𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍 . . . 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥

02. 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚

02. that damn smile.

season one, episode one: tape 1, side a

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"It was just a party. I didn't know it was the beginning of the end.

Nessa could not wait to get out of the car, and into the party. Let's just say, Zach's Audi did not have enough room for six people – five of them being boys – to fit in his car. It was an extremely uncomfortable ride to this party for Nessa Dempsey.

"Zachary, let me out!" Nessa screamed, and Justin opened the door to let Montgomery and Justin pile out of the back seat so Nessa could crawl her way out of the middle. She was always stuck with the middle seat.

"Zachary." Bryce teased. "Someone's in trouble."

Nessa playfully slapped Bryce on the arm as the group of friends walked into the party, their entrance being celebrated and announced as they piled into the house.

"Dempseys!" some boys from the basketball team yelled as they piled up on Zach and greeted Nessa with hugs and cheers.

"Where is the liquor?" Nessa screamed above the noise, and Kat came rushing down the stairs with an unfamiliar girl in tow.

"Don't go crazy tonight, please." Zach warned his sister. "If I carry you home again, Mom is going to start asking questions."

"Let the girl live, Zach!" Kat said as she came and grabbed Nessa from the group of boys, leading her over to the liquor that was spread throughout the island in her kitchen.

"Hannah Baker, Nessa Dempsey!" the blonde girl exclaimed as she gestured to the unfamiliar looking girl standing beside her. Hannah outstretched her hand, and Nessa took it, smiling at her as she shook her hand.

"Hannah is new, and I am deeming it your responsibility to look after her when I am gone!" Kat instructed, and Nessa nodded.

"We are going to get along great." Nessa reassured the girl, and Hannah nodded, smiling back at her. Kat took the liberty of pouring each of them a drink, and the three girls meandered about the party. Parties with Kat were Nessa's favorite, because it gave her an excuse to not have to hang around Zach and his crowd of jocks the entire time. She hated that Kat was moving, but at least she had Hannah to keep her company.

The three walked around, greeting different crowds of people. Nessa knew everybody at Liberty High School, thanks to her brother and all of the friends that came with him. Nessa had a resident space in the jock crowd, and she didn't play a single sport.

The front door to the house opened, and a boy walked in, his nerves extremely apparent as he looked around, extremely out of place.

"He came! Clay's here!" Kat yelled out, causing the boy that had just arrived to look over at the three girls.

"Holy shit, Clay Jensen at a party." Nessa said, laughing to herself.

"I win, five dollars please!" Hannah exclaimed, and the three girls went over to greet Clay, who was extremely out of his element.

"You bet on me?" Clay asked Hannah.

"Bet against you, actually." she replied, confidently. This is when Nessa knew that the two were most likely going to be great friends.