How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I'm sorry I never got a chance to say good-bye..." (12.33)
Sounds like Hester and Grike might have been friends... at least as much as a girl bent on revenge and a soulless cyborg can be friends. They're no Harry and Ron, but they're close.
Quote #5
"He wouldn't kill me, he wouldn't!" (12.42)
The italics here specify: yes, Grike would kill. No, he wouldn't kill Hester. At least she doesn't think so, because she thinks they have some sort of friendship. He raised her—but that doesn't mean they were friends.
Quote #6
"I'm already a monster!" [Hester] shrieked. "No, you're not!" Tom managed to heave himself to his knees. "You're my friend!" he shouted. (22.36-22.37)
Of course, Tom also desperately wants to be friends with Valentine. He's kind of a monster, too. Maybe being a monster and Tom's friend aren't mutually exclusive. Maybe it's even easier, or more meaningful, to be friends with someone who isn't perfect. (We haven't tried being friends with, you know, actual monsters. So we can't offer our perspective on that.)