Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Fourteen

FLASHBACK
SOPHOMORE YEAR
LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL GYM
IMOGEN'S POV

"Hey baby momma. Other Jensen."

I was sitting on the bleachers, waiting for Jeff and the baseball team to be done talking. We just had a pep rally because they won the State Championship and I was sitting in my cheer uniform, so I think I am going to skip and treat Jeff to lunch for winning, and yes, Clay was sitting right next to me.

"Don't you guys have classes to get to?" He asked as he climbed up the bleachers and sat down next to me.

"Don't you guys?" Clay asked about the entire baseball team.

"Nah, man we just won state. You know they don't make us go to school anymore." Jeff said, which made me start laughing, because that's true.

"Yeah, you wish." Clay said.

"I'm wondering why after such an excellent pep rally, it seems like your pep has not been rallied." Jeff said to my brother, which made me laugh, but he was right. Clay did seem a little bit down.

"I'm not a pep sort, I guess." Clay said.

"That much is obvious." I said, and Jeff nudged my shoulder.

"Oh come on, Mimi, leave him alone for a minute." Jeff teased me before looking back to Clay. "I didn't see you sit next to Hannah." Jeff also commented, which I also noticed as well.

"I never sit next to Hannah." Clay said, which made me roll my eyes. It was completely obvious that the two of them like each other, so I don't know why they won't just tell each other already.

"You always try to." Jeff said.

"Not lately. . you guys remember that poem that everyone was talking about?" Clay asked.

"Everyone was talking about a poem? How is that possible? Who talks about poems?" Jeff asked, which made me laugh, because he had a point. Outside of Hannah's poem, no one ever talked about poems.

"Anyway, I made fun of it. And I didn't know it was hers, and. ." Clay trailed off while I shook my head.

"Oh, Clay, you're in some shit now." I said, and he looked at me, giving me a look that said, I wasn't making this any better, but in a way I wasn't trying to. I was trying to tease him, but he probably already feels like shit enough for laughing at her poem.

"Man, if you and Hannah's relationship were a novel, a major theme would be 'mistakes.'" Jeff said, and he wasn't wrong. Clay nodded his head, his lips going into a straight line.

"Thank you." He said.

"We'll figure this out." Jeff said, which made Clay look at him, unsure.

"The last time I took your advice, she ran out on me at the dance." Clay said, which made me laugh as I laid my hand down on Jeff's knee while shaking my head.

"No, no, no, that wasn't my fault, alright? If I recall correctly, it was your nerves and uptight nature that just ruined everything." Jeff said.

"That sounds about right. You and Hannah are both just too hung up on shit." I said.

"She's right. . we'll work on this." Jeff said. Clay looked at the both of us while rolling his eyes, then he started shaking his head.

"I don't have an uptight nature." Clay said. Jeff and I looked at each other, before we both started laughing. I didn't know Clay was much for jokes, but the one he just told, he got me.