Liberty High - A 13 Reasons Why Story.

His signature smirk

Emily's p.o.v.
It was Cyrus.
He took a seat on the swing next to me.

"Oh... Hey." I said with a little smile.
"So. You kept my jacket." He laughs nodding towards the piece of leather I was wearing.
"Oh yeah. I was meant to return it but... Erm... Here, take it." I say pulling it of off me.
"No it's fine. Keep it. It looks better on you anywyas." He chuckles with his signature smirk.

Ah that chuckle. The one I couldn't stand. As well as his little smirk.

I wrap it back around me and look down blushing a little bit.

"Look I'm sorry." He tells me.

I'm slightly confused by this. I think he notices, as he continues on with what he was saying.

"I'm really sorry about homecoming. I get that you probably hate me after that. After what had happened. Me beating the shit out of that guy. Us both getting really hurt. Me letting you get hurt before actually stepping in and helping-" I cut him of.
"Cy. I don't hate you. I could never hate you." I tell him.
"But, but you stopped talking to us all." He started. "And it was after homecoming." He looks at me directly in my eyes. "Did something else happen? Is it something to do with Bryce's disappearance?" He asks me.
I shake my head violently. "No. It's got nothing to do about that." I say.
"Then what was it? If it was nothing to do with me or Bryce's disappearance. What was it?" He asks, concern filling in his eyes.

I take his hands in mine and take a long deep breath.

"If i tell you, you have to promise not to do anything. Not to go to the cops. Not to confront anyone in this situation. Not to tell anyone." I say.

He nods, taking a tighter grip on my hands.

I sigh and let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding.

"When I stayed at your house and rushed home that night. My dad. He got really mad at me because I hadn't gone straight home. He beats me and my brother and... And when I got home that night, he was really drunk. He went to slap me, but missed and fell on the ground. He started mumbling a load of rubbish. About how I shouldn't hang out with the people that I hang out with, and if he finds out that I still do after that night, my life will get even worse. Worse than what it already is." I told him and I felt a warm tear drip down my face.
He rubs the backs of my hands with his thumbs and I continue.
"That's why I stopped hanging around with you. I thought it'd be harder to tell you all what had happend, so I just totally ignored you. Erased you from my life. Tried to pretend that we were ever friends." I finish.

I let him take a few minutes to process what I had just told him.

"Cy?" I question.
"So... So why now?" He questions.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Why now? Why start talking to us again now? Or me at least?" He questions me again.
"Well... First of. We are all helping each other with Tyler. So I thought that we're all going to end up seeing each other and bumping into each other at some point." I start.
"And the other thing?" He asks.
"The other thing is that I just really miss you. I miss your silly jokes. Your cheeky smile. Talking to you about the randomist things. Hanging out with you. Sleeping over with Kenzie. Having someone to talk to when I really need a friend." I tell him. "I miss having you in my life." I choke the last part out.
"I missed you too. We all did. We all do." He tells me with a little smile. I return the smile.
"Wait... So is that why you came into school one day with a giant black eye?" He asks me. "Because your dad beats you?"
I nod my head. "Mhm." I hum.
"You can't stay there with him." He tells me.
"Where am I supposed to go?" I laugh.
"You could come and stay with us. I miss you and so does Mack. And my dad's always asking where you are. He really misses your craziness and careing-ness as much as what we do." He smiles.
I nod my head. "Sure. It's not like my dad would care anyways." I tell him.

We walk back to his house, hand in hand just like we used to do those couple of months ago.

I sent a message telling Monty that I wouldn't be home tonight. He said neither is dad so yay.

We got back to Cyrus' house at around 9pm.