Redeeming Qualities

~Chapter 7~

The football team notices something off with me. I've missed three practices so far, so everyone is pretty worried about what's up with me, especially Ty. I brush everyone off.

Ty is in a good mood. He still gets high fives from the video with Taylor, and I try my hardest not to pay attention when they all start talking about how hot she is. I can't stand it, I cannot stand the fact that the video won't go away. I wish I could unsee it. I wish I could unsee one of the most painful events in my life.

I remember after that video took place. They both came downstairs in time for the countdown to midnight, and I remember his possessive arm around her waist. They both looked... Well, like they just had sex.

It was painful. Even though I had just got done fucking the brains out of Sarah outside in the woods, it was painful to see the person that I actually wanted with someone else.

After practice, Ty and I both stay behind. He kind of got the hint that him and I had unfinished business.

There was only a few people left in the locker room when I finally spoke to him.

"Why are you lying to my sister?" I ask him, and he narrows his eyes at me. He takes a deep breath and speaks.

"It's not that easy for me, Moss... You've gotta understand. I am going to tell her, I just need to find a tactful way to do so." My fists clench.

"Tactful? Tactful as in what? Making it so that she's not as pissed off at you as she should be? There's no tactful way to put it. Just tell her that you have been in possession of a sex tape with you and another girl for the entire duration of the time you've been dating her. Tell her that you then dug up that sex tape, probably watched it a couple times while you were at it just to relieve some of your stress, and then you fucking sent it. Why don't you just tell her? There's not a way in the universe that you can tell her that won't make her angry with you!" I can tell he's angry because his fists clench and he tenses up.

"What's your problem, Moss? Are you back to trying to fuck her? Did you watch the video and see how hot she was, and decide maybe she was worth another go? Sarah has been talking to me all about how you and her are reacquainted. If you have something to say to me, why don't you just fucking say it right now, Moss?" I move closer to him. He's taller and probably stronger, but I'm pissed.

"Ty, I have no fucking idea what happened between you and Taylor, but that's not my fucking business. Juniper, though? She's my fucking sister. She's going to learn the truth, Tyler, so who's going to tell it to her, huh? You or me?" The people in the locker room were all looking at us, trying to watch and see if there's going to be a fight. Tyler slams his gym locker shut before picking up his backpack and leaving.

There were a couple whistles and mutters that were all silenced by me glaring. It's drama here. It's all drama. It's all who's fucking who, who's got the nicer body, who can get the most pussy. Who's fighting who.

"Then quit it." her voice says.

I take all of my possessions out of my gym locker, while the last few people there watch me. Maybe they'll deliver the message.

I'm quitting.

I am already frustrated when I get home, but when I see my sister sitting on the couch, her knees up to her chest, crying, my mood worsens.

"Junebug, what's wrong?" I go to her and I sit on the couch next to her, putting an arm around her.

"Bubba, he told me the truth. Over text." She gives me her phone, and I read the text message, feeling ever muscle in my body tighten.

Got something 2 tell u. Dont b mad. I had the video of me and tay. tay said something to me that i didnt like, and i sent it to her as blackmail. no idea how it got around the school. pls forgive me. i wanted 2 tell u, but i didnt want u to b upset.

"He couldn't even use proper english when he wrote this?" I said, which made her cry more. I hug her close to me, and whisper that it's going to be alright.

I really hope that Ty gets his shit together soon, because if it comes down to choosing between him and my own sister, he's in deep shit.

"I'm sorry, Junebug." She lifts her head to look at me. She'd been crying for a while, being as she had already washed off her makeup.

"Sarah told me you were talking to Taylor again. Is it true?" She asks me, but she takes a much softer approach this time. I sigh, before nodding my head.

"Junebug... Something's changed about her. I spent the whole day with her yesterday, and I just... I know her. She didn't do this to you, I know she didn't, okay?" She sniffles, and nods. Then, she speaks again.

"Do you think something happened to her? I remember how her mom was with other guys.. M-maybe it's really bad this time." She says, as her eyes fill up even more. Juniper really did have a heart of gold, even when she was hurt. The fact that she still cares for Taylor is a step in the right direction.

"I think something happened... She's broken, Junebug.. But, I'm going to try my hardest to fix it, alright? She's still Taylor. She's still your best friend, she's just in a lot of pain right now. I can guarantee she didn't spread the video though, okay? I don't know if someone took it off of her phone, or if Ty did it on accident, I'm not sure." She nods, sniffling. Thankfully, she's stopped crying.

"Thinking about it now, it doesn't make sense that she would release her own sex tape, knowing that she'd be slut shamed for it.." I smirk a little. Sometimes it takes a while for her to really think things through. She tends to jump to conclusions. I get a text message, and it's from Sarah. I take a deep breath before reading it.

I'm sorry baby.

I sigh. Then, I put my phone back in my pocket.

A couple hours later, there's a knock on the door. By then, I've changed into sweats and a Tshirt.

I open the door, and Ty is standing, holding a small tree in a pot. It's a Juniper tree. I can't help but chuckle.

"Wow. You're an idiot." I say, but I let him in. I knew he'd come around. I lead him through the foyer, and into the livingroom, where Junebug is. When she sees Tyler, she glares at him. He's in for it.

"June... I'm really sorry for.. Well, everything, from what I did to how I told you about it. I was just so ashamed of it, and I didn't want to tell you to your face because I was a coward and I didn't want to see how you'd look at me after. I was just... Stupid and impulsive, okay? And you deserve better than that, and I'm going to do better... I'm just sorry." Junebug nods her head once, acknowledging his apology.

"Be nice to Taylor. She's been through a lot." She says, and I smile a little at that. Ty looks uncomfortable at the mention of her name, but then he looks at me.

"Uh, Mossy... I would have like, scraped some moss off a tree as some apologetic gesture, but it's just not as romantic as a physical tree, you know?" I blink at him. He continues. "I'm sorry for how I acted, and for what I said about Taylor. I want you to know that I don't say stuff like that often, and it was only because I was angry at you, which wasn't a good reason, but... Yeah. Sorry." Junebug looks a bit curious about what he said about Taylor, but I am not going to enlighten her. That would mark the death of Ty.

"So like... Am I forgiven?" Ty says, looking between us. Juniper shrugs. I cross my arms, studying him.

"Get us some Wendy's and we're good." Junebug lights up like a christmas tree. Ty grins and says,

"Pfft alright, pile up then!" And then we all leave to get in his truck. Before we exit, I grab Ty's arm and stop him.

"By the way, I'm quitting football. It sucks." Ty shakes his head in disappointment at me, but he knows he has no place to argue right now. We all leave to go get food. 

Something is going on with Ty. I can't tell what it is, but he's been extra stressed about stuff recently. I'll let his behavior slip this time, because I know how he is.

I know Ty, he's a good guy.

He's a good guy.