Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Nineteen

PRESENT TIME
JUNIOR YEAR
LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT
TAPE 3, SIDE B
IMOGEN'S POV

Monty slammed hard on his brakes.

"Shit, Mont." I said. He was driving, and I was in the passenger, while Justin was in the backseat, and I wasn't the only person who was caught off guard by his abruptness, when I looked up, I noticed Alex Standall was glaring at my best friend in the driver's seat.

"The fuck!" He shouted. "Some people are trying to walk here." Alex snapped. Monty looked back at Justin who just laughed, and Alex dropped his book bag and came over to Monty's side of the car. "The fuck is your problem?" He snapped.

"Dude, Alex, chill. It's all good." Monty said.

"Oh, it's all good? You think you can run people over like everyone else at this fucking school?" Alex snapped and I looked at him.

"Alex, calm down. He didn't mean to, and he didn't even hit you." I said, and Alex looked at me and he started laughing.

"Oh shut up, Imogen. I don't need the jocks groupie trying to be rational with me." Alex snapped at me, and then I noticed Justin slightly moved forward from the backseat.

"Hey, you better watch how you fucking talk to her, Standall." Justin snapped at him.

"Alex, you're tripping man, calm down." Monty said to him.

"Okay." Alex said, and then he paused. "Get out of the car." He spoke up again. Monty just looked at him and did nothing and then Alex hit the side of his jeep. "Get out of the car! I'm going to kick your fucking ass! Get out, get out!" Alex snapped at all of us.

Monty and I got out after Monty put his jeep in park and Justin climbed over the seat, keeping a hand on my back as he got out. "Alex, calm the fuck down." Justin said.

"You calm down! I am calm!" Alex snapped. "Man, I'm so fucking calm." Alex said, and of course by now, a crowd was starting to form and people had their phones out.

"You don't want to do this." Monty said to him.

"What, you think I'm scared of you?" Alex said to him, and Monty kept his ground as he stared Alex down, and I really didn't want him to fight.

"You should be." He said.

"Fuck you!" Alex said, pushing him back.

"Monty, come on. . be the bigger person, don't fight him." I said, Monty met my eyes and he could tell that I was pleading with him and for a minute, I thought I might've gotten through.

"Yeah, listen to your groupie!" Alex snapped at him, and Monty shook his head.

"That's it. Don't ever call her a fucking groupie!" Monty snapped, and then he quickly punched Alex across the face, which sent him flying backwards onto the ground, and I could already see the corner of his mouth bleeding. Listen, just because Justin is my boyfriend and Monty and Zach are my best friends and Jeff was my best friend does not mean I'm some kind of jock groupie.

I don't go along with their every words and actions. I call them out on their bullshit and tell them when they're being stupid, like a real friend is supposed to do.

Alex touched his lip, and then he slammed himself into Monty which caused them to back up against his jeep, and everyone started making noises, everyone was recording and Monty easily tackled Alex to the ground. When Alex tried to get back up, Monty only ended up putting him back on the ground, it was too easy.

Alex should've never picked this fight.

►

"How many of you remember the 'Oh my Dollar Valentines?' Those were fun, weren't they? You fill out a survey for just a buck, you get the name and number of your one true soul mate. And hey, all proceeds go to a worthy cause: Cheer camp. The Dollar Valentine survey was a two-parter: Describe yourself, and describe what you're looking for in someone else. And, as I filled mine out, I realized I was actually describing a certain someone. You'd think if my answers all described one person. . that person would at least appear in my Top Five. But no."