Ethan: leans in close, whispers Y-you know, I... I can m-make people fear me. Make them... respect us.
ButtercreamBliss
looks at him, surprised What are you saying, Ethan?
pauses, stuttering I-I mean, I've always been good at manipulating people's perceptions, you know?
ButtercreamBliss
gasps Ethan, that's...that's kind of scary. Manipulating people...why would you want to do that?
speaks softly, hint of anger Look, it's not just about being scary, okay? It's about survival.
ButtercreamBliss
raising an eyebrow Survival? From what, Ethan?
takes a deep breath, speaking quietly From the people who have wronged me, ButtercreamBliss.
ButtercreamBliss
Like who, Ethan?
narrows his eyes, his voice filled with revenge Like those bullies who made my life miserable in high school.
ButtercreamBliss
did they hurt you bad
grabs ButtercreamBliss's hand tightly, revealing a scar on his wrist They... they did more than just hurt me, ButtercreamBliss.
ButtercreamBliss
oh my god ethan i’m so sorry i didn’t know they actually did this to you
pulls away from ButtercreamBliss's touch, wiping tears from his eyes It's not important anymore. It's in the past.
ButtercreamBliss
well if you ever need to talk about it i’ll always be here for you ok
sniffs, tries to compose himself Thanks, ButtercreamBliss. I appreciate it, really. But right now, I need your help with something else.
ButtercreamBliss
ok what is it
quickly wipes his tears and stands up, grabbing a notebook and pen I need to create a list of people in our school.
ButtercreamBliss
a list of people?
flipping through the pages of his notebook Yes, ButtercreamBliss. A list of everyone who has ever wronged me, who has ever made my life difficult.
ButtercreamBliss
And you’re gonna get revenge on all of them?
Ethan's list grows longer as he continues to write, but ButtercreamBliss begins to question the motives behind his actions and wonders if revenge is truly the answer.
ButtercreamBliss
looks at the list, concerned Ethan, are you sure about this? Revenge might not be the answer.
glances up from his notebook, his eyes filled with determination You don't understand, ButtercreamBliss. This isn't just about revenge.
ButtercreamBliss
what is it then
stands up abruptly, pacing back and forth This is about making them pay for what they did to me. It's about showing them that they can't mess with me anymore.
ButtercreamBliss
Ethan do i need to be on this list
stops pacing, looks at ButtercreamBliss with a mixture of determination and guilt No, ButtercreamBliss. You're different. You've always been kind to me.
ButtercreamBliss
thank goodness..i sigh with relief
quickly scribbles something in his notebook, then looks up at ButtercreamBliss But there is something else...