didn’t speak to you for three years. And, R-ryan, Angie?” she said, maybe managing to look at their knees, maybe. “I’m sorry I didn’t speak to you for three years too. And that it took me so long to realize what was happening to you. Um.” She was looking at her own feet at this point.

“The last time you’d spoken to me, Beth,” Evan said, his voice coming out soft. “Katie Kay was just Katie, at least to me.” Katier made another expression Evan couldn’t interpret behind Beth, but Evan was mostly focused on Beth, watching her hands, which were clasped so tightly the brown skin over her knuckles got pale. He weighed his next words for several moments, and Beth started to worry at her lower lip. “Beth, listen carefully. I’m about to state some facts to tell you where we are right now. You need to not run away or cry as I say my piece. Can you do that?”

Beth’s eyes widened. She hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll do my best,” she said in a whisper.

Evan nodded. He kept his voice as calm and steady as possible. “I just went over this with Megan, but you need to hear and sit in it too. Beth, you haven’t talked to me for three years. You stopped talking to me when my sister died. Because my sister died. Maybe you did it because Megan did, too, I don’t know. But your reasons don’t change the fact that you abandoned us when I could have really used your support.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Beth stared at him with something like horror.

“I appreciate the apology,” he continued. “And I appreciate that it was very hard. Thank you. But I do not forgive you. Not yet. You’re on thin ice, and you’re going to be for a while.”

Beth nodded, clearly trying not to cry. “Of course,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Evan glanced at Ryan and Angie. Angie’s expression was downright stony. Ryan’s was ostentatiously pleasant without actually smiling, and his attention was on Angie as she regarded Beth in silence.

Eventually Angie sighed. “I don’t want anyone to beg. I accept your apology, Beth. I don’t forgive you. You fucking hurt me.”

Beth flinched. “I can’t imagine,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, and I know I can’t be sorry enough.”

Evan, watching from the corner of his eye, saw Angie’s expression soften, just a bit. “No. You can’t,” she said with a sigh.

For many long seconds, there was silence. When he didn’t speak, Angie said, “Ryan?”

“Mmm?” Ryan vocalized, as if his attention had just returned from elsewhere, which Evan knew sure as shit wasn’t true. His expression continued to display that overblown pleasantness.

“Beth just apologized to us, and is waiting for some sort of response from all three of us, and I’m tired of watching her squirm,” Angie said. Beth’s cheeks grew a bit rosier at that. “Say something. Is it necessary or even appropriate for her to apologize to you specifically?”

“No, not really,” Ryan said, at which Beth jerked in surprise, her eyes rising to look at Ryan with confusion. “But I was trying to figure out how to say that. Thanks for getting me.”

Angie smiled, with warmth. “No problem, Snow. You know I always got you.”

Ryan grinned at his girlfriend, looked at Beth sideways. “You and me’re cool, Bethalope. Now get outta here, you scamp, you probably need to give these two room to breathe.”

Beth, who had been staring at Ryan with something akin to wonder, actually giggled at that, but shook her head. “I still got a couple more.” She looked at Megan. “Megan, I’m really sorry I… I messed up your whole afternoon. You’d just been telling me how excited you were to hang out with them and Chris, but I went and put my foot in it. I panicked because he was just right there all of a sudden and I didn’t know what to do or say so I just tried to act normal and—”

“Oh Beth, no, I’m the one who should be sorry!” Megan said, and finally broke the weird rank they’d formed when Beth had approached them, stepping up to throw her arms around Beth. She squeezed the taller girl tight. Evan thought he saw a tear fall away from Beth’s face when Megan collided with her. Beth giggled again. Megan kept going. “I didn’t say anything about it before we reached him! That was so thoughtless of me! I should have had you step back or say goodbye or said something to you or something! I’m so sorry!”

“Oh Meggie, you’re not the one who needs to be sorry. Of course I forgive you,” Beth said, her voice soft, as she pushed her face and nose into Megan’s hair. “We’re terrible people, aren’t we?” she murmured, muffled but still loud enough Evan could hear.

“Yeah,” Megan said in a small voice. “We are.”

“You were terrible people,” Chris said gently. “You can be better now, though.”

Beth and Megan stepped away from each other and looked at Chris gratefully. Beth said, “I’m sorry to you too. I messed up your afternoon too.”

Chris laughed gently, saying, “Aw, thanks for the thought Beth, that’s very sweet of you. My afternoon wasn’t quite how I pictured it during the day, but the evening was exciting.”

“Oh!” Beth gasped, glancing at Evan in a more traditionally Beth-like fashion, so familiar. “Katier said—” Then she put a hand up to her mouth, silencing herself.

Megan pulled back, fixing Beth with a look. “Katier said?”

“Katier would be sad if she didn’t get to bring it up first. She must be dying to talk about it, or she wouldn’t have even mentioned it to me,” Beth said with perfect, slightly sad sounding confidence. Katier, four meters behind Beth, looked like she wanted to chime in but wasn’t sure if she should.

“Yeah, for sure,” Megan said, as if that absolutely wasn’t going to happen. She nodded and stepped back.

Beth gave a tiny, timid wave at the three who once were Exiled. “Um. See you.”

“Catch ya later Bethalope,” Ryan said. “We should grab some grub, catch up. Maybe play some vidja games.”

Beth giggled. “Once they’re less mad at me maybe,” she said. “And I haven’t played many games lately. At least not video games. That’d be fun.”

“What have you played?” Ryan asked. “Card games? Board games?”

“Probably not, Ryan,” Angie said. Beth shook her head, too.

“Smeh!” Ryan said.

“Smeh?” Angie replied.

“Dunno, it just came out of my mouth, it happens sometimes,” Ryan said, grinning as was his wont. “Games, Beth, I was asking about games ‘cause I’m curious and I’m nosey and no one’s talked to me for three years and I like games, Beth, I just wanna know what games you been playing before you scamper off.”

Beth actually giggled again, which was impressive considering how high strung she’d come into this. Ryan’s responses seemed to be cheering her, at least a little, and then her eyes drifted over to the sides, and a hint of mischief was in the small smile that crept onto her lips, and she said, “You know, like, party games, occasionally.” The emphasis on ‘party’ was a little mystifying to Evan.

She paused. “And occasionally Mario Kart. Mostly just when it’s me and Katier, but she’s too good at it.” She smiled, first at Megan and then at Ryan, seeming to take care to avoid looking toward Evan and Angie too long. “Thank you. You’re right about scampering off. I need to go compose myself, I have to get through a day of classes.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling!” Megan said. “See you later.”

“See you, Meggie,” Beth said. Indeed, “scamper” was a good way to describe her withdrawal, despite her height.

Beth briefly embraced Katier then kept walking away. Katier started approaching the five of them. Beth headed back onto campus, notably not going to Lauren and Nisha but bypassing them and heading deeper into campus.