Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Twelve

FLASHBACK
THE CRESTMONT
THIRD PERSON'S POV

Imogen Jensen was working another shift at the Crestmont, while it was also her turn to keep an eye on Tyler, so he was at the Crestmont as well. Knowing that Imogen had to work, whenever it was hers or Jessica's turn to be with him during their shifts, he always brought something to keep himself entertained so that he wouldn't distract the girls from doing their job. Sometimes, when it was Jessica's turn, she would call her boyfriend Alex to come pick Tyler up whenever she felt like he was creeping her out.

Imogen however was just glad Tyler was safe.

While Imogen was cleaning, she walked past Tyler who was sitting and reading a book, and when Tyler saw her feet, he looked up. "Tyler. . can I ask, why'd you do it? Or. . why'd you almost do it?" Imogen said gently. She didn't want to upset him, but it was something that she had been thinking about for a while. Why would Tyler show up to Spring Fling ready to kill everyone?

She knew something bad had to have happened.

"I. . uh, I don't. . I don't know." Tyler said, closing his book as he looked at her. Imogen could get the feel that he was lying, but she didn't want to push him too hard.

"I mean. . there must have been a reason. There's a reason for everything, right? Or. . if you didn't have a reason, is that, like. . worse?" She asked. She wasn't trying to be mean to him, or guilt trip him, or make him feel any other way, she just truly wanted to understand why.

"No, I did. I mean, I had reasons. I. . I guess I just felt like the only way to make the hurting stop was to make the people who hurt me hurt too. You know?" Tyler asked her, and Imogen nodded her head, because she knew exactly how that felt.

"Yeah, I do. I do know. But, I feel like you have to find your own way to stop hurting. You have to take back their power to make you hurt. I'll let you get back to your book."

―

HO MEETING
IMOGEN'S POV

"Hey, Imogen." I heard Tyler's voice and I quickly looked over, thinking what was he doing here, but then I remembered. It was my turn to keep an eye on him. "Jess." He greeted both of us, and the rest of the girls looked over at Tyler, probably thinking, what the hell was he doing here.

"What are you doing here?" Casey snapped at him.

"Um, it's you. .-I'm supposed to hang with you this afternoon." Tyler said to me, and I nodded my head.

"Right! Yes, of course." I said.

"Survivors and allies only." Casey said, looking at me, and I rolled my eyes a little, while Jessica nodded her head.

"Well, Tyler can be an ally. Right, Tyler?" Jessica asked, and Tyler nodded his head.

"Yeah. Yeah." Tyler said, and I smiled.

"Come on in." I said, and Tyler walked closer to the table, while taking his bookbag off. "Anyway, as we were saying, welcome to the first meeting of Hands Off Our Bodies!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Jessica cheered, as everyone else in the room started to clap and cheer as well.

"The fliers say, 'Ho.'" Casey said.

"Yeah. It stands for 'Hands Off.'" Jessica said.

"Yeah, we're taking back the word. Reclaiming it." I said.

"It's cool, right?" Jess asked.

"How about, 'Fuck Rapists and Dismantle the Patriarchy?'" Casey asked.

"I mean, it's not all that catchy, though, is it?" Ani asked.

"Okay, fair. . how about, 'stab all the jocks and watch them bleed?'" Casey asked, which made some of us laugh, and I just shook my head, then she looked at Tyler. "Still want to be an ally?" She asked.

"Oh, I can get on board with that." Tyler said. He was hugging his bookbag to his chest, and I smiled. If anything, Tyler hates the jocks probably more than the rest of us do.

It'll be nice to have him here.

―

Super short, super bad, but I apologize.

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xoxo.