Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Forty-Three

PRESENT TIME
JUNIOR YEAR
IMOGEN'S POV
TAPE 7, SIDE B

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"One last try. I'm giving life one last try. I recorded 14 tapes. I started with Justin. Then Jessica. Imogen was way after, but they all did the same thing. The three of them broke my heart. Alex, Tyler, Courtney, Marcus, who each helped to destroy my reputation. On through Zach and Ryan. . who broke my spirit. Through tape 14. Bryce Walker. . who broke my soul. But a funny thing happened as I finished number 13. I felt something. . shift. I had poured it all out. . and for a minute. . just a minute. . I felt like maybe I could beat this. I decided to give life one more chance. But this time, I was asking for help. . because I know I can't do it alone. I know that now. Of course if you're listening to this, I failed. Or he failed, and my fate is sealed."

❚❚

I was sitting with my dad and my brother at the dining room table and we were all eating breakfast. Clay came home from wherever he was last night, and he had bruising all over his face, so now I really want to know what he got himself into. Our mother wasn't here, because she was at the depositions, and I was just waiting for it to be my turn. I was so scared, I didn't know what they were going to ask me about, and my dad was just staring at Clay as he sped ate his cereal and it was really awkward.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment, or is it the other way around?" He asked Clay, and my brother said nothing. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Dad asked.

"I'm just eating breakfast." Clay said.

"You disappeared again." My dad said, slightly raising his voice. "You know there are consequences when you disappear." He said, and Clay shook his head, and I could already see the annoyance all over his face.

"I didn't disappear for fucks sake. I was at a friend's house." He said, and I raised an eyebrow. Who? Because the only friend I know that Clay has is Tony.

"What kind of friend. . would beat you up like that?" I asked him, and Clay looked at me.

"I told all of you, I wiped out on my bike." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Bullshit." I said.

"Like your sister said. What, did you land on Mike Tyson?" Dad asked. Then the door closed, and we all looked up as our mother came walking through with a smile on her face.

"Look who just showed up outside." She said, and then Tony came walking through the dining room and I was a little surprised, while my dad smiled.

"Tony. Good morning." My dad greeted him.

"Good morning." Tony said, and then he noticed Clay's face, and he looked over at me, and I shrugged my shoulders and then he went back to looking at Clay, with a look of trying to ask him what the hell happened.

Which is what I want to know.

"I thought Tony might like to join us for breakfast. We can all catch up. Maybe talk about your depositions tomorrow." My mom said. I let out a breath of relief. I know some people were going today, but I'm glad I don't have to until tomorrow. I need another day to sleep on this.

"Yeah, that would be great." Tony said.

"Tony doesn't have time." Clay said, standing up from his chair, and then he gently grabbed my arm. "Upstairs, both of you." He said, and I raised an eyebrow as I stood up from my chair, wondering why my brother wanted to talk to the two of us upstairs. I would much rather talk about these depositions, because I'm nervous.