Brain surfing

[Gifted]

He went through several rooms without finding her, which was to be expected when she had a head start. When he next saw her she was standing in a room that looked like his old dining room. She was watching Kailen and herself and Kailens dad sitting and talking at the dining room table. After a moment Isobel came in with a huge pot of who knew what delicious thing she'd been cooking, and began to serve the table. Stephanie couldn't help but stop and watch, and she looked almost peaceful as she did so. But then the image was interrupted by the piercing shriek of a cell phone, amplified beyond a natural volume. the people faded and Stephanie's eye grew wide and horrified as she pulled a ringing cell phone from her pocket. Whatever she saw on it scared her, and she dropped the phone as if it had burned her and started backing away.

[Raven]

Kailen was even more transfixed by the image of his mother than she was, and he actually jumped when the phone rang he had to shake his head, and actually struggled to get back to the problem at hand. "Stephanie, please listen to me. It's not your fault my mom died."

[Gifted]

Stephanie didn't listen, and in fact all that did was remind her he was in the room, She turned and fled again into another room.

[Raven]

"Stephanie, please! You're my best friend!" Kailen cried, running after her.

[Gifted]

And that was when Kailen saw himself.
The version of him in Stephanie's mind looked younger than he was now but older than he was when Stephanie knew him. He also looked stronger and like he'd done slightly better with hiss life than what Kailen had, though not by much. Stephanie had clearly try to run away from him, but he'd grabbed her by the arm and forced her against a wall. "Leave me alone, Kailen, please."
"You betrayed my trust and got my mother killed, and you think I'm just gonna leave you alone?" He hissed. "What, were we just pawns to you? Just pieces you could throw away in your little game?"
Stephanie cracked and started to cry. "N-no, Kailen I would never... Mom, mom sent it, I didn't do it..."
"You took the picture Stephanie, it was sent from your phone. And you told me you weren't gonna do that anymore you shouldn't have even taken the picture in the first place. So explain to me how it's not your fault."
He hit her in the face and she gave a cry of pain as her nose began to bleed. She cried out in pain and curled into a ball, protecting her head from attack, whimpering "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." over and over.

[Raven]

Kailen stepped forward. "Stay away from her. It's not her fault. It's not even entirely her mother's fault. Steph never meant for anybody to get hurt. If you want to blame somebody, blame the killers." Kailen grabbed the younger him's arm.

[Gifted]

When he touched the boy the younger Kailen disappeared, since he was just a projection from Stephanie's imagination and couldn't stand up to the real thing.

[Raven]

"Stephanie, I don't blame you. That's the truth."

[Gifted]

Stephanie barely moved, apologizing through her tears. She was so scared, not believing the boy whose mother she'd killed could want anything but to hurt her, despite what he said.

[Raven]

"Steph, you're my best friend. I forgive you. Just please, don't leave me alone."

[Gifted]

Stephanie found it too good to be true. She looked up at him uncertainly. "I....I'm still your best friend?" No human on earth could be that forgiving.

[Raven]

"You're still my best friend," Kailen said. "You're the only one who could possibly understand me, and I can't trust anyone else..."

[Gifted]

"But... after what I did.... how could you still trust me?"

[Raven]

"That's not why I can't trust people... And I can't blame you for that. You took the picture, but you never meant for anyone to get hurt. You didn't send it, and you certainly didn't kill her. Besides, if I spent the last nine years shifting the blame, I'd be miserable."

[Gifted]

Stephanie couldn't believe it. In her wildest dreams, she'd never imagined him saying that. "Kailen..." SHe hugged him tightly, so happy to have her best friend back. "You have no idea how much I've missed you..." Already she seemed healthier, and several of the wounds were gone, although she was still pretty weak.