Morgan said:
MALICE wouldnt allow you an audience. she'd murder you and dispose of you as if you were a piece of trash.
"Yes, but at least THAT would be quick and relatively painless. Your MOTHER would incessantly harangue me on the folly of my ways until I was within an inch of insanity and THEN she'd happily turn me into a mechanical litterbox that automatically scoops out the cat shit! THAT'S why I don't try to
talk to your mother.... and because I KNOW why she treats me the way she does. She sees in me EVERYTHING she taught you NOT to be and she's TERRIFIED that I will 'rub off' on you or somehow INFECT you, or any of the others. Good faith and kindness?? [sighing, looking off into the distance] I wish your mother had ANYTHING like that for me."
Haleigh says, her gaze shifting to her hands. She attempts to wipe off as much of the mud as she can, futile though it may be.
We wouldnt have been able to help Alycia. everyone, even Hecate knew that. We HAD to let her make the choice that was right for her. that's what real friends do.
"Well.... I wish I shared your selfless altruism, Morgan.... but I DON'T. YOU may have been able to let her go.... but that has ALWAYS been an issue for me.... since I was very young. When we got in the car crash that killed my father, my mother and I rode in one ambulance and they put my father in a separate one. We went straight to the emergency room, though we were not seriously injured.... in fact, we were released within the hour and went home.... My mother was devastated and though I understood death, I was an impossibly stubborn four year old. I refused to accept that my father was not coming home from the hospital, as we had. I just
COULD NOT let him go. I immediately planted myself by the front window to wait for him. My mother was so heartbroken she couldn't bear to pull me away from it... hell, she could hardly operate.... Jeff was over at our house helping us so much he might as well have LIVED there. Mrs. Phillips cooked for us, Patch tried to distract me, to keep my company but no matter what, I would NOT move. I ate there, slept there in the window seat. After a fortnight, Jeff brought over a therapist to try to coax me out, but I inhabited the space.... nothing could draw me away. It was a total of four and a half weeks before my mother finally got me to leave the window.... over a month before I finally accepted that my father was never coming home. Oh, deep down, I knew he was dead.... but I just couldn't let him go. It has been this way all my life. I never liked that saying 'if you love someone, let them go'... it's the most ignorant cliche. I couldn't let Patch go. He only did what he thought would help US but I held on.... for YEARS. Hell, I couldn't let YOU go. I named a damn dog after you so I'd have a reason to say your name! I still look for Cameron. Even HERE. You may not understand... I KNOW that it's a problem of mine but I don't know how to fix it."
She said softly, looking back at Morgan.
"I needed to let Alycia go but I couldn't.... so I said those things... those hurtful things... in hopes that just to prove me WRONG, she'd stay. I wanted her to stay. Is that so bad?"
You've stood by us....and ill never forget the night i was pulled through the seige perilous, how you tried your best to save me. its moments like THAT that remind me while you're an important, valuable member and yes...i DO consider you to be a friend but just like YOU have a "nature" and "defenses" so do i...and when someone lashes out at me or my mother..it's my nature to go after THEM twice as hard....so we....we need to work on that...on BOTH ENDS.
Haleigh stands up, caked in mud. She offers a hand to help Morgan.
"Yes... it would seem we BOTH have instincts to tame. It's just that SOME things are better left alone. Sometimes people need to work out their OWN problems, without any outside interference."
and Neither she NOR I sits and PLOTS ways to hurt you. Far from it...I wish you'd understand that.
"I DO understand that Morgan... I DO. Logically, I understand.... but emotions are rarely rational and YOU must understand that sometimes it FEELS like you... or more often, your mother.... LOOK for weak spots to attack.... I can't change that and you can't expect me NOT to react defensively to it. I said those things to your mother because of the way she was behaving towards Delilah... and in spite of what happened, Delilah didn't deserve to be run into the ground. Since no one ELSE was going to stand up to Karen, I took the initiative and I'll GLADLY accept the fallout from it because I BELIEVE I the right thing. Delilah has protected me many times over and so, I protected HER and I'll NOT apologize for it."
A bit of that stubbornness was rearing its head again.... but her voice was a normal volume and her body language was non-combative and it was obvious that she was only clarifying her stance in light of the resolution between her and Morgan. As Morgan asked if it was necessary to come to this, Haleigh looked down at herself and then at Morgan and laughed.
"You know.... it probably did. Now.... if you don't object.... I'm going to go shower. If I'm gone for a week, don't be alarmed."
She said, smiling, turning to leave. As she did, a metal bucket of mud appeared over Ava, Alison, Nicolas, and Delilah's heads..... and it doused them ALL instantly, appearing and emptying with the speed of THOUGHT.
"Hehe.... serves you all right for laughing... and Alison? You owe my sister a bottle of wine. She won the bet fair and square. Hmm.... Delilah... have you ever considered going brunette? That muddy color complements your tanner skin tone nicely."
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