Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Thirty-Six

PRESENT TIME
OUT-HOUSE
THIRD PERSON'S POV

"It's fucked up about Monty... how did Ani know?" Imogen Jensen heard Alex ask Zach when she walked into the out-house where surprisingly all of her friends were. She knew that Ani was speaking with Deputy Standall and fabricating their story about who actually killed Bryce.

"Well, Tim Pozzi was in the County lock-up when it happened. And he ended up getting out that morning, so he told Luke, who told Charlie, Charlie told Justin, Justin told Ani." Zach said and that's when Imogen walked up to them.

"What happened to Monty?" She asked. She hadn't yet heard the news, and that was deliberate on their part. Justin wanted to be the one to break it to Imogen, knowing that he would be gentle with it, and both boys looked surprised.

"Mimi..." Justin said. He was sitting down on his bed and gestured for Imogen to sit down next to him, which she did, and then she raised an eyebrow.

"Someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on?" She asked and Justin took her hands into his own and by the frown on his face, she could tell something was wrong. "Justin?" She asked.

"Imogen, it's Monty..." Justin said in a soft voice, and Imogen shook her head.

"What about him?" She asked.

"Mimi, he...-Monty was killed in his jail cell several hours ago..." Justin said. Imogen immediately stood up from Justin's bed and adamantly shook her head, because she didn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it.

"No... you're lying." She said. The tears in her eyes were immediate. She knew for her own reasons Monty went too far and she couldn't be friends with him anymore, but he was getting what he deserved, he was in jail for sexual assault which was more than what could've been said for Bryce. She was even thinking that maybe someday she could've found it in her heart to forgive him.

She didn't think he deserved to die.

"Imogen... I'm so sorry." Justin said while standing up and trying to take a step closer to her, but Imogen only backed away, as she continued to shake her head.

"I just saw him a couple of days ago! You're lying!" She yelled. This time, the tears actually fell down her cheeks which put everyone at alert, but as she saw the solemn looks on everyone's faces, she knew it was real. Monty was dead... Monty got killed, and since he got killed in jail, was anything going to be done about it? And Ani, she...-Imogen put the pieces together realizing why Ani said the plan was to put the blame of Bryce's death on Monty.

Because she knew Monty got killed so they would have to close the case.

Imogen immediately ran into Clay and Justin's bathroom before puking, violently. She felt completely sick to her stomach and shaken that Monty, who was dead, was going to get the blame for something she did. She felt her hair being held back and didn't even look to see who it was because she couldn't stop the projectile vomit from coming out of her mouth.

"Imogen, it's okay, breathe..." She heard Clay's voice in her ear. He was the one who was holding her hair back, and she started to cry harder as her vomiting stopped. Clay handed her a towel so that she could wipe her mouth, and then she turned around and hugged her brother tightly.

"He...-He's dead." She cried into Clay's neck, and Clay only rubbed her back.

"I know... I'm so sorry."

―

"So what do we do now?" Imogen heard Tony ask as she and Clay walked out of the bathroom.