Trust Is A Work In Progress (editing)

31* THE FACT DOESN'T CHANGE

31*THE FACT DOESN'T CHANGE (TUESDAY)

"Where have you been this whole time?!"

I'm practically screaming at her. I can't seem to help it. I feel like everything- everything I've fought for, been abused for, made the family pariah for, thought of as a worthless piece of crap whose had to carry around this overwhelming, destructive guilt for- has been for nothing.

"I thought you were dead! I thought that you drowned! Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you at least tell me that you were alive?! Do you have any idea how much of a difference that could've made?!"

My voice is cracking with the overpowering anger I'm suddenly feeling towards Maylene. She's been alive this whole time. She's been talking to out father who has abused me for killing her. That's totally shit.

"He's known the whole time hasn't he?" I look at her for an answer. Her face blank other then the tears in her eyes.

"Whose known what the whole time?" she asks calmly. How can she be so calm about this? the sound of her steady voice sends another wave of anger over me.

"Our father! He's never thought you were dead."

"Yes. He was the one who pretty much placed my fake death into action. He pulled me aside the pool to where you would think I'd left to go inside. Then he showed me a face to show you, and told me to jump in the pull. He'd taken my floaties if so I couldn't swim. Our uncle was one of the EMTs. He faked my death at the hospital and has kept me hidden ever since."

"But you escaped. You could've escaped the whole time!" I accuse her. She and Cole had already told me how they set up the escape plan.

"No, I couldn't. There wouldn't have been any point before. I wouldn't have had a place to stay or anyone to help me. I would've had just ended up being caught and put under a shorter leash," she told me shaking her head.

"But you could've at least told me you were alive. Do you have any idea what it's been like? I thought you were dead! I thought I'd practically killed you!" I said getting a flinch from her in response.

"I thought that I killed you this whole time," I said again.

"I'm sorry for that, but you have no right to accuse me of all this being my fault. That's what you're doing, right? Blaming me for everything. I could've told you, but the least you knew the better. I was trying to protect you this whole time," she says stepping closer to me as her voice rises.

"Yeah? Well look at how that turned out! If it wasn't for Father being arrested five years ago I'd probably be dead by now. He'd put me in the hospital twice in Georgia! He almost put me in again if he wasn't caught and arrested. That didn't stop him though. As soon as he got here as found me, he had his men put me in the hospital again! You aren't the one whose been protecting me! If it got out that you weren't dead, none of this would have ever happened!"

"It's all about you again isn't it?! You were always so self-absorbed, but I'd hoped you grew out of it!"

"Me being self-absorbed? What about you? You have always been Miss 'I'm perfect' or 'I'm prettier' oh and don't forget 'I have to be the favorite and get everything I want, or I'm gonna throw a crying fit and make every one else miserable.'"

"What?! That's total shit! Your not even fucking glad that I'm alive after ten fucking years?! You don't even care what I've been through! Do you even care that I'm fucking alive?!"

"Of course I'm glad you're alive, but you said it yourself: it's been ten freaking years! It'd didn't look like you had it so ruff back there with father. It looks like you got his sailor's mouth and everything!"