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“I’m sorry But, what the hell? He paid a fortune for this uniform and look what they’ve done”

“You’ll be fine” I went to the supply closet where spare uniforrabbed replace there with her ar to protect herself “I know the gravy isn’t that great Co of it all day It’s horrible stuff”

She was still crying

“Don’t cry,” I repeated “They’ll know they’re getting to you and that’s never good You’ve got to be a fighter here”

“I’hter”

“You’re in the deep end, Ash, you’ve got to do so out of the way as the water cascaded over her head I didn’t even knohy I was helping her There was nothing I can do My dad would have a fit if he kneas helping a no one

“I didn’t want to come here”

“No one ever wants to coh We find a way around it”

“This is what you did?”

“It’s e all do, Ash Don’t let theet to you Come on Get out of those clothes”

She sniffled and I waited

I wasn’t going to strip her out of her clothes This was the fight she needed

“I can’t believe you hit that girl with your food tray”

I thought about the way she sat on Gael’s lap several weeks ago “She deserved it”

“I don’t think anyone deserves to be hit”

I didn’t say anything else This girl, I didn’t knohere she came from, but it was clear she wasn’t from around here She certainly wasn’t a part of the life either This world wasn’t for her, not even by a little bit

“Thank you,” she said

I turned to see she’d stripped out of her gravy-stained clothes “What for?”

“For not abandoning ”