BAD REPUTATION [SCOTT REED]

SIX

"YOU'RE IN A GIRL'S BODY YET YOU PUNCH LIKE A JACKED UP WWE!"
——

Alona was supposed to be meeting Clay and Tony at Monet's by 4:00 but because of Scott, she got carried behind schedule. She waves a dismissive hand at Scott who's watching her drive away of Liberty and waving at her with a grin.

There was something about him that confused Alona extremely. His consistency, his sweetness, his ability to make her feel things she haven't and shouldn't feel.

She enters Monet's and meets her cousin's pointy glare while she sashays toward their table by the window with a surrendered gesture. "Got held up by that dumb jock, sorry. What's up?"

"Who held you up?" Tony asks curiously, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Scott Reed. I'm assuming you know him?" Alona shrugs and snatches the mug out of his hands, ignoring his reaction.

"What does he want from you?" Tony demands. "Mantente alejado de él, Alona. El podría ser como Bryce, así que ten cuidado con él."

"Eso es lo que he estado tratando de hacer, ¡y todavía está aquí!" Alona protests defensively.

Clay interrupts. "Okay, a little respect here. English, please. I don't understand a single shit about what you guys just said. What about Scott?"

"He's been clinging to me like dirt and no matter how much I try to push him back to his place, he pops back up like nothing's happened."

"What do you know about him? Do you—"

"Clay, we don't need your highschool crush getting in the way, we have something way important in the picture." Tony retorts and Clay glares at his first statement. "Enough about Scott. Tell her what you want her to do so we could all go home. Her brother's waiting for her and right now, I could practically hear him cussing her out."

Clay nods in understanding and he pivots his body to her direction so he could talk to her face to face. "Alona, we need you to find Justin Foley."

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure you heard him clearly." Tony says, not looking up from his platter of ham and egg sandwich.

"We need you to find him. We'll convince him to testify for what happened that night at Jessica's party, about Bryce. With Justin, could take Bryce down." Clay elucidates.

"And how do you think we'll find him? He vanished into thin air for almost 6 months now." Alona leans back in her seat, challenging Clay.

Clay pulls out his phone and showed him a picture of the postcard Jessica had in her vanity mirror. Alona confrots, "And whose idea was it to give me this mission impossible task?"

Clay's eyes drifted to Tony and Alona glared at her cousin, who seemed unfazed at all. "Seriously, Tony? Me dices que me mantenga alejado de problemas y aquí me estás arrastrando a uno?"