PURE HEROINE II 13 REASONS WHY

secret

"Can you keep a secret?"

❥

"Monty left", Scott tells her trying not to sound too excited to be alone with her again. "Thank god", Liz mumbles giving the boy a relieved look. If she let herself be honest about her feelings, she would admit that she enjoyed last night, at least admit it to herself. The problem about it is that she enjoyed it way too much. Just like Scott. But none of them would say it out loud. 

"Hey, thanks for.. reacting so quickly and uh.. the shirt and sweatpants." "Anytime. Looks like you need a drive, huh?", Scott adds as Monty had left with his car. "I mean, I wouldn't be sad about getting a ride. I don't mean to criticize your clothes, but I'd rather not walk home like this." "I'd say we're not in a hurry but I have to see Jeff later so we shouldn't risk anything. Let's go?" 

"Let's go", she nods. The girl starts feeling a bit numb as soon as she realizes that this is it. A one-time mistake with her ex' best-friend. Nothing less, nothing more. And although the situation is quite complicated, she isn't relieved about letting go of this experience. Neither him nor her would mind if this wasn't a one-time thing.

"Thanks for the ride", Liz speaks up after they've been quiet during the whole ride. Both of them were nervous and calm at the same time. "You're welcome", Scott nods, his voice softening, "Anytime."

"Where the hell have you been?", Justin asks the girl as soon as she arrives at the Walker's house and lays down on a lounger by the pool. "You have to swear that you won't tell anyone about it. Seriously, Foley. You'll be the only person who knows about this and that's one person too much." "I swear on my mom." "Seriously? Your mom is not even the tiniest bit enough", the girl replies unimpressed. 

"Okay, I swear on Bryce's and my friendship.. and yours and mine", the boy adds up so she nods. "Where is Bryce?" "You won't even tell him or Monty?" "Where are they?" "Bryce is inside and Monty will come later", Justin lets her know and is excited to find out what she is trying to hide from the people that know every secret, "Where did you stay the night?" "Reed", she mumbles. 

"What? I didn't hear you", Justin honestly says as she has a hard time talking about this to her friend. "Reed. Scott fucking Reed", she repeats sighing. "I mean he looked at you before. Monty mentioned it at a party. So congrats I guess-" "Congrats? Are you dumb, Justin? Have you forgotten who he is?", Liz snaps at her friend confused about how he talks about it so easily. She knows he will keep his mouth shut but he has to understand why. 

"Uh, a baseball player?" "He's Jeff's best friend, you idiot." "And you think that he cares about it after yesterday? He's been to the dance with Leah so you can be with whoever you like." "Okay first of all, I don't like Reed at all, okay? It was a one-time thing-" "Uh, yeah, sure", Justin chuckles but stops as she's giving him a death-glare. "We'll never talk about it again." 

"But how did it happen? Did you like it?", Justin ignores her statement hoping for an honest answer. "I.. Okay, honestly? I liked it, yes.. I drove him home and somehow we ended up in his room with a bottle of beer and it happened. I was a complete bitch this morning and he was even nicer to me.. It's confusing me." 

"Yeah, well, same. You're confusing me, too." "I'm confusing you?!" "Yeah, I mean.. since when do you like Reed?", Justin asks her acting serious but soon enough, he gives in and laughs. "Fuck you, Justin. I am not in the mood for jokes." The girl hits Justin's upper arm playfully signalising the boy that she is not being serious in that moment.

About half an hour, Bryce and Monty come back into the garden and Bryce and Justin go into the pool house to play a video game whereas Montgomery lays down next to the girl. "I won't even ask where you stayed last night. But how did Reed and you end up?" Montgomery surprised the girl. How could he know? Justin couldn't have told him. 

He just found out and she was around them for the few minutes before he went into the pool house with Bryce. Did Scott tell him? No, Scott wouldn't.. She never understood why Scott behaves the way he does but she also doesn't believe that he told anyone about it. It's also his problem. 

"How do you know?" "You never stay anywhere, at least you wouldn't do it without us knowing. You weren't with Jeff and my car was parked at Scotty's place. I mean that could be a coincidence but I saw the way Scotty's looking at you and honestly? You behave different. I know you've had sex." 

"Sometimes it's scary how close we are to each other. You don't need to know me that much", Liz mumbles surprised by the fact that Monty had such a good feeling about this. He's way better than others think. "Nah, it's good as it is. You know you could have told me?", Monty says with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Liz sighs feeling like she treated her friend badly. 

"I know.. I just didn't want anyone to know about it. I would like to forget about it myself. It's been a one-time thing that should have never happened. And Scott and I promised each other that we wouldn't tell someone." "But Bryce, Justin and I are your brothers, literally. Everything that you know, we know, and the other way around." 

"You know.. it's the same between Scott and Jeff.. you get the problem?" "Yeah, but Jeff went out with someone first so even if he found out, he shouldn't be upset. Plus, it's just been sex, right? You're not dating?" "That doesn't matter, Monty. Jeff would freak out anyways. Imagine your girl sleeps with Bryce." "Bryce and I are brothers. He can sleep with every girl I've had. And you're not Jeff's girl anymore." "But you've never loved a girl like Jeff loves me. And just because we're not dating, doesn't mean I can break my promise and betray him like that." 

"Yeah, maybe that's the problem with me. But I'm also glad that I've never had that heartbreak. And you don't betray him or break your promise. You never promised each other that you cannot be with someone else. You just promised each other to get back together after school and go to college together. I promise you, none of us mentions a word but if he found out, he'd be stupid to be upset." "Thanks, Monty. For everything", the girl whispers emotionally attaffected by what is going on at the moment but is mainly thankful for having such good friends.