Otter Creek the good, the bad, and the dirty

The hurt he saw in her expression felt like a knife in his heart. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but he also hadn't wanted to accept a stolen meal or entertain the idea that stealing was okay in any situation. It seemed they were at an impasse, and as much as he wanted to reach out to her and apologize for hurting her, he wouldn't; he just couldn't set aside his morals and be her friend right now. It pained him that there would be tension between them now. He had started to feel like maybe he actually fit in somewhere for once, but this proved that he did not fit in here at all. He assumed the others were aware of her feelings on stealing since they all shared the same religion, and he wondered how difficult things would be for him now that he and Nirali weren't on good terms. It was Drageda all over again—what he believed was not the consensus of the group. Part of him wanted to turn around and leave, go as far as the sickness would allow him and be on his own once more. Eleni flashed into his mind, though, and the thought was quickly pushed away. He was in too deep there, and he knew he couldn't just leave—he couldn't hurt her too. East collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the fight and being sick, his mind heavy with the realization that he may never fit in anywhere.