Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Fourteen

PRESENT TIME
MONET'S CAFE
IMOGEN'S POV

"Tony and I will get rid of the gun." Clay spoke to me, Zach, Jessica, Justin, Tony, and Ani. We sat at a table in Monet's, and Clay explained to us what Tyler had told him about the gun. That he was first going to use it on himself, and then he almost used it on Bryce earlier this summer, but he didn't, and I'm glad he didn't.

"Because we just believe him?" Zach asked.

"We believed you." Clay said, and Zach took a deep breath, knowing that he was caught. Whatever Ani and Clay found out about Chloe and Zach, is obviously what my brother was referring to.

"So, where's Alex?" Zach asked.

"He's on a ride-along with his dad. Guess it's the only time they get to spend together nowadays." Jessica said, which is kind of cool that he gets to ride along and see what his dad does, but it's also sad that Alex going to work with his dad is the only way they're able to spend actual time together.

"Yeah, okay. See, this is the thing, guys. . This is a murder investigation. And we're hiding Tyler and his gun. .-" Zach began to rant, but he was cut off.

". .-Bryce wasn't shot." Justin said, holding his phone out for all of us to see, but that didn't make sense. Why would they release the information that Bryce was shot before they knew for sure if he actually was shot or not?

"There was a hole in the back of his head." Clay said.

"So the papers guessed it was a gunshot. They were wrong. It's saying he was beaten." Justin said, and we all sat around, not sure what to do with this new information.

"This. . this is fucked up." Zach said.

"Zach. ." Justin said.

"No, you know what? You guys do whatever the hell you want. I don't want to know about it. Not anymore." Zach said, standing up and putting himself back on his crutches before he hobbled out of Monet's, leaving the rest of us. While Tony looked up from reading the article on Justin's phone.

"They think it might be blunt force trauma and they're looking for the murder weapon. They're dragging up the river on both sides of the bridge." Tony said, specifically looking at Clay.

"Oh, shit." Clay said, his eyes widening, and I sighed. I didn't go with them when they went to dump Tyler's guns, but based on both of their reactions, I'm assuming the water is exactly where they are.

"The river? Let me guess, is that where you two dumped Tyler's guns?" I asked.

"Correct." Tony said, and we all sighed, knowing that this wasn't going to end well if the police sweep the river, and they find those guns. The water should've lifted Tyler's finger prints off of them by now, since it's been 8 months, but they're guns, they're not going to just dissolve in the water, they're still sitting at the bottom of wherever they dumped it.

Clay took a deep breath. "So. . new plan needed for this one." Clay said.

"Give me the gun. I'll deal with it." Justin said. Clay looked at Justin like he was unsure, and I was unsure about it too.

What did he mean by that?

―

FEW DAYS LATER
HO MEETING
IMOGEN'S POV

"They're searching lockers today." I said, holding up a poster in my hand that had been giving to me by Principal Bolan, and Jessica was holding one too. The posters read, 'mourn the survivors, not the rapist' and talking about how Bryce's funeral was going to be protested.