Priscilla

S5 ⭒ Finale

*Instrumental*
♪ Paul • Volker Bertelmann

STAINED

Priscilla Wolfe

"Speechless, are we?"

The whole room is hot and queasy.

Starting to tilt on an unsteady axis; causing a dull pain behind my eyes that only bright lights too early in the morning could cause before now. I'm blindsided.

The only person with an ounce of determination and direction on her face is Chae, as she scowls at Halen's stunted, passive expression with resentment. Her pain, it radiates. Her hatred for him, it fills the room, the place she declared her warzone, with a tense gas. Feels like one breath could kill us all.

And I'm too stuck in my head, too scared to move.

To interrupt.

To react.

"Is that surprise that I see in your eyes, Halen?" Chae continues. The floor creaks as she inches closer, lips tight with venom, "...Good. Let it sink in. Let it dig in. Let it hurt you like it's probably killing Alicia somewhere out there - 'cause you heard me right. She's gone. Hurting and dying because of you and your 'mistake.'"

"Chae, don't - fuck, could you not say that? Don't say that to him!" Fox bristles coldly, looking at her audaciously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I went too far?" She laughs angrily, whipping her head around, "He cheats on her a-and he drives her mad – manipulating her, and I'm the bad guy? Because I'm the only one who acts like an adult and calls him on his shit instead of coddling him like a baby? Instead of feeding his precious ego? Is that some sort of joke?"

Fox tilts his head at Chae, "You know better than that. Beating him down won't help you. It won't solve this and it sure as hell won't bring Alicia back. I defend him, because one mistake, one lapse in judgment, shouldn't ruin the entirety of his life."

"Well guess what? It's costing Alicia hers, right now. So, you go ahead and tell me how that's fucking fair."

Fox goes silent again for a brief moment, running his palm over his mouth.

"That's what I thought." Before anyone can speak again, she's back on Halen, looking him up and down in disgust, "He's not walking out of this a free man. He gets to feel the pain, and the guilt, and the fear like the rest of us have for five years."

"He gets to be shamed like he should've been back then, and gets to explain. Explain everything. But most importantly, how my best friend ended up scattered in pieces across New York."

Halen doesn't blink, he doesn't tear his eyes from Chae, but his muddled anxiety is palpable. I can feel just how tangled and sticky and thorny and complicated his emotions are. Because mine are entwined. I feel the anger, and the hesitancy, and the despair, and the shame coating all of it.

Like me, he can't bring himself to say a word. His body won't let him.

His mouth twitches, but the look in his eyes tells me he thinks he deserves this, just like Chae's tells me she knows he does.

She's been preparing for this for a long time. Waiting for her chance to confront him. Every word is so precise, almost rehearsed and practiced.