The Lies We Tell | Justin Foley

Chapter 4: Tape 2, Side B

Flashback

November 2017

Tyler Down's House

"Shh.

For this next one, you need to be very, very quiet. Because you're about to do something very wrong.

Be careful. And don't get caught.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to watch someone? To invade someone's privacy.

Do you wonder what secrets you might uncover? What skeletons you might turn up?

Well, for this next one, you're about to find out.

A-4 on your map, kids.

Now, don't say you're too afraid or that you don't feel comfortable doing this kind of thing, because guess what? You spy on people every day.

We're always watching someone. Following someone. And being followed.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; they've made us a society of stalkers.

And we love it."

Violet jumped when she heard the crunch of a leaf she stepped on. She kneeled in the grass, behind a bush, in front of Tyler Down's house. She took a deep breath as she picked up a pebble.

"You know you don't have to do this." The girl let a small squeak, before quickly covering her mouth hoping that Tyler didn't hear her outside of his window. She spun her head to spot Justin standing a few feet behind her.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

The boy walked over to her and knelt beside her. "Well, after you weren't answering your phone, I went over to your house and your mom said you were at a friend's house. Since we listened to Alex's tape earlier today, I assume that you listened to Tyler's and would be here."

"Wow, I didn't realize you were a detective." Violet joked before looking back at Tyler's bedroom window. "I do have to do it. It's what Hannah wanted. After we argued, she didn't feel like she could tell me that she had a stalker, the least I could do was throw a rock at her stalker's window."

"You can't blame yourself. Hannah made this decision herself." Justin assured his girlfriend.

"I don't know that yet!" Violet declared. "I won't know until I listen to my tape."

Justin sighed. "Just remember that Hannah lied about a lot of things. So, don't believe everything she says on those tapes."

Violet didn't say anything. She just adjusted her grip on the pebble in her hand and tossed it at Tyler's window, adding to the many cracks that were already on the damaged window.

Present Day

Junior year

Liberty High School