Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Twenty-Eight

FLASHBACK
PRINCIPAL BOLAN'S OFFICE
IMOGEN'S POV

"Principal Bolan, I was elected president on the promise of ending boy's sports at Liberty. Cancelling the game will send a message." I pleaded with Principal Bolan as I followed him into his office. The Homecoming Game was approaching, and people were counting on me to stick to my promise to end boys sports, but nothing had come from it yet, and I didn't want to let anybody down.

"Yes, I know your reasoning. My secretary transcribed 47 voicemails from your supports and showed me your online petition. The fact is Homecoming is a tradition." Bolan said, which made me roll my eyes.

"You just ignored everything!" I exclaimed.

"Homecoming is a tradition, and is not in itself a contributor to sexual assault. And if this game gets canceled, I promise you no one will take it the way you intend." Bolan said, before sitting down in his seat, as he raised his voice at me to make his point.

"That petitionnwas signed by over a third of the student body." I snapped back.

"And are all of them fully aware of your personal relationship with Bryce Walker?" He asked, which made me flinch back. What personal relationship? Bryce and I don't have any kind of personal relationship.

"I don't have. .-" I started to yell and then realized that I was yelling, so I took a deep breath and calmed myself down. ". .-This isn't about Bryce Walker." I said in a calmer tone.

"What if I told you I received a phone call from his mother this morning inquiring about re-enrolling him for the spring semester?" Bolan asked, which honestly made my stomach drop. He wouldn't seriously let Bryce back into this school, would he?

"What? You're letting him come back. After everything that you know that he's done? Are you fucking serious?" I snapped. Me wanting the Homecoming game canceled had nothing to do with Bryce, but if Bolan was seriously going to let Bryce come back to this school, then that was a total separate issue from the Homecoming game.

"We've only just received the request, but. .-" Bolan trailed off.

". .-He raped me, he raped Jessica. . he raped Hannah. . he's raped a countless amount of girls at this school, and you would just. ." I trailed off because I truly didn't know what to say, like I was truly shocked that they would actually let him come back, knowing what he did to the girls at this school.

"If he returns, we will take every measure to ensure yours and Jessica's safety." Bolan said.

"What a load of bullshit! What about the safety of every other girl at Liberty that isn't me or Jessica?" I asked.

"It is our utmost concern." Bolan said.

"No it isn't. . because if it was, you would've canceled boys' sports years ago. And if it was a true concern. You wouldn't even be considering the option to let Bryce back into this school."

―

HO MEETING

"He fucking ignored everything." I said when I walked back into the room where our HO meeting was, and looked directly at Jessica. I was honestly so pissed. Not even about the shit about the Homecoming Game, but about the fact that they're seriously considering letting Bryce come back here for Spring Semester. Like I told Bolan, if the safety of me, Jessica and all the girls at Liberty was really a concern, they would've immediately told Nora no as soon as she made the request.

"Such bullshit." Casey said.

"No more wasting our time. We need to do something huge." I said.

"Yeah, we do." Casey said.

"The Homecoming game's in two days. We need to get in there and get our message out." Jessica said, and I looked at her.

"You mean, like posters at the game?" Ani asked.

"Fuck posters!" Jess said.

"Okay, then what are you thinking, Jess?" I asked her.

"Bigger than that. We need to show everyone that we are done being silent victims. That they're going to face our anger whether they want to or not." Jessica said, which made all the girls around us start cheering.

"Yeah!" They all exclaimed at the same time.

"So, like. . we'll be out there in front of all the football players?" Tyler asked, and I could tell he was a little nervous. Honestly, I think something happened, and I think maybe Monty had something to do with it. Tyler freezes, like completely freezes anytime he's in the same vacinity as Monty, but I don't want to push him to talk if he doesn't want to.

"In front of the whole wide world."

―

HO ROOM

As soon as her HO meeting was over, Imogen told Justin to meet her in the HO room after all the girls had cleared out, and their lips were quickly on each other's as Imogen wrapped her arms around Justin's neck while he held her waist. As their kissed got deeper, she moved her hand down his cheek as they pulled away from each other, but they both still had wide smiles on their faces. Always happy to simply be with each other again.

"Are you gonna come watch me play the Homecoming game?" Justin asked her. Imogen loved that Justin found himself in football again, but she made a promise to the girls of this school, a promise she intends to keep, and as much as she loves Justin, HO comes first.

"Why do you always want to talk?" Imogen asked, leaning back in to press her lips against his.

"Seriously, Mimi. ." Justin said, pulling away again. "It would mean a lot to me if you were there. You gonna come?" Justin asked, and Imogen felt a little stuck. Hearing that it would mean a lot to Justin for her to be there made her want to just be there to support him and not for what they were planning, but she's the President, she couldn't back out on her girls. Justin noticed Imogen's face change into a more downcast. "What?" He asked.

"I'll. . I'll be at the game, I'm just not really coming to watch. . exactly." She said, which only made Justin confused.

"Then what are you coming to do?" Justin asked her.

"I can't tell you." She said, shaking her head.

"What, like, you guys are gonna bomb the game or something?" Justin said, laughing as he made the joke, but Imogen's silence scared him into thinking that's what she was actually planning to do. "Wait. . you aren't actually going to bomb the game, are you?" He asked.

"No, of course not, but we do have something planned. I just can't tell you, okay?" Imogen said, which made Justin a little frustrated because he and Imogen have always been able to tell each other everything.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Listen, this thing is bigger than me. I need you to respect that, okay?"

―

Yeah, it was short, because there was nothing else to add, so there it is. 

Don't forget to vote/comment because seriously, to be blunt, the comments on here suck, lmao. As many people that were constantly asking when this story was coming back to the many people who even still ask me, 'when is the next chapter coming out' an hour after i update, y'all can do better.

xoxo.