Chapter 16

Gretchen

I haven’t seen Speed since Ratchet's birthday party and I can’t stand it. I have talked to Brick and I know he spent some time with her the day after. He told me they talked for a bit and he has an idea of what some of the problem with Speed is. She is convinced that she is broken. Brick says the way she talked about how it was wrong to want to be with either of us, it was like a programmed response. Like someone has brainwashed her or something. He thinks judging from the scars on her back, it is more like someone has beaten it into her. I almost broke down in tears when he told me that. I have spent all week coming up with ideas to break down what Brick and I are calling her programming. Brick says the biggest thing is that we can’t give up. We have to keep going after her with everything we have. Even when she pushes back. He said she tried with him the day they were together.