Scott was worried about Sherry after not seeing her for weeks. Where had she gone? Had something big happened at home? She was almost always at the arcade this time of day.
Eventually, he gave up on wasting his time. He should run into her somewhere else sooner or later, shouldn't he? He had seen her out and about in the area several times before. It was how they originally met.
That was exactly what happened after about a month of not seeing her. He asked her how she was and if everything was okay and she insisted she was but he could somehow tell she wasn't. It took a little more insisting for her to cave and hug him out of the blue.
Yeah, she definitely wasn't okay. An independent little firecracker like her wouldn't hug someone for no reason.
Scott didn't manage to get what was bothering her out of her though. He already knew she wasn't the most talkative sort. He figured the least he could do was try to cheer her up if she didn't want to talk so he took her to get ice cream.
Sherry didn't say anything aside from the flavor she wanted until she was done eating and then it was to thank him and tell him he was too nice. He thought that was a decent opening to try and get her to talk to him so he ended up telling her about Richie in basic terms without explaining what exactly he had done. He didn't think this girl would be comfortable knowing she had been treated to ice cream by someone who went to jail for assault.
"You're lucky to have someone like that," she said wistfully.
Scott laughed. "Yeah, most of the time. He certainly gets on my case about things now and then but that's what people do when they care about you. What about you? Do you have anyone like that?"
"No."
Sherry went quiet again after that and he realized she probably wanted someone like that. This was the chance he had been waiting for. She might not trust him yet but everyone needed someone they could rely on if things went wrong. That was why he gave her his card and told her to call if she ever needed help.
Scott didn't know what was going on with her family or any other part of her life but if she knew how to defend herself so forcefully and pick pockets without leaving a trace, something was definitely wrong. She needed all the help she could get whether she realized it or not.
First she was confused by his offer. Then she was touched.
Sherry had to go home right after that but he had to believe he had gotten through to her somehow. That she would call if she ever felt backed into a corner.
It was all Scott could do for her. He really didn't know her all that well and he was probably overstepping but if she didn't have any adults she could rely on, she could end up going down the same path he had. He didn't want that for anyone.
It was hard to reconcile the same kid who hugged that banana plushie so happily with the one who fought back against her attacker in the alley but he had seen it with his own two eyes. There was a hardness in that girl underneath her soft exterior. He didn't want it to consume her.
He had the sudden thought that Richie would like Sherry. He would want to help her too.
She was a spunky kid who wasn't afraid to go for what she wanted as far as Scott had seen. She had a vulnerable side and a frightening side as well.
People were multifaceted. He knew that better than most. He couldn't help but wonder exactly how many there were making up Sherry and which ones were going to cause her the most trouble.
How complicated people were was the main reason Scott usually tried to steer clear of them. How had he let himself get this involved with one? Especially one he wasn't sure he would be able to make a difference for. He could only help if she let him.
He wouldn't have been able to turn his life around when Richie offered if he hadn't been ready to. If he hadn't had a lot of time to think about changing in jail, he wouldn't have jumped at the chance to do so when it came his way.
Scott used to think Richie lived his life with no regrets after so much time watching him confidently take on the world but lately he had been thinking more and more about what he said about not wanting Scott to end up like him. He clearly regretted not having a family and living most of his life alone.
When Scott reached that age, what would he regret? Would he have the same concerns as his mentor? Would he think about the people he hadn't been able to help, like Sherry?
Maybe he did need to try and put himself out there more. If he could go so far for a troubled girl, he could at least try to date.
Where would he even find someone willing to give him a chance though? Most people judged by appearances. He could acknowledge he looked intimidating, especially since he didn't smile much. At least not at work because there was no reason to.
Oh, why did he have so many things to worry about concerning other people? It had been so much easier before he cared about any of that nonsense. He had been perfectly satisfied before so why did Richie have to go planting stupid ideas in his head? The old man had a lot more influence on him than he realized.