5 - Distance
The last of the students poured out of the main entrance. Some of them occasionally caught a glance of Sunset sitting at the edge of the steps, but most just kept on walking. They gave their concerned smiles and quick condolences, but Sunset clenched her fists and told them thank you through gritted teeth every time. She wanted to yell, scream, draw everyone to her to ask them what their problem was, but she knew that wouldn't help.
She let out a solemn sigh and took out her phone. The words on the screen were the best she could do, but they felt so empty. She'd tossed and turned in her sheets for hours last night trying to think of the best way to tell the world, to make a post to all her friends revealing her crimes. All those long paragraphs of telling everyone who Soloman was, and how important support groups and suicide prevention was... it all just felt so distant. She gripped her phone in frustration as the new notifications popped up. All of her friends left supportive messages and heartfelt apologies for what she went through, for how much it must be weighing on her.
Sunset brought her knees up to her chest and let out a defeated groan. "Maybe Wallflower was right..." she told herself.
"About what?"
Sunset jerked upright and let out a little yelp as Wallflower nudged her with a knee from behind. "You've really gotta stop doing that."
Wallflower rolled her eyes as she sat down beside Sunset. "Not my fault you never hear me coming."
Sunset put her phone back in her pocket rest her cheek in her hand. "I guess..."
"So... I saw your post," Wallflower looked down at the concrete and played around with her hair awkwardly. "That was... well, that was really nice of you to come clean about all of it."
"Not that it matters..."
"Well, I wouldn't say that. Now everyone knows that those rumors were just made up."
Sunset let her face fall off her hand down to her knees. She let out another frustrated grunt and pulled out her phone again to turn towards Wallflower. "Just look at all these comments. 'I'm here if you want to talk about it'? 'Sorry you had to go through this'? 'You can get through this'? I spent all this time trying to make everyone see him differently and make this matter, but they all just..."
"Don't have the time of day," Wallflower said, a sigh flowing out of her mouth as well.
"Yeah..." Sunset looked Wallflower over for a moment as a twinge of guilt hit her. "Sorry... you probably already had to go through this."
Wallflower gave her a weak smile. "I still think it's nice that you'd risk telling everyone like this. Not that I needed anymore proof that you'd changed, but... it was still sweet. I think he would have appreciated it."
Sunset sat her chin back down on her knees. Wallflower's words gave her little solace, as she watched all the other students go home, talking and laughing to each other like nothing had even happened. Sunset clenched her eyes shut. She wanted to walk up to each and every one of them and ask how it didn't even matter to them.
"How does everyone just, go on living like this? Like nothing even happened?"
"It's been a long time, Sunset. Most people don't even remember him that well, if they ever even noticed him in the first place."
As the last of the kids poured out of the school, Sunset's frustration bubbled up in her stomach. "This was supposed to be a big deal! They were supposed to be mad at me!" Sunset rose to her feet and began pacing around the stairs, giving an angry glare at the concrete. "Telling the whole world this should've been a major ordeal, but instead they're just giving me generic condolences. Ugh... this isn't how it's supposed to happen."
"Real life isn't like some dramatic movie plot, Sunset."
Sunset grabbed her temples and let out an exaggerated, frustrated growl to the world. "But they should at least care a little. Everyone's walking around like nothing even happened!"
Wallflower looked up at Sunset with growing concern on her face. "What exactly do you want them to do, Sunset? The funeral was almost a year ago."
Sunset continued her pacing and shook her head. "To look sad? To acknowledge this terrible thing happened? Something other than a quick reply to my post? Everything just feels like it always did, and right now it shouldn't."
Wallflower let out a sigh and reached into her bag. What came out was a lovingly-wrapped plastic sack filled with pink, heart-shaped cookies with a little red bow tying it closed. Wallflower stood up and handed them over to Sunset. "Soloman's mom made these for you. She wanted me to ask if you were doing okay. Though, honestly? I'm kinda not sure what to tell her."
Sunset reluctantly took the cookies and let out a sad groan. They looked really delicious. If only they'd been given under some other circumstance. Sunset leaned back over to the stairs and sat back down, letting her face fall into her hands.
"So... not doing okay I'm guessing?"
Sunset let out a soft whisper. "I don't know."
"I don't get it. It's like you want everyone to hate you for some reason."
Another sigh left Sunset's lips as she let her hands fall back to her sides. "I don't want to lose any friends or anything, it's just..."
"Still feel guilty?"
"Yeah... Ever since yesterday at the grave, after everything you said..."
Wallflower cringed and had to look away for a moment. "You probably shouldn't take that to heart. Going there is... kind of an emotional experience and I wasn't thinking clearly."
Sunset pursed her lips and continued staring down at the concrete. "But I think you were right. I know it's horrible, but I kind of wish I'd never found out. I want so badly for things to go back to how they were before I knew."
Wallflower looks away. "Yeah, that is kind of horrible," she said, a twinge of irritation in her voice.
Sunset let out another sigh and let her eyes drift even further down to her boots. Wallflower just pinched the bridge of her nose as she caught another glimpse of her moping friend. "Ugh, look," she started. "I'm not really good at this stuff, alright? I'm still kind of... well, it's still a rough spot. I don't know if I've forgiven you. I don't really know if I've even forgiven myself... it's just... ugh..."
Sunset let a weak smile cross her lips. "Complicated?"
"Yeah... it's complicated," she said, doing her best to try to return the grin. "Look, I didn't mean what I said back at the graveyard. I think risking everyone hating you again with that post was enough to prove me wrong."
Sunset let her eyes fall back down again. "Maybe..."
"Maybe you should go talk to Merry again. I think she's worried about you," Wallflower said as she stood up and tugged on her backpack straps. "I'm heading over there now, if you want to come."
Sunset stood up beside her and took a deep breath. "I should probably thank her for these anyway," she said, looking down at the heart-shaped cookies in her hand.
"Oh, good afternoon, Wallflower. How was school?" Merry Shade called from inside the kitchen. Sunset felt a pit grow in her stomach at that voice. She didn't feel like she belonged there, or that she was even welcome.
"It was fine, Mrs. Shade. I brought a friend over, if that's okay."
Merry wiped her hands with a nearby towel and broke away from her position at the sink. A bright smile adorned her face as she turned to meet the girls, and it only turned brighter once she saw Sunset. "Ms. Shimmer! It's so nice to see you again. Did Wallflower bring you those cookies?"
"Yeah..." Sunset said, weakly lifting her arm up to show the unopened package.
"Oh, wonderful! I'm sorry I didn't have time to ask what your favorite might have been, but I hope you like them anyway," Merry said with a bright smile.
Sunset looked over the older woman for a moment. The bright smile and welcoming posture... it just felt so wrong. How there could still be happiness in this house at all was a mystery to Sunset, yet here she was, giving her a warm welcome like they actually were happy to see her after what she'd done. Sunset opened her mouth to ask her how she could possibly be like this, but the words got caught in her throat.
"I... I'm sure they're great, Mrs. Shade. Thank you. For making them I mean. I'll, uh... I'll try them pretty soon."
"Good, good. Be sure to tell me what you think. I'll keep you in mind for my next batch."
Sunset could only nod awkwardly at her. The kindness settled into an uneasy, uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Sunset had to let her eyes trace down to the floor just to get some respite from it.
Wallflower cleared her throat. "Well, I think we're just going to hang out upstairs," she said, freeing Sunset from the awkward interaction.
"Sure, just let me know if Sunset wants to stay for dinner. I'll be sure to leave an extra plate out," she said with her usual cheer before making her way back to the other room.
Wallflower motioned for Sunset to follow as they made their way past the dining room, and finally up the stairs. Sunset cradled the cookies in both hands as she followed her, an overwhelming feeling that she shouldn't have these washing over her.
"Are you doing okay? I thought I was supposed to be the socially awkward one."
Sunset looked up to shoot Wallflower a quick glare as they made their way up the stairs. Wallflower winced at the sudden intensity. "Oh... sorry. I'm not really used to this."
Wallflower opened a door along the hallway and made her way inside before flopping down onto the bed. Sunset's eyes dropped back down to the cookies for just a moment before she realized where her friend just led her.
A lump formed in Sunset's throat. Her grip loosened on the package in her hand as her heart began pounding in her chest. The sensations of her body felt in the room--the cold waft of air of the ceiling fan, the sound of soft rumblings of things going on downstairs, the lemon-scented smell of the freshly cleaned hallway--they all drifted away as her eyes explored the room. She quickly closed her eyes before they could see too much. Sunset had to ground herself before all those awful feelings flooded back in.
"This is... this is his room," Sunset said, the wrapped cookies suddenly feeling a lot heavier in her trembling grip.
"Yeah... I figured you could, I dunno, feel better if you saw some of the good things in his life."
Sunset wanted to be angry. She grit her teeth and kept her eyes shut as tightly as possible, but that didn't stop her thoughts from flowing through her mind. There was no telling how many miserable moments he spent in there because of her, how many hours he spent at that computer on his desk trying forget, or how many nights he had to stay up thinking about everything he lost, everything Sunset had made him lose. Her eyes might have been closed, but Sunset could feel an apparition of her own creation moving around this room. She shouldn't have been there. It felt like an abusive spouse coming back into their victim's life to her.
"So?" Wallflower asked after what felt like an eternity of silence.
"I need to go..." Sunset said as she spun around to get the room out of her vision.
Wallflower let out an angry growl as Sunset took a step towards the doorway. "Seriously?" the sudden, intense tone pulled Sunset to a stop. Wallflower shook her head and let out a sigh, trying to rub the frustration out of her temples. "Look, if I can handle this, then so can you. Don't you want to at least get to know who he was?"
"I don't think I can do this," Sunset said, shaking her head and looking around the room frantically like a rabbit that just heard a wolf. "I don't think he'd even want me here."
"What do you even know about what he'd want?" Wallflower asked as she slipped out of his bed and stood up next to her.
Sunset blinked a few times, shifting uncomfortably in place as her brain refused to work up an answer.
"That's what I thought. Look, Sunset. I'm not an expert in this grief management stuff, alright? All I know is that when I miss him I think back to the good times we used to have. He might be gone, but at least those good things happened, you know?"
A few deep breaths calmed the anxiety somewhat, but Sunset's brain reminding her that those good times only happened in spite of her didn't seem to help. "We... we didn't have those," she said through a whisper, nervously wringing the end of her jacket with one hand.
Wallflower rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I mean, sure, but maybe you could... I don't know... maybe this wasn't a good idea."
With a slow and shaky breath, Sunset closed her eyes tightly and tried to let her apprehension flow out of her. How much more damage could she really do at this point anyway? "I'll give it a shot, I guess."
She took a few tentative steps inside, wishing she could've been there under better circumstances. Her eyes flicked around the posters still hanging around the wall of bands and movies. Sunset had to swallow another pang of guilt at all the ones she enjoyed too--the thought of all the lost chances for long talks about the shared interests certainly weren't helping her keep her composure. Various pictures sat on his dresser and across a shelf above his bed; friends of his before she'd taken them away, few of him and Wallflower together, and the happy times him and his parents had shared on vacations.
Sunset got to the other side of the room, just barely, and let herself fall into the computer chair in front of the desk. Another few deep breaths kept the breakdown away for now. Wallflower looked around the room awkwardly as she sat on the bed in front of Sunset. Some things never change, at least.
"So... what did he like to do?"
"He, uh... he spent a lot of time on the computer. He wanted to be a software engineer, so he worked a lot on trying to code, he even made me an app once. It was actually pretty cool; it let me keep track of all the progress and growth with everything I planted and had tips on the best way to..." Wallflower trailed off once she looked back over to Sunset, seeing the forlorn look in her eye. "Right... we're supposed to be sad now."
Sunset rubbed her arm and stared at the carpet. "It's fine..." she said as she tried to fight back her own thoughts again. The more she learned the more it hurt. They could've been such good friends. Her mind built up a wonderful conversation of talking about their coding projects between arguing about which sub-genre of rock was the best. She couldn't help but wonder how many more people she stole that from.
"Is this helping at all?"
Sunset let out a sigh and did her best to look back towards her friend. "I... I don't know." A quick, frustrated whine left her lips as she buried her face in her hands. "I just... don't know how to get through this. I thought I'd gotten through the worst life had to throw at me, but... now this. How am I ever supposed to be better after this? I can't just forget I was the main reason he did this."
Wallflower opened her mouth and closed it a few times. "So... take that as a no?"
Sunset let out another frustrated grunt. "I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm supposed to be the one the girls come to when they need help. They know they can rely on me no matter what, but how am I supposed to help anyone now that they know I pushed someone to this? How are they supposed to trust me? How can I even trust myself?" Sunset tightened her fists against her head, shutting her eyes as tightly as she could to keep from facing reality. Her heartbeat jumped up a gear as her mind forced her to visualize the loss of her friends' trust.
"Well, how did you do it before?"
"Huh?"
Wallflower rubbed the back of her head and looked away. "I mean, I figured you knew what happened, and it just wasn't a big deal to you. Well, before I told you anyway."
Sunset let out an empty chuckle and let some of her anxiety flow out with it. "You really aren't good at this."
"Hey, I'm trying at least."
Sunset did her best to fight through her controlling thoughts and put on a gentle smile at her friend. "I appreciate it. I don't expect you to be an expert on this, I just... I'm so lost in all of this."
"Well, I did already go through it. You're doing a lot better than I was, I guess."
With a deep breath, Sunset did her best to look from the floor up to those green eyes with some meaningful empathy. "How did you manage?"
Wallflower shifted uncomfortably on the bed for a moment, looking around at every spot but the one Sunset was sitting in. "I... well..." She let out a little grunt. "You promise you won't freak out?"
"Why would I...?" Sunset raised an eyebrow as her mind tried to catalogue all the reasons she might freak out, then her eyes went wide and her breath caught in her throat. "Tell me you didn't," she said as her heart raced in her chest again.
"Sunset, if you're going to--"
"Wallflower, please, tell me you didn't..." Sunset said, exasperation plain on her face as she stood up out of her chair.
With a quick sigh, Wallflower looked down to one of her sleeved arms. Her face portrayed plenty of apprehension as she pulled up her sleeve to reveal the mangled scar tissue underneath. The further she pulled her sweater up, the more accompanying scratches joined the one massive gash. Sunset put a hand over her mouth and took a step back at the sight. She could feel her heartbeat thunder in her chest at the possibility of another person on her conscience.
"I didn't know how to manage, alright? It felt like he was the only one who ever cared, so maybe it'd be better if we were both gone, you know?"
Sunset clenched her teeth and shut her eyes tightly as the tears she'd been holding back started pouring out again. She carefully leaned down to touch her friend's old wounds. "I almost... both of you..."
Wallflower let out frustrated grunt and yanked her arm away. "No, you didn't. This isn't your fault, Sunset."
Sunset shook her head and looked away. "How? How do you not blame me?"
Another sigh left her friend's lips. "Did you forget already? I told you at the graveyard I thought it was my fault. I couldn't live with the guilt of not being there," she said, looking down at the floor, her eyes giving Sunset a few subtle clues about all the awful memories flowing through them. "My therapist says it wasn't anyone's fault, really. He just didn't know how to deal with the all the bad things in his life. We couldn't expect to be experts at fixing it for him."
"I could've avoided causing them..." Sunset said. "If I'd just reached out sooner..." She remembered the altercation the two of them had in the graveyard, she remembered it like it had just happened a moment ago. The thought of shouldering the blame brought back the memories of Wallflower's outburst, but even with that, she still couldn't manage to let go of the guilt building up the pit in her stomach.
"Look, Sunset. I don't know how you're supposed to deal with this. I don't even know how to get past it and I've been going to a therapist for a year." Wallflower brought her scarred wrist up close to her chest, taking a deep breath before looking Sunset in the eye. "But I know how you shouldn't be dealing with it," she said, turning out her arm to reveal the marks. "It doesn't really help."
"Wallflower... I wasn't going to--"
"Maybe not, though I know where this kind of thinking goes. It's not a good place."
Sunset did her best to swallow the lump in her throat as her eyes fixated on the rough scars on her friend. "I... I couldn't do that to my friends."
"And I didn't think I could put his parents through anymore, but here we are," she said, looking to the side and shaking her head. Sunset could see the irritation plain on her face, but couldn't tell who it was really for. "They coddled me like crazy after he died. Merry would always call to check on me and ask if I was going to come over that night or not. His dad even took me to a baseball game, like I was their daughter now."
Sunset gulped again, trying to focus on her words, but really only seeing those scars.
"They treated me better than my own parents, and it was the only reason I didn't try sooner... but when the pain and the guilt got to be too much..."
It was already too much. Sunset closed her eyes and wiped away another tear. "Why didn't you try to talk to us, or me? Or anyone? I could've--"
"Don't you think I tried? Nobody even acknowledged me. Look, none of that matters anyway, alright? We can't change the past, but we can at least do our best to make sure the future doesn't suck so much," Wallflower said as she scooted closer to Sunset. "That's supposed to make things easier--at least, that's what my therapist tells me."
"Do you really believe it?"
Wallflower let out a forlorn sigh. "I don't know yet. Like I said before we left the other day, I don't think it gets better, I feel like you just get better at living with it."
Sunset looked back down to the floor, the thought of how sick, literally sick at times, with grief and guilt she'd been since she'd heard. The sleepless nights, the broken trust in herself, the constant fantasizing about trying to change the past... living with that much hurt seemed impossible. "I don't know if I can," Sunset said through a pained grimace.
Wallflower reached over and placed a comforting hand on Sunset's arm. "Just don't do anything stupid, okay? I know I'm terrible at this and all, but I can give you my therapist's number--maybe he can help."
The thought of pouring her heart out to some detached professional made Sunset's stomach churn. Maybe it would've helped, but having to pay someone to care right now seemed so uncomfortable. Her mind jumped away from the thought of being stuck in some dusty old counseling room with a man and a notepad. There was someone she knew who might be able to help. Sunset stood up with a sudden determination.
"I think I might need something else right now. I might be gone for a few days," she said as she took a step for the door.
Wallflower jumped forward and caught Sunset's wrist. "Wait! Isolating yourself isn't a smart idea either."
With a soft smile, Sunset put her hand over Wallflower's. "I'm not, I promise. I just have someone I need to talk to. I'll let you know when I get back, okay?"
Wallflower gave her a soft nod and a hopeful smile, one that Sunset knew she'd only really reveal to her friends. After all the stress and anxiety of the day, it that left a warm glow in Sunset's heart after learning what lied under her friend's sleeves. "I hope it helps. Let me know if you figure out any new magical insights."
Sunset gave her a gentle laugh before leaning back down to give her friend a tight hug. "I will. Thank you for trying to help me, Wallflower. I wish I could've done the same when you needed it."
A few popped vertebrae echoed through the room. "Yeah, well hey, at least we've... got each other now," Wallflower said through a strained wheeze.
"I'll be back soon." Sunset finally released Wallflower to grab her backpack before heading out the door. I shimmer of hope lit up inside her through the torrent of sadness. It was time to head back through portal to see an old friend.
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9657385
Yeah. Just trying to get my life sorted out.
Glad this is back.
I'm a bit surprised too. I would imagine some of Tary's friends would furiously confront Sunset over how she ruined the poor kid's life over something so petty. Not to mention the students who haven't forgiven Sunset, and would want an excuse to belittle Sunset.
Heavy stuff.
9749793
You'd be surprised how little people actually care after even a few months have passed.
9749811
I guess.
But I still imagine that, like Wallflower, there are still students who still won't forgive Sunset and just want an excuse to attack her.
You know you had a tragic life when one of the few people who mourned you is the same person who destroyed your life.
9749826
But what other students might there be? Remember where Sunset is in terms of how the school universally sees her. A massive majority of the school sees her in a very positive light. Seeing her come forward with this is mostly going to draw the exact reaction that Holy wrote here. Sympathy and concern for Sunset. Other students like Wallflower pretty much aren't going to exist in anything beyond very few numbers because of the exceptional circumstances that created Wallflower's hate. The only other ones that are going to hate her are going to hate her for other more superficial reasons.
A very good albeit a quite painful chapter. It might just be me but had Sunset gotten to know him and they became friends I can't help but think about how that could that have impacted the relationship between him and Wallflower.
9750116
I suppose that makes sense. Sunset has, in canon, saved Canterlot High from a pack of evil sirens. When Sci-Twi went mad with power, a magically enhanced Sunset offered her friendship and forgiveness. And in the story, she's tried to help a lot of people she has hurt. So yeah, it is possible for people to have put aside their grudges and give Sunset a chance.
But my point is, Soloman Tary's suicide is one instance in which Sunset did damage she could never undo. In the first Equestria Girls movie, she was willing to frame Princess Twilight for vandalism. So it is possible Sunset has hurt people in ways that can never be repaired. Thus, there could still those who will hold a grudge against her no matter what she does, because her actions hurt them in ways that can't be undone.
Well, that would depend if Tary would even want to be friends with Sunset. Sunset's accusations were so vile, Tary actually got picked up by the police. I doubt Tary could ever forgive that.
I imagine Wallflower might be badly hurt if she felt Tary was abandoning her for Sunset.
9750165
I get that but again Sunset has taken actions to most everyone to rectify her wrongdoings, or at least that is implied that it has happened. Now granted it is up to the individual to accept her words and actions of forgiveness but I would like to point out two things in regards to this.
First how petty do you have to be to hold a grudge against someone who is genuinely trying to correct their wrongs like Sunset and you have so much positive evidence to go by for this genuine change? I know how difficult it is to forgive at times. I was on the Soloman Tary side of old Sunset in my past from multiple people. One of them happened to get into a car crash of their own doing and ended up paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of their life. I still wished them well when I heard about it even though they never asked for forgiveness and I have yet to give it. That, however, does not mean that I hold ill feelings to them. Granted no one ever went to the degree that Sunset went in this story. Different people have different extents to which they hold grudges. Granted Sunset's actions against him had consequences that are likely irreversible however none of it lawfully permanent. That said I can't answer for the character because I am not that character.
For argument's sake, I am going to give a theoretical example of what might happen if Sunset did reach out in time. If what happened in the story happened, say a year later and maybe a week before the Fall Formal where Twilight beats her. Sunset makes those accusations and a week passes with her getting beat at the Fall Formal. Wallflower and he aren't there to see. The time passes and Sunset eventually reaches out to him to ask for forgiveness before he commits suicide. He asks how can he when what she has done has legal consequences to him. Makes sense. However, she legally gets things straightened out by admitting to it being a false accusation clearing him of all legalities and makes him aware of it before he commits suicide. The last part she is completely unaware of by the way.
He still declines pointing out that there are other ramifications and social issues that her prior accusations have brought upon him. She admits that they may not be entirely fixable however she would like to try to do what she can. However, she would need his help and wants to try to make it up to him. So theoretical question. With all of the evidence around you of Sunset at least trying to change to a better person, including what she has just done for you, do you give her the chance that she is asking for? You don't have to outright forgive her as all she is asking for is a chance.
Second peer pressure works in many ways, including here in this way of encouraging the person to forgive Sunset. You very well may be right that there are people like that. I am just saying that the number is very likely few if any if you go by evidence of what is presented in canon and the extent that Sunset went in her actions against him being so extreme. If the theoretical scenario above plays out, even to someone else that didn't commit suicide and instead was just horrifically wronged in another way, I don't doubt that there would be some peer pressure on them to forgive her especially if she did do everything she could to clear their name and help them.
Understand that I am not saying that you are wrong in your thinking at all. I am just presenting my argument on why I don't think it is likely.
As for them building a friendship? It would take a long time no doubt and everything would have to be set right that could. However, I definitely see it as a possibility. Say the theoretical story played out and Twilight's showing up was Sunset's and his junior year. Their senior year they get paired into some computer class together and get a class coding project in that class together as a pair that lasts a few weeks long with the caveat that it is an out of the class project. It has been about a year since she set everything straight and the past year she even stopped Wallflower and her Memory Stone and even Wallflower is encouraging him to give her a chance. This class project is that unintentionally forced chance that let's say he didn't ever want. During this project not only does he realize that they like coding a lot but they actually share a lot in common. With all of this do you really think he could still hold a grudge over her past sins? There is no right answer to this as it is completely theoretical but I don't think I could.
Oh God, that whole scene & conversation Sunset had with Wallflower, was just incredibly emotional & to see Wallflower's scars was Sunset's breaking point... Well not quite, it was another example of the pain she caused during her reign of terror... It's a another sin, she can never wash away...
We can't really know what Tary would have done. We can't speak for the dead.
Uh, I don't think its right to trivialize Sunset's actions as holding a grudge.
A grudge would be if Sunset had made fun of him in class. A grudge would be if she stole his lunch money. Damaging his reputation so publicly isn't something that can't be easily let go. In-story, even Sci-Twi thinks that Sunset should've just let Tary alone.
I don't know. Again, Tary is marked by the fact that almost no one believed him. Losing the people you thought cared about you is something that is difficult to move on from. Learning that the person who ruined your life is popular would probably enrage you.
Plus, it is also unlikely that Tary could forgive the people who thought were his friends. I mean, yes, Sunset is responsible. But apparently, no one bothered to stand up for him or believe him. Only Wallflower actually bothered to contact him and remain friends. Even the Humane 7, despite being decent girls, eagerly bought into the gossip. Even if people peer pressured him, he could easily scream "you didn't believe anything I said. Why should I listen you." Many Anon-A-Miss stories portray Sunset as being mad that no-one even gave her the benefit of the doubt. Its not hard to imagine Tary would feel the same way.
Again, I don't really know if Tary could rise above, but I am saying it is very difficult to do.
I am not saying your wrong in your thinking. I'm glad we've managed to have a civil discussion on the internet.
That is a possibility. But life is rarely so cozy.
I don't know. Even though I like Sunset as a character, I think that many people are too willing to forget about how repugnant she behaved because it only happened in one movie and a couple of comics.. I've had an idea in my head a story where Sunset tries to make amends, only to discover she won't be forgiven.
Again, not because I think Sunset is a bad person. But, like Bojack Horseman, she must learn that she can't always get friendship, and that not everyone can/should like her.
9750769
I meant others that might still upset at Sunset. I didn't mean Sunset or Tary themselves in regards to a grudge. Sorry for not clarifying.
Speaking from experience very difficult is a rather mild way of putting it. That said I was only ever saying that others impacted the same as Tary weren't as likely to be there and that the possibility, no matter how unlikely, could have been there for forgiveness and maybe down the road even friendship. Personally, though, I am with you in that it is rather unlikely. As I said with one of those people I've yet to forgive them. I've yet to forgive any of them, to be honest. However, they never bothered to reach out either. I don't know if I ever could forgive them. That said I still believe in the possibility of it, no matter how small. Hence why I was talking about the possibility of it and the path that it might take rather than saying that it was going to happen.
This is my biggest gripe with most of EQG. While I haven't forgotten what Sunset did what I like so much about Sunset is her genuine change from what she used to be. Were it not for that I don't know if I would even care for the character. There just isn't enough of that from actual people. That said I still would rather see some characters that never quite could forgive her.
Truer words were never spoken more clearly.
This story is just too real. I'm glad that this fic tries to tackle this issue. If you have the strength, please continue this. Its a really good job that you put in here. Also, sorry for your loss. I hope that your friend is in a better place. I hope you are in feeling better too.
Really amazing story so far. I think it captured the feelings of existential dread better than any other fic i can remember. if i'm being honest, this is probably the best sadfic ive read in a long, long time. I can't wait for the update!
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kek, I think it should be deleted
I don't normally fave a story until it's complete. I'll make an exception for you.
I don't think there's anything I could possibly say to improve your situation, but I wish I could. I really wish I could.
It's sure has been awhile since we've gotten a new chapter and I can't stop thinking this has been either cancelled or put on a hiatus
Well that blew my idea out of the water. As I read I was thinking Sunset could redeem Solomon's reputation among his class, but as you said, people move on and stop caring and life isn't so dramatic. I do hope you continue this, but if you're still trying to get life figured out I understand.
This story is FANTASTIC
Wonder how much longer til we see a new chapter
Ok, I’m starting to not like wallflower, most of the things she’s saying and doing isn’t helping and it doesn’t even looks like she’s trying to help.
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Well if I did something horrible that made someone commit suicide I shouldn't expect their friends to be all that forgiven.