Forever One Of The Reasons Why 2-Zach Dempsey

8

    I couldn't sleep all night, all I could think about were those pictures. I tried to push the thought away but I couldn't. And the more I thought about it the more my memories from that night came back. Freshman year, first semester after the football match. I got so drunk, for the first time, and high and Bryce was there and 3 of his others friends. There was another girl there, I think her name was Natty. I remember she transferred to another school the next semester, now I know why. God, how could I not remember that? Not remember being....abused by someone. By Bryce, a serial rapist. I don't even feel like a victim, I feel like it's unfair for me to even speak about it, it's like it never happened. I really can't remember anything about that night "Rox" I heard and I looked up from my notebook "Yeah?" I asked, looking at Jessica "Are you okay? You were totally zoned out" she said "Yeah, I'm fine" I said and gave her a short smile "Okay" she sighed. The bell rang and I jolted up, grabbing my things and being the first one out the door, heading straight to the closest bathroom. I looked in the mirror, fixing my hair and inspecting my face. I smiled at what I was seeing so I touched up my lipstick and left "Roxy, we should really talk about last night" Clay said as he jogged up to me in the hall "Clay, there's nothing to talk about" I said "Yes there is" he said and pulled me into an empty class room "The girl in those pictures is you, Bryce is doing things to you and you're unconscious" he said "No Clay. I remember that night. I was a Freshman and so was Bryce, we hooked up in the Clubhouse or whatever the place is called. I didn't see where it was because it was dark, that's why I didn't recognize it before. He didn't do things to me, we hooked up" I said "So you're saying you wanted this" he said "Yes, Clay. It was a mistake, okay? But Bryce wasn't like that back then" I said and he scoffed "You can't expect me to believe you" he said "It's the truth Clay" I said "Don't you want to know how I found the pictures? Zach gave them to me" he said "Zach? Does he know?" I asked "I'm guessing not since he gave them to me without too much thought" he said "Good, then you make sure it stays like that. I don't need a reputation just because I got drunk once and hooked up someone" I said and left. I let out a shaky breath as I walked down the halls of Liberty.
"Did you read about that girl that testified on Hannah? She said she bullied her" Alex said "Yeah, mom told me" I said "You think it was true?" he asked "Yeah" I said "Bryce is in court today...I bet he's lying right this minute" he scoffed "Who knows, maybe Hannah did lie on the tapes" I said "What? You don't actually mean that do you" he said "Just a thought. Bryce has his side of the story too" I said "Yeah, the lie. He raped Jess for fucks sake" he said "Okay, why are you going off on me like that?" I asked "Cause you seem like you're protecting Bryce" he said "I'm not protecting anyone" I said and left the table.
"Hi mom" I said as I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge "Hey honey, dinner should be done soon" she smiled "Oh, that's fine I'm not too hungry. I'm not feeling very good, do we have anything for headaches?" I asked "Yeah, check the basket" she said and I nodded "Everything okay?" she asked "I don't know, I've felt pretty sick all day long. I think I'm gonna call it a day" I said, looking at the clock "Alright honey, take it easy" she smiled and I nodded "I'll bring some pasta up to your room in chase you change your mind" Martha said "Thanks Martha" I smiled and walked upstairs. I opened my laptop and checked the website that was writing the articles on the Hannah Baker court case. As I was readying about today's events and Bryce's statements, I got the chills. I wanted to believe the words I said to Clay, that I knew about the hookup, but honesty I don't remember it I agreed or not to it. But I probably did, I mean I was pretty naïve back then. I exited the page and walked into my bathroom for a shower. When I got out, I noticed the plate of pasta sitting on the table. I just took it and flushed it down the toilet, putting the plate back on the tray and outside my door.
The next day, I was surprised when Jessica told me that Chloe wants to testify against Bryce. Apparently there were pictures of her too. I left the office, with a few papers in my hands and files, on my way to do my job when I turned the corner and noticed a full on brawl in the middle of the hallway between the athletes and some other kids, Zach, Clay, Toni, Justin and Alex included "Oh my God! Guys, stop it!" I yelled out but nobody listened so I pulled the fire alarm. All the kids that gathered to surround the area scattered and the fight broke off "What's going on here!" the principle yelled as he showed up behind me "Everyone is my office!" he said and stopped the alarm "What the hell?" I asked Zach, grabbing his arm when he passed me "It's nothing" he said and left. I sighed and walked away