Among the Betrayed

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse and emotional abuse. 

Nina and Alia reach the driveway of Harlow School for Girls, and Nina observes the windowless building. From the inside, everything seemed normal to Nina, but now it looks intolerable. The girls go to the woods behind the school, and Alia says the boys will find them. Nina is surprised again that Alia located the place. 

Nina wonders if she will ever feel comfortable being outdoors. To Nina, it is unnatural not to have four walls around her. For a moment, she thinks of Jason again. While she worries about surviving in the woods, Alia is relaxed and whistling. Matthias and Percy reappear and confirm they are safe. 

They all sit and share some food. Each child makes a toast—to their new home, to Nina’s idea, to their survival—and Nina toasts her new friends. Then, she tells the children she understands they lived outdoors before their arrest and that they make fake IDs for illegal children. Percy confirms she is right, and Matthias explains that IDs are as useful as food or money. Nina protests that she could have confessed everything to