Not Another Reason

Chapter Sixteen: Back at Liberty High

"Thought it was gonna settle." Montgomery says, anxiously. "Don't worry about it." Bryce replies, making Evelyn rolls her eyes, pushing herself off the boys gym lockers.

Due to them having access to the school because of practices during the summer, and with school back, Bryce, Montgomery and Evelyn usually met up in the guys locker room, knowing the times when it'll be empty and they can talk about the trial that has recently started between the Bakers and the school.

"What is that Corey Jensen gonna testify?" Montgomery asks. "Clay." Bryce and Evelyn correct him, as Bryce readies the needle filled with steroids. He motions Montgomery to pull down his pants, getting ready to stick him with the needle. "Don't know, don't care."

"Ugh, I hate when you guys do that." Evelyn groans, looking away from the needle and her best friend's bare ass, feeling nauseous.

"Sorry." Bryce laughs, trying to be quicker.

"Yeah, all that Hannah Baker shit will get dredged up all over again." Montgomery says, making a point. "He's right, you know. And you know, Hannah Baker has always been a popular topic at Liberty High, so we won't hear the end of it." Evelyn agrees. Bryce sighs, finishing up and covering the needle as Montgomery pulls his pants back up, Evelyn finally looking at the two. "My dad's got the trial covered. We'll figure it out."

"Well, now fucking Jessica Davis is coming back to Liberty? Is that a coincidence or what?" Montgomery says, not hiding his worries about Bryce getting in trouble for a minute. To anyone outside of their group, Montgomery and Evelyn were showing themselves off to be heartless, and without a care in the world, but to their trio, they didn't bother to hide their worries about their best friend getting in trouble because of the tapes and lies Hannah had told, knowing now that they would have to protect him at all costs.

"Again, man. Don't know, don't care." Bryce shrugs, walking away. "Don't worry about the fucking trial, man."

Evelyn raises her eyebrows, walking up to Montgomery, patting him on the chest before picking up her water bottle. "You heard the boss, don't worry about it." She says in a joking manner, making Montgomery roll his eyes. "Now let's get to the field, I have a cheer practice I need to run."

Bryce, Montgomery, Scott Reed, and Evelyn walked down the hallway together, Evelyn and Scott's arms linked, since he has now been added to the group she considers her best friends. They all laughed about someone almost getting hit by a car in the parking lot, reminding them of the time Evelyn almost hit Alex in Montgomery's car, prompting Montgomery to, in Evelyn's words, 'hilariously beat the living shit out of Alex for not apologizing to her'.

It took them about a minute to take notice in Alex and Jessica standing with Zach at Jessica's locker, spotting them already and noticing they seemed in a rush to leave, or more specifically, Zach. Alex had been struggling, his arm wobbly as he tried to walk with his new cane, something he had to use but still hasn't gotten used to, due to his failed suicide attempt before summer had started.

"What are you running from, Zach?" Jessica asks, seeing he was trying his best to get Alex to walk away faster with no avail. "Um, nothing." He responds, unconvincingly.

"Hey! Jess, Alex, welcome back, you guys." Bryce says as they walk past, a smile on his face. Evelyn stares at her boyfriend, but he tries to not make eye contact with the group.

"Sup, Alex? Jess." Scott greets. "Yeah, sup." Evelyn says, in a rather unfriendly tone, stopping in her place and Scott stopping along with her. The atmosphere growing awkward as Alex looked away, but Jessica made awkward eye contact with her ex best friend, filled with tension.

"Zach. Let's go." Evelyn says to him in an affirmative tone, her eyes finally leaving Jessica's, and him finally looking at her. "Yeah, babe. In a minute." He responds in a low voice, a small forced smile on his face, knowing that Evelyn wasn't afraid to start trouble even with all the eyes undoubtedly looking in their direction in that moment.