I went to my bed shocked, I called Justin then he answered "Hello?" He said. "Justin. I know why you were worried, you knew and didn't tell me, Bryce raped me," I said. He didn't speak for a minute "Ash... I'm so sorry, we need to talk in person," He said. "No, we can't, I can't believe you didn't tell me, or Jessica," I said. "How'd you figure out?" He asked. "it doesn't matter... we can't be friends, tell Jess or I will," I said. "She won't believe you, she thinks we did it," he said. "I'll make her believe, fuck you," I said hanging upon him. I started crying more, I went and locked my window then my door. I laid down crying myself to sleep. Jeff was gone, Hannah was gone, everyone's leaving me. In the morning I woke up and got dressed, it was Saturday, I grabbed the tapes and listened to the rest, shocked. I made a copy then grabbed the box, I walked outside and got in my car, I wrote a note. "Dear Jess, Tony started with these, then me, Ashley, then you, hand them to Justin next," I put it in the box and set t outside her door. Then I rang the bell and got in my car driving away.
I went back to my house and up to my room, I locked my door and sat on my bed. About three-four weeks later the tapes went around to everyone that had a tape and went to Clay Jensen last. It wasn't until 4 months later I woke up and the tapes have been posted to everyone. I walked to school and saw everyone staring at me. Monty ran to me and grabbed me walking quickly through the halls. "What's going on?" I asked. "you didn't hear? Someone posted the tapes out everywhere, anonymously," he said. "W-what? Oh my god," I said. I breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled. Another week later they wanted us to testify one student each day one by one, starting with me since I was closer to her. I woke up on the day I had to go to court, I got into fancy clothes and breathed deeply a few times.
I didn't know what to do. I was scared but wanted them to know about what Bryce did, they knew but the court needed to hear, I had to tell my story. I went with my parents to court, but walking outside I saw a huge group of my friends smiling at me "Whatever you say, we're here to support it, ok? Be you, be brave" Jessica said. I nodded. I went in there and sat down then they started asking me questions "Who do you believe is responsible for Hannah's death Miss. Atkins?" One asked. "Everyone, we all could've helped," I said. "Were you the girl in tape 14?" was the second question, I couldn't lie. "Y-yes I was ma'am," I said. "Ok, and what exactly happened to you?" they asked again. "did you not listen to the tapes?" I asked. "Answer the question, Ashley," the woman said. "I was raped," I said. "uh-huh, and by who exactly?" she asked. I looked at the crowd, everyone nodded. "B- Bryce Walker," I said. "Can you tell us your experience with him, everything you can remember," I started having flashbacks.
"I... I could feel him, I could feel how afraid I was, I could remember him pushing up against me and forcing his way inside of me, I could feel his breath, breathing deep on me, he enjoyed it, he enjoyed me crying for help," I said. "Ok, and do you blame Hannah for not helping you?" she asked. "What? No of course not! She was terrified, I would have been to," I said. "right, but didn't the tape say you helped her when she was being raped? Yet you now say you'd be terrified," she said. "I'd be scared, but I still helped her, look I don't blame her ok?" I said getting mad. The man stood up "Oh give her a break, she was raped and you start with questions like that?" He said. "ma'am, can you tell us if you remember getting drunk or high?" He asked again. "I... I remember yes, I knew it was a bad idea, but I did it anyway," I said. "Ok, and what were your thoughts seeing Hannah being raped," he said. "I was scared and worried, I thought he was a monster, I had to save her," I said. He nodded and took notes "No more questions until further notice," He said then I left the courtroom breathing deeply. 8 months later, I and Monty are still together and everyone testified.
There was a dance coming up Monty asked me to go and I said yes. The night of the dance, I got ready and arrived with Monty, I went inside with all of my friends. Then we started dancing wildly to music. Then a slow song started playing, it was the song I and Jeff danced to, he had no one to dance with so I danced with him, it was the song Clay danced to with Hannah. "Shit I have to find Clay and Ashley," Tony said, I slowly started walking to the spot I danced with him at then started crying everyone came up to me and Jeff then hugged us tightly as we all cried. I couldn't stop crying I had flashbacks of the dance, us dancing as that song played. Then I got a text, from Tyler "I shoot myself or I shoot up that dance," it said. "Oh, shit..." I said. "What is it?" Monty asked. Then I showed them. "Holy fuck..." Zach said. "We have to call the police," Justin said. "No. we can't either way he'll die," I said and ran outside. "BABE!" Monty screamed. I saw Tyler and he came up to me with a big gun. "Tyler please don't..." I said.
