Juliana Woodland and Nate Jacobs have been best friends for as long as they can remember.
They are now in their junior year at East Highland High School and things are starting to get complicated.
*Had this story up on my old account and it got dele...
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As soon as they stepped outside of Nate's house, Juliana burst into tears that she didn't even realize she had been holding back. Nate helped her inside her house and up to her bedroom.
"Shh, it's okay, Angel," he soothed her, pulling her into his arms and stroking her long hair. He was shaking with rage but trying to keep it together so he could be there for her. "I'm sorry he said those things."
"It's not your fault he's a piece of shit," she sniffed. "I fucking hate him. I didn't know it was possible to hate someone so much."
"I know, I do too, I'm so fucking done with him." He paused to wipe fresh tears off her cheeks. "I've been thinking lately that maybe I should report him once and for all... there's video proof right in his office, and I know he's got ones of people underage."
She looked up at him, her eyes wide and glossy. "Really?"
Ever since he found his dad's videos when they were kids, she could count on one hand the number of times they had discussed it. But she knew it was always in the back of their minds, especially his.
He nodded, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, and it's not only because of what happened tonight, I have been thinking about it a lot."
He hesitated again, wondering if he should tell her about the video with Jules, who was obviously underage and was definitely one of the most incriminating pieces of evidence in his office.
But he decided against it; he knew Juliana was already disturbed just from him telling her about the videos when they were children. He wouldn't even let her watch them.
She wasn't aware that his dad had been with Jules, and he didn't want to tell her and trouble her even more.
Sometimes he regretted telling her about them at all, but he was only a kid and was so traumatized by it that he didn't know what else to do besides confide in his best friend.
"I know it's been going on for years, and I just don't think he should be getting away with it. He deserves to rot in jail."
Juliana squeezed his hand and leaned into him. "You know I'm here to support you, whatever you decide to do."
"I know, and I should've done it sooner."
"It's okay. It's not an easy thing to do, Natey, but I'll be with you every step of the way."
After that, they lay in bed in silence for a long time, both of them thinking about everything that would come with Nate reporting his dad to the police. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was long overdue. Cal had been getting away with it for far too long.
Her head was rested on him, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his chest move up and down, in and out of sleep.
She didn't know what time it was when her eyes fluttered open, her bedroom dark. She cuddled in tighter to Nate. It was like she couldn't get close enough to him.
