Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Three

PRESENT TIME
JESSICA DAVIS' BEDROOM
IMOGEN'S POV

"So... you should move in here," Jessica said to Ani as the three of us were in her room. Jessica and I were both sitting on her bed and Ani was sitting in a chair in front of the bed. Ani looked up from her phone with a confused look in his eyes.

"Sorry, uh... what?" She asked.

"Well, my mom and my brothers leave the day after tomorrow. Her job starts on the 28th, so they're in Seattle for good, and my dad's transfer won't go through for at least six months, so we're keeping the house. Empty bedroom." Jessica said.

"But I can't just move in," Ani said as if it were obvious.

"Oh, my dad would love to have you here. He thinks you're a good influence on me." Jessica said and my head snapped up from my phone as I looked over to her.

"And what does he say about me?" I asked. That made Jessica laugh as she wrapped her arm around me and shook her head.

"Oh come on, MiMo! You know my dad adores you." Jessica said and I laughed while nodding my head because I did know that. Since Jessica and I were each other's main support systems through our sexual assaults.

"Oh, well... that's sweet... though misguided. I don't think my mother would approve." Ani said and she made a fair point. Her mother is very strict. It's no wonder that Ani keeps so many secrets from her.

"Well, you won't know until you ask, right?" Jessica asked.

"She's right..." I said.

"I sort of think I do," Ani said and Jessica sighed.

"I know I have Imogen... but what would we do without you?" Jessica asked.

"The same thing we did before her?" I said but more in the form of a question because I was mainly joking, which made Ani laugh as she nodded her head.

"Imogen does have a point." She said.

"Is this what you do? You just come in and save everyone's lives and then leave? Like you're some superhero who's like, above it all." Jessica said.

"No..." Ani said as she looked at us.

"I need you. Clay does, Ani we all do..." Jessica said which I don't entirely agree with. Yes, she has proven to be a good friend, but I don't need her. I'm not dependent on her for anything.

I really wouldn't feel any kind of way whether she left or stayed.

―

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"It'll be fucking great, I'm so sick of boys... I mean, for me. You and Clay, that's great." Jessica said. She invited Imogen to go on a walk with her and Ani the next morning. Jessica's dad and Ani's mom talked with the girls that morning and her mom gave Ani permission to live with her.

"I'm so over boys too, Jess... Justin literally dumped me the day he got back from rehab." Imogen said while rolling her eyes. Jessica linked her arm through hers and shook her head.

"Boys are dumb..." She said.

"But, at least with Clay... he and Ani won't have to do long distance, that must be a huge relief, right?" Imogen asked her. Honestly, Imogen was thinking that if Ani would've moved, her and Clay's relationship would've lasted much longer.

"No, right, that's... huge..." Ani said. To Imogen, it sounded like she was more trying to convince herself than she was trying to convince them.

"You won't even have to tell him that you were gonna leave," Jessica said.