The Beginning and the Memory// 13RW

10 Gone With The Wind

"I can't believe he lied to me," Jess cried as she lay her head on my shoulder. We had gone back to my house after the incident at Bryce's, and were laying on my bed. I tried my best to comfort her without crying myself. What she needed in that moment was for someone to be there for her, and I was trying to be that person. Especially since I knew how she felt.
"I know," I ran my hands over and through her curly hair, as I knew it was a comforting thing to do. Hannah used to do it for me when I was upset over a fight between me and Zach.
"I'm really sorry if I was ever rude to you, Emm," she told me, fidgeting with her hands. "I really appreciate you being here for me tonight."
I exhaled slowly through my nose, laying my head on hers.
"Us girls need to stick together," I told her.
"Right," she laughed slightly before getting serious again, "Can I ask you something?"
I nodded, looking down at my plain finger nails.
"What happened to you at my party?"
I let out another breath, "normally I wouldn't just come and outright say this, but since it's you..."
I thought it would be easy saying it out loud, it was Jessica. It had happened to her, too. But it wasn't. I couldn't seem to get the words to come out of my mouth- I didn't want them to. I didn't want it to be real, I wanted it to be a lie. But, unfortunately, it was real and it wasn't a lie.
"I went upstairs to get away from everyone for a few minutes," I told her, "and I ended up in your bedroom. You weren't there when I walked in, no one was."
She sat upright, looking at me with wide eyes.
I wiped at my eyes to get the tears to go away, but they didn't.
"He showed up, and he took advantage of me, too."
"Oh my god," she pulled me into her arms, and we cried together.

I never expected Jessica Davis to become my best friend. After that night, we were always together.
I had finished the tapes, and had them sitting on my dresser, still in the box. I still hadn't made a trip to Mr. Porter's office to shame him for letting Hannah leave, but apparently I didn't have to. Clay beat me to it. The Baker Trial was still going strong, and they were starting to interview the kids on the tapes- I was soon.

Jess and I helped each other get through school, even though it was hard and neither of us wanted to be there. Just being there for each other made it a little easier.

"Classes are so bullshit," Jess told me, shoving food in her mouth at lunch. I nodded in agreement, taking a bite of my burger.
"Yeah, I could go without all the 'Dont Kill Yourself' lectures."
"Right!" She agreed enthusiastically with her mouth full.
"Oh my god, they're showing Gone With The Wind at the Crestmont tonight, we have to go see it," I whined, "it's like one of my fave movies, Jess!"
Jess laughed, "fine. Let's go see it. I could use an excuse to get out of the house, anyway."
I smiled, satisfied. "Let's dress up tonight," I told her.
"Uhh," she laughed slightly, "Okay."
"It'll be fun, I promise," I assured her.
"Yeah, as long as we don't run into any douchey dudes."
"Jess, it'll be okay, I promiseee!" I squeezed her hand and she smiled.
"You and me against the world, girl."

Jess and I walked to the Crestmont from my house, considering it was in walking distance. The cool night air was relaxing, and there weren't too many noises from traffic. It looked like all the traffic was parked at the theatre.
"Oh, god, there's so many people," Jess breathed, rubbing her hands together.
"It's a classic," I told her, "of course there's a ton of people! It'll be okay! Just trust me."
We made it to the ticket booth outside the theatre and, even though I knew it wasn't going to be her, I was so sad that Hannah wasn't in the booth. I could tell that it hurt Jess, too.
"Two tickets for gone with the wind, please," Jess told the woman in the booth, pulling money from her purse.
"I got this one, ladies."
It was Zach.
"Thank you," Jess laughed, and I smiled at the two of them. My closest friends.
Zach paid for all of our tickets and we went inside, choosing the very back row of the theatre.
I wanted to sit in the middle but, due to my situation, I couldn't. I exhaled through my nose, trying not to make a huge deal about it. Jess is the one who sat by me, Zach on the other side of her. They both looked at me, frowning.
I smiled at them, "this is one of my favorite movies, can't wait till it starts!"
I sighed, facing the screen as the movie started.
A few minutes in, Zach slurped his drink, causing a few people to look over at him- including me and Jess.
He froze at the attention, straw still in his mouth.
Jess and I couldn't help but laugh as he stood from his seat.
"I'm gonna go get a refill," he told us, smiling at me.
"Hurry back," I whispered and he nodded before leaving the theatre.
"Can you two just date already?" Jess giggled, bumping me playfully.
I rolled my eyes, but smiled, "just waiting on him.."
Zach came back with his drink cup and a foldable chair. He set the chair up on the other side of me, sighing with relaxation as he sat down.
"I thought you were getting a refill," I told him, and he held his cup up with a smile.
"I did," he told me, taking a drink.
I felt tears come to my eyes at how sweet he was. I reached for his hand, and he intwined our fingers, giving my hand a small squeeze.
I smiled at him, the tears still in my eyes, and he kissed my cheek softly.
"Fucking goalsss," Jess whispered, tossing a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"Wasn't it so gooood??"
The three of us came out of the theatre with the huge crowd. People made room for me and made sure they didn't get in my way, which I appreciated. Some people knew common courtesy.
"Yeah, thanks for dragging me to see it," Jess answered me, dancing a little.
"It was magnificent," Zach told me with a grin, "you guys wanna go to Rosie's? I'm starvinggg!"
"You just ate an extra large bucket of popcorn!" Jess laughed, walking a bit ahead of us but walking backwards so she could face us.
"Really!" I agreed, laughing, "but I could definitely go for a milkshake.."
"Yesss, Rosie's it is!" Zach celebrated, taking off in a run as he was pushing me.
I was overcome by uncontrollable laughter at how fast we were going, Jess following close behind.
"Oh my god, Slow Down," I laughed.
Zach laughed, slowing down, "I just wanted to hear you laugh," he told me, "I knew that would work."
"Congratulations," I giggled, reaching back to hold his hand.
Zach paused, looking behind him at Jess, then turning around again.
"I love you."
Butterflies erupted in my stomach, even though he's told me this before. But this time it seemed different. The word seemed to mean so much more than it ever did, and I wanted him to say it over and over again.
"I love you, too, Zach."

We sat at a table at Rosie's, me and Jess on one side and Zach sitting across from us. Zach held the menu in front of his face, peeking over the top at me every once in awhile. I rolled my eyes at him, but I couldn't help but smile at the adorable thing. He was so precious!
"What are you getting, Jess?" I asked her, looking at her menu.
She scrunched her eyebrows in concentration, looking at the burgers.
"Ugh, I don't know, what are you getting?" She looked over at my menu.
I looked over the deserts, then sighed, "I don't know, ugh, Zach, what are you getting?"
Zach laid his menu flat on the table, "I'm getting the triple bacon burger with large fries, a large cookies and cream shake, and a side of mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce." He slammed his menu shut, looking at the both of us. "What are you guys getting?"
"What a fat ass," Jess joked, laughing at him. Zach pretended to be offended, holding his hand over his chest.
"Ouch," he whispered.
I laughed, rolling my eyes, "You're okay, Zachy, eat whatever your fat ass heart desires."
"Thank you," he grinned.
"Okay I think I'll do onion rings with a cookies and cream shake," I told Jess, closing my menu.
"Ooh, Yeah, me too," she closed her menu as the waitress came to our table to take our orders.
Zach told his order first, then the waitress looked to me and Jess for our orders.
"Just onion rings with a cookies and cream shake," I told her.
"And I'll have what she's having," Jess told her, and Zach handed her all of our menus.
"I'll have that right out for you guys," the waitress smiled before walking away.
She came back a few moments later with everything, along with the check.
Zach took the spoon from his shake, breathing on it before trying to get it to stick to his nose. I smiled, sipping through the straw.
Jess dug into her purse as her phone rang, pulling it out and answering.
"Hello?"
Zach and I watched her as her face fell.
"Yes, this is her. What's wrong?"
My heart sped up when Jess started to tear up, and I reached out to grab her hand.
"Im on my way."
She hung up the phone, throwing it into her purse before slinging it onto her arm, standing up from the table.
"Wait, Jess, what's going on?" I asked her, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she told me the news.
"Alex shot himself," she cried, and Zach rushed up, throwing money onto the table.
"Come on," he told us, pushing me behind Jess out the door to his car.

That night everything went very wrong, way too fast.

AN//

I'm sorry if this sucks I didn't know exactly how I wanted to write it but this is what came out.

Hope you guys like it. Feedback is appreciated and motivative!