Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Fifteen

PRESENT TIME
OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE
IMOGEN'S POV

It was over. After Clay explained the story about what happened at Jeff's, he was done. So my dad bought Clay and I some lunch and Starbucks. My dad sitting between the both of us. I knew we were going to have some type of good conversation because my dad doesn't just immediately jump at us like our mom does. He usually waits, and listens for us to explain our sides, and I definitely know he was going to ask Clay about everything he heard in there.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Clay said, before our dad even got a word out.

"For what, kiddo? For telling the truth?" Dad asked back.

"For not telling you. . stuff." Clay said.

"You both know that there's nothing either of you could do, nothing that would stop your mother and me from loving you two." He said, Clay and I didn't say anything, but we both knew that. We knew that our parents loved us, even if we didn't always appreciate the ways they showed it.

"Why is it kids don't tell their parents anything, ever? Is it shame? Or fear? It can't be fear of punishment. No one's punished for anything anymore. Are you afraid we won't understand?" He asked. I sighed, knowing the answer to this one.

"More like afraid you'd understand too well." I said, my dad looked at Clay for confirmation, and he nodded his head along with my statement.

"So you're protecting your secrets?" Dad asked us.

"Or we're protecting you." Clay said, and then there was another silence. "I have to get to school." Clay said, and my dad nodded his head.

"Imogen?" My dad asked.

"Home. . please."

•

ALEX'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Despite his comment earlier in the hallway, Alex is still my friend, so of course, I was going to go to his birthday party. Jessica and I got him a gift together. We ran into Nina and her boyfriend at the mall. Jess ended up having a panic attack when she was trying on clothes. When we were alone, she told me it was because, seeing her body, she was just reminded of what Bryce did to her. I told her, I had a similar experience after Justin told me what happened, when I started to remember myself.

I was about to get in the shower, but when I looked at my body in the mirror, all I could see was Bryce touching me, forcing my underwear off of me, and forcing himself inside of me. I was freaking out for about an hour before I could pull myself together and get in the shower. I've avoided looking at my naked or semi-naked body in the mirror ever since then.

"Hey, Jess. Mimi." Zach called for us from the table they were at. I love Dave and Busters [idk if that's where they really were, but that's what it looks like, so i'm going with it] so this was going to be really fun. Alex walked over to the both of us, with a small smile on his face.

"Hey." We greeted him, when he walked over, he had two stuffed teddy bears. One in his hand and the other tucked under his arm.

"I won these for you guys just to say sorry about today." Alex said, handing them over to us.

"You didn't have to do that." I said to him.

"Yeah, well, if I hadn't won it, I'd just be saying sorry, and I thought maybe the cuteness would help." Alex said. Jessica shrugged her shoulders while shaking her head.

"Look, we don't need to talk about it." She said, and I completely agree. Jess was the one who called me and asked if I still wanted to go, even after the comment he made. I told her that I would go if she did, but I didn't want to go alone, so here we are.