Just Away from the Bonfire: Ellie & Rider
Rider's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Terribly wrong? What? Ellie, come on. It's not like that here."
Though he wanted to cheer her up, Rider had difficulty grasping her perspective on life. He'd grown up in a supporting and loving family, and even when he screwed up, he knew they'd always still be there for him. The lightbulb went on when he remembered that Ellie didn't have that. She had years of negative enforcement from people who had no trouble at all hurting her, and wouldn't think twice if something bad happened to her.
"I know it's probably hard to believe, but you'll have to do a lot more that this to ever have any of the teachers consider you a horrible disappointment. They aren't like the people you were with before, El. They're teachers. They get that kids screw up sometimes."