"I never had the nerve to ask..."

Lambert's last bit of the week was filled with different exposures.

Wednesday was a day of introduction, Thursday was the day that she grew up.

Wednesday was nice because she got to go out. Her OT took her to a garden, in hopes of inspiring a commitment to volunteering. It was a weedy place, being organic. As they had walked there, it was a blinding afternoon. Lambert had dressed heavy, as usual. Someone described her wardrobe once as being something for Fall. She was showed around, and told the basics of the program. She didn't know what to think of it. On one hand, it seemed cool; on the other, it seemed that talking shop with the other Crazies of the program was discouraged. "This is a volunteer program, not a support group." It made sense, but still sort of made Lambert feel weird.

Thursday was the sort of day that began with persistent creativity. Lambert made a series of paintings, each time getting closer to a style that could suit her needs.

Things got troublesome later. She decided to write a story for a LJ challenge; Caesar tried to shut off the computer in the middle of it. Thankfully, the doofy bastard failed -- but not before Lambert got up and cursed him out; she believed he has succeeded. Threats were exchanged. Sister cried, Mom was harried..only Dust had no real reaction.

Everyone ran off to their own sides, corners, and hiding places. The dishes got done, and the story was saved -- despite Caesar's best effort at controlling the elements. A day or two before, Caesar had vented to Lambert about her mom; at the time, she'd seen him as a real person. Now, he was back to being the Lizard King.

Dust was over because he'd cheated on Sister, back on her birthday, back when he was in a different province. He was making up with her, and for all intents and purposes, had pretty much secured that.

The rest of the daytime passed by harmlessly. Lambert got a new haircut, which she nattered to everyone that it made her look like 1990s Holly Hunter. Specifically, very Copycat-y. This was for a HA meeting, which turned out to be canceled.

All was well until the parental-types went to bed.

Em came online and confessed to being pressured in to sex by a letchering Pi. He had touched her all through a movie, groped her on the way home. Em was as firm with him as Lambert was; he was a kind of guy that girls seldom said no to: big, intimidating.. and persistent.

Lambert, as far as her family was concerned, overreacted: she cried. Not just any cry: the heartbroken, terrified kind. Her brother witnessed most of the reaction. He didn't particularly see anything wrong with Pi semi-bullying his way in to sex. Lambert recalled Hickey's experience with Pi being weird lately; at least with Hickey, Lambert knew that Pi would get his ass kicked if he pulled an Em on her.

Lambert fled the house, via Ani. Ty phoned a friend to see what the qualifications for rape were, and if Em could press charges. Ty expressed an opinion that nothing would happen, because girls seldom had the balls to report these things.

The gentle white knight was officially dead; something inside Lambert died with that brave soul. He haunted her dream that night, sour, brooding, and lecherous. It left a stain on her morning.

Can we fight to save our souls?