Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Six

PRESENT DAY
JUNIOR YEAR
LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL GYM
IMOGEN'S POV
TAPE 1, SIDE B

"5. . 6. . 7. . 8."

"Don't go look at me with that look in your eye, you really ain't going away without a fight. You can't be reasoned with, I'm done being polite. I've told you 1. . 2. . 3. . 4. . 5. . 6 thousand times."

"Okay stop. Sheri, you keep missing your hit at 'polite.' Run it again." I said to the girls. If you couldn't tell already, I'm captain of the cheer team, and I made up a routine for our upcoming pep rally. . which is today, but it doesn't seem to be clicking with these girls. Except Jess, she seems to be getting it.

I haven't had much time to listen to Hannah's second tape today, I still don't even know who it's about, but she said the word friendship, so I feel like it's either about me, Jess, Alex or all three of us. But I shook that out of my head for now. Also, one of the other nice things about cheer practice is that we practice at the same time, in the gym with the basketball players.

So I also get to watch Justin play. Except he hasn't been here. For two days.

"Don't go look at me with that look in your eye, you really ain't going away without a fight. You can't be reasoned with, I'm done being polite. I've told you 1. . 2. . 3. . 4. . 5. . 6 thousand times." I nodded my head, when everyone effortlessly did the correct choreography that I made.

"Alright, good job. Take 5." I said, and the girls nodded and went to the bleachers, and I left my tape recorder in my bag, put in my headphones and I pressed play once again, while watching Zach and the rest of team play.

Where the hell is Justin?

►

"So keep your wits about you. It's all apart of the game. But remember, it's not a game. Not at all. Okay. enough with the small talk. It's time to meet the star of Tape One, Side B. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to my former friend. Step up, Jessica Davis. You're next."

❚❚

When I paused the tape, I let out a breath of relief. My heart dropped when she said let me introduce you to my former friend, because there was a 1/3 chance that my name would've been said, and I don't know if I could've handled that, I just hope that when I get to my tape, and whatever the hell I did to this girl.

I won't be in school when I'm listening to it.

I pulled the girls back into practice and we went through the routine, about 3 more times, before I told them we would practice this again before the pep rally, I don't want to over work them, but I've also worked really hard on this and don't want it to be messed up. I've been working on this routine since Jessica's party over the summer. So I made my way to my next class, which I had with my brother, Zach and Marcus, and I walked right up to Zach.

"Where the hell is Justin?" I asked him, and Zach looked up, startled by my abruptness. Like I told Jessica and Hannah on their first day, jock row. You never see them without their letterman jackets, and what did Zach have on? His letterman jacket, and a hat on backwards.

The epitome of douche wear.

"I don't know, Mi." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Really? You don't know?" I asked him, and he shrugged his shoulders.