𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍 . . . 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥

57. 𝙘𝙝𝙡𝙤𝙚

57. chloe

season 2, episode 11: bryce and chloe

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As soon as detention was over, Nessa, Zach and Alex raced out of the school and into Zach's car. Nessa barely closed her door before Zach started flying through their small town and made it to the courthouse in record timing.

Clay, Justin and Tony had already left, due to Justin's ability to talk himself out of any situation, but everyone else had to wait.

Nessa ran up the stairs as Zach hurriedly helped Alex, and the three joined everyone else in the middle of the front room of the courthouse, where Clay was frantically talking.

"I lost the polaroids." Clay blurted as soon as Nessa, Zach and Alex had arrived. Nessa wanted to slap him.

"You lost them?" Jessica spat.

"Jesus, keep your voice down." Justin whispered.

"What the fuck, Justin?" Zach hissed as everyone stood in a circle, defeated and confused. The polaroids were all they had, other than Chloe.

"Bryce took them." Justin said, irritated that he was catching blame.

"We'll get them back." Clay said, trying to convince himself and everyone else.

"How?" Zach asked. "How are we going to get them back?"

The clicking of high heels against the cold floor distracted both Jessica and Nessa as they looked over at the stairs where Chloe was walking toward them, her arm interlocked with her mother's. Chloe stopped as she stared into Bryce's eyes, who was watching her from across the room. Nessa kept waiting for her face to change, soften under his gaze, but it never did.

"Guys come on." Nessa said. "Let's go inside."

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"It's in the woods behind the field." Chloe said, describing the whereabouts of the Clubhouse to Dennis, who was standing in front of her. Nessa sat next to Jessica and Alex, her hand interlocked with Alex's to comfort her. Scott sat behind her, ignoring the nasty looks that he was getting from all of the other jocks who were there to rally behind Bryce.

"It's this secret place that you have to be invited to, unless you're on the baseball team." Chloe continued, taking pauses to collect herself.

"And who invited you?" Dennis asked.

"Bryce." Chloe said firmly.

Nessa nodded. This was good.

"When you got to the clubhouse, do you remember what happened next?" Dennis asked.

Chloe's jaw clenched. "A little," she said.

"Just tell us what you can." Dennis instructed her.

Chloe looked down at her legs and exhaled, closing her eyes to steady her gaze back in front of her. She purposefully ignored Bryce, who was sitting right in front of her.

"Um." she began. "It's kind of a blur."

Jessica and Nessa both took a deep breath, leaning forward to anticipate what was going to come out of Chloe's mouth next.

"We listened to music." Chloe said slowly. "And then, we um, started drinking. And smoking pot."

"So, do you remember these photos being taken?" Dennis asked as he gestured to the Polaroids, which were admitted into evidence this morning when Chloe had decided to take the stand.