Over the next few days Cherry meets more of my family as they start making me their way down for thanksgiving. I can't really tell if she's actually having a good time or just playing it off really well. On thanksgiving day while everyone is at the table eating and talking I keep catching Cherry staring at me. I take out my phone and text her
"Why you keep staring at me?"
"I'm not staring"
"Yes you are I've caught you multiple times already"
"Noooo"
"What's up?"
"Nothing"
"Oooook"
As everyone is finishing up their food and the sun slowly starts to set I'm getting ready to throw out the trash for my mom when Cherry comes up to me
"What are you doing?"
"Taking out the trash why?"
"I'll come with you"
we walk outside and after I throw out the trash I see her looking at me again
"Ok seriously what's going on?"
"Ummm can we go somewhere and talk?"
"Sure…."
I go inside and grab the keys to the truck and head back outside. I drive up to a view that's not too far from the house that looks over the whole city. We get up there and I sit the truck bed door down and we both sit down looking out over the city. I look at Cherry and then open my mouth
"So what did you want to talk about?"
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath
"Everything"
"What's everything?"
"So you know how Hill told you I was a violent person"
"Yeah?"
"Well… I'm not"
I start laughing and point at the scar going from my eyebrow to my cheek
"Bullshit don't you remember this?"
Cherry then stand up and pulls her pants down and points at her brand
"And don't you remember this?!?"
"I say we're even"
"Well point is I think it's time I tell you the truth about me"
"Ok I'm listening"
"Well first of all Alexandra is actually my real name and I'm not 26, I'm only a year older than you"
"Oh shit really?"
"Yeah, I came up with the whole cherry character once I started working for Hill. Before that I was living in Georgia with my family. I had two sisters and one brother, we lived on a big farm"
"Sounds nice"
"Yeah it does… but it wasn't. My dad's brother also lived with us, he was a good guy but one day something just changed. One summer day it was just me and him on the farm, we were in the stables feeding the horses. Then suddenly he grabs me and starts running his hand up my skirt. I didn't know what was happening at the time but he assured me everything was ok and this was alright. I was young and I trusted him, but as I started getting older I realized this wasn't ok. I went and told my parents but they told me I was lying and looking for attention"
"Oh I didn't realize…"
"That's not all. It continued until I was seventeen years old then he just stopped. Little did I know he was going after my little sisters now, when I found this out I just lost it. I'm supposed to be the older sister and supposed to be protecting them but I couldn't. So one day i just…"
She looks away and stares off into the distance. I put my hand on her shoulder
"What happened?"
"I grabbed by dad's shotgun, I went out to the shed where he was working. I stopped before the shed and thought he didn't deserve a quick death. I walked in and quickly put the shotgun to the side and grabbed a hammer. Right when he turned towards me i swung with all this hate and hurt right across his face. He laid there on the ground, having trouble breathing, I grabbed a sledgehammer and went for both his kneecaps. I wanted him to feel as much pain as he put me and my sisters through. I then blew his head off with the shotgun… I guess my parents heard everything and came running out and seen me pull the trigger. They called the cops, they came and picked me up, I was interrogated and I told them everything. Went to trial and they came to the conclusion I was unfit to stand trial and sent me to a mental institution"
"And then you escaped?"
"Yeah… one night I snuck out, eventually Hill found me and the rest is history"
"I… I'm sorry. That's horrible…. I feel terrible for even judging you and even worse for doing what I did"
"It's ok… I have no regrets for what I did, that monster can't hurt my sisters now"
"Zeke told me a similar story except with a childhood bully… so is everyone just people that have been hurt in some way?"
"Yeah most of them…. The guys that work close to Hill are actual psychopaths"
"I figured… well at least he gave you guys a chance to work and make some money"
Alexandra starts laughing
"We don't get paid"
"Wait… what?!?"
"He tells us that since he took us in, gives us a place to stay and feeds us, gave us our freedom that thats enough of a payment. Why do think he's able to pay you so much"
"Wow… that's not right"
"It's alright"
"It's not, it's like everyone of you are his slaves"
"Trust me it's fine"
"I feel like a dick for even judging you"
"Won't be the last"
"But… what made you want to come forward and tell me this?"
"These last few days with you and your family made me feel safe… like i had a family again. I felt like my old self and didn't have to put on a front. So I had to tell you and get everything off my chest."
I grab her hand and look at her
"I'm glad you were able to trust me with everything and I'm also glad you're able to be yourself"
"Yeah it suck's that it's only for a few more days and it's back to reality"
"Why don't you just stay here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Stay here with my family, ill be back in a few weeks once school ends and you won't have to go back to being treated the way you are"
"Hill will find me and if he knew I was staying with your family… it'll just be all bad"
"You can't just quit once everything is over?"
"I'm his best girl… he'll never let me go"
"So what you're just stuck there?!?"
"Pretty much"
"This is fucked up!"
Alexandra grabs my face and looks me in the eyes
"Can we just enjoy the next few days and worry about this later?"
"But…"
Before I can say anything she's presses her lips against mine. After a minute we pull apart
"What was that for?"
"I just felt like doing it"
"I'm not calling you cherry anymore"
"Why?"
"Because Lexi sounds better and you're not just a character at a show to me now"
"So what am I?"
"Right now… a friend"
"Just friends?"
"For now"
"I'm ok with that as long as I can keep doing this"
She pulls me in for a longer kiss then I pull away
"I'm perfectly fine with that"
She then leans her head on my shoulder
"Thank you for hearing me out"
I wrap my arm around her and bring her close to me
"Anytime"
We sit there and just stare out over the city, with no worries in the world, at that moment everything is perfect.