"I was a fool," she said.

"I was wrong, I was wrong. I admit it," she continued, as the tears streamed down her face. The tears burned her eyes, and she felt as though her heart was being pulled, pulled down to the ground. But she had to keep standing.
   

Her friend remained silent and cold.
   

"But I know you understand, you do. We grew up together, and that school was 90% of our world." She gritted her teeth, the anger at herself, her parents, her school, was rising inside her like a fever.
 

 "We didn't know better. I thought as was helping you! They said said it was wrong, that it would hurt you. I never knew anything else. They told us it was the truth, that everyone else was lying!" Her throat burned, and it felt as though all of her body was burning.  She had to pause between breaths, as the cold, dry air dried out her throat.

   "I should've helped you. I should have-" She was starting to hyperventilate.
   "I should've, should've, stopped them."
   Still nothing came from her friend.
   "You didn't deserve this, just because you were gay. You didn't deserve the conversion therapy, the shaming,"
   Her friend was silent.
   "Kyrie eleison," she whispered through tears and a raspy voice.
   

She touched her friend. Her friend's cold, silent grave stone, as she managed to get out one last silent goodbye.