He nodded mutely.
"I'm sorry," she said, clearly embarrassed.
"No problem," he said reflexively. When he realized what he'd said, he said "Wait. Why do you say that?"
"They're disgusting," she said softly, and she folded her arms across her chest to cover the zigzags.
"You told me once that you were afraid of shocks because you got zapped by a Tesla coil. That's what it did to you, right?"
She clearly didn't want to talk about it, but she nodded. Derek didn't care--he was very curious about the girl's disfigurements.
"What exactly happened with the Tesla coil for it to hurt you? You're much too careful to be hurt by accident."
Nell's jaw clenched. "It wasn't my fault. My invention was perfect like everything else I make. But I wasn't supposed to be inventing, so my foster father--"
The story was officially holding Derek's interest. He had never known that Nell had been a foster child (although it made some sense, considering she was now homeless. He had always felt that foster families, while often providing a much needed service and making positive changes in children's lives, were unhelpful to some kids) and this meant she had some grade A problems to work out. As a rule of thumb, Derek liked girls with issues best.
"--broke the coil. When it turned on, it zapped me right in the chest. My foster father thought it was funny."
Derek thought it was funny, too, but he kept that to himself because Nell looked positively miserable thinking about it. He said, "Never knew you were a foster child."
"I'm sorry," she said, clearly embarrassed.
"No problem," he said reflexively. When he realized what he'd said, he said "Wait. Why do you say that?"
"They're disgusting," she said softly, and she folded her arms across her chest to cover the zigzags.
"You told me once that you were afraid of shocks because you got zapped by a Tesla coil. That's what it did to you, right?"
She clearly didn't want to talk about it, but she nodded. Derek didn't care--he was very curious about the girl's disfigurements.
"What exactly happened with the Tesla coil for it to hurt you? You're much too careful to be hurt by accident."
Nell's jaw clenched. "It wasn't my fault. My invention was perfect like everything else I make. But I wasn't supposed to be inventing, so my foster father--"
The story was officially holding Derek's interest. He had never known that Nell had been a foster child (although it made some sense, considering she was now homeless. He had always felt that foster families, while often providing a much needed service and making positive changes in children's lives, were unhelpful to some kids) and this meant she had some grade A problems to work out. As a rule of thumb, Derek liked girls with issues best.
"--broke the coil. When it turned on, it zapped me right in the chest. My foster father thought it was funny."
Derek thought it was funny, too, but he kept that to himself because Nell looked positively miserable thinking about it. He said, "Never knew you were a foster child."
