He Really Is So Young - Tumblr Posts

I think it’s easy to forget how young Kieren is, because of how serious and mature he is. But technically he’s 18 here. He so, so young and been through so much. He so readily believes that he deserves the guilt he feels and the nightmares he has. He just shrugs it off, like his pain means nothing. Like he means nothing. Even when Alex tells him he shouldn’t feel guilty, he looks like he feels terrible even at the notion of thinking he’s not to blame. I mean, Kieren is clearly terrified at the thought of going back home. The moment the counselor starts talking about going back, he withdraws even more. And I know a lot of it has to do with the town and how it killed him, but he’s now got all of that weight plus this heavy guilt crushing him, this guilt he’s certain he deserves because he has been convinced since long before he died that his own pain means nothing, that other people’s feelings are more important than his. He’s 18 and he’s already just accepting the thought that he deserves this terrible guilt and these nightmares. He’s 18 and he’s already so used to this stuff, it’s already so ingrained in him, that he doesn’t even question or feel comfortable questioning the idea that he doesn’t deserve the anguish and anxiety all of this brings him.