𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍 . . . 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥

41. 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙢𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚

41. thelma and louise

season 2, episode 4: the second polaroid

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Nessa sat in front of Mr. Porter with her mother beside her, a silence covering the room as Mr. Porter unfolded the piece of paper that had been placed in her locker prior to her testimony in Hannah Baker's trial. Mrs. Dempsey sat next to her, a firm look on her face as she watched the counselor examine the threat.

Mr. Porter nodded, shoving his tongue into his lip as he folded the paper back up.

"Do you know who might want to intimidate either you or Jessica, Nessa?" Mr. Porter asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious it's the same person who assaulted her in the fall." Mrs. Dempsey said, her voice firm and harsh. "He doesn't want her to open her mouth in court."

"Okay." Mr. Porter said with his hands crossed. "If he's worried that you would call him out, that means he thinks that you know who he is."

"Yeah, well I don't." Nessa said sharply, lying through her teeth.

"Okay." Mr. Porter told her. "Do you even have a feeling? Maybe there was someone else who saw something that night?"

"Nobody saw anything." Nessa told him, standing firm in her answer.

"If you're scared to come forward, I want you to know that we're on your side." Mr. Porter told the girl, extremely different from the conversation that he had had about this same incident with Hannah Baker just a few months ago.

Nessa stared blankly at him. "We can protect you and Jessica, and it is safe for both of you to tell the truth."

"Sweetie, do you have any ideas?" Mrs. Dempsey asked once more, desperation in her voice as Nessa stayed put in her chair, nervous to move.

"I have no idea." Nessa declared for the final time.

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Nessa stood beside Jessica as she shuffled through her locker, both girls silent. They had both had essentially the same conversation with Mr. Porter, and of course, neither one of them had admitted their assailant.

"I almost said it." Nessa told Jessica, breaking the silence between them. "I almost said his name."

"Yeah, me too." Jessica said as she looked over at a figure rushing toward them in the hallway. It was Clay, walking over to both girls at lightning speed.

"Jessica." he said breathlessly as he arrived at the two girls.

"Hey, Clay, what's up?" Jessica asked as she shut her locker, and Nessa looked up at Clay to hear what he was about to say.

"We have Justin." Clay declared, and Jessica's eyes widened and Nessa's stomach tumbled. Neither of the two girls had seen, or even heard from Justin in months. He hadn't answered any of Nessa's texts, she didn't even know if he had gotten them.

"What?" Jessica asked softly.

"Over the weekend, Tony and I went down to Oakland." Clay began explaining.

"How did you know-" Jessica began, but she cut herself off, her face twisting with anger. "You saw the postcard. You fucking snooped through my room?"

"You knew where he was, Jess?" Nessa asked, betrayal in her voice. She had cried herself to sleep multiple nights in a row, wondering where Justin was. She was careful not to bring it up with Jesisca much, as she knew it was a sore subject, but she had mentioned how worried she was a couple of times.