Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Eighteen

LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL
IMOGEN'S POV

"What did they think that was actually going to accomplish?" I asked Jessica as we were walking down the hallway at school. Zach and Monty both separately told me that someone had burned 'rapists' into the baseball field, but honestly, what was that going to do? "Probably some idiots thinking they were funny and not caring about who it might hurt." I said.

"Who does it hurt though?" Jessica asked me.

"I mean. . you and me, and anyone else who just wants their story to be theirs. Clay keeps trying to force me to tell it. He brought Justin back, so Justin could tesitify against Bryce, but my story isn't Justin's story to tell. . it's mine, you know?" I said.

"Yeah. . and burning it into a field just makes more people look at us." Jessica said.

"Exactly, heat we don't need. You know, I haven't seen you in a while, everything been okay?" I asked, and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, I've just been hanging out with Nina, meeting some of her friends, and I even met a guy." Jess said, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Jess, that's amazing, did it go okay? Is he nice? I'll kick his ass if I have to." I said, and she laughed.

"No, you don't have to do that. He is nice. . but I don't know. I ended up kissing him, and then my dad saw it, but it didn't feel like me. I thought I was ready, but in that moment, I knew that I just wasn't." She said, and I nodded my head.

"It's your pace, Jess, and any guy who doesn't respect that, doesn't deserve you." I said. Jess smiled at me, and nodded her head.

"Thanks, MiMo, for always being there for me." She said, and I smiled at her.

"I always will be, Jess." I said, and then the bell rang, signifying that we needed to get to class. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I continued and she nodded her head.

"See you there."

•

Jess and I decided to eat our lunch outside today, which the fresh air was much needed. I was looking at my phone when I heard Jess' voice. "Nina! Hey." She said, and I looked up to see Nina had on her track jumpsuit with her duffelbag and she looked at us. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Jess asked, and Nina walked over to us.

"Yeah. Um, I mean, Michael's waiting for me because we try to get in a few miles at lunch, but. . what's up?" Nina asked. Jessica stood up from the table, but I was perfectly fine listening to their conversation from where I was sitting.

"Yeah, about that." Jessica said, gathering her things, well, it looked like I had to move. I gathered mine too, and went on the other side of Jessica so that she was between me and Nina. "Did, like, something happen between you and Garrett?" Jessica asked.

I have no idea who these people are.

"No. Why?" Nina asked, and then she looked at me. "And should we be talking about this in front of her?" She asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"I trust her, more than anyone." Jessica said, and Nina nodded. "But come on. You're the person who tells me the truth." Jessica said, and Nina's face changed, so whoever this Garrett person is, something did happen between them.

"Well, I mean, nothing happened, really. It's just, he's just been getting on my nerves lately. He wants to go all deep and talk about our feelings and shit all the time, it's exhausting." She said, and now I think I can remember. Garrett is the guy we saw her at the mall with.