Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

Twenty-Six

PRESENT TIME
LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL PROM
IMOGEN'S POV

"Alright, Liberty High. The votes are in. It's time to announce the prom king and queen..." I announced which made all the students start to clap and cheer. "Votes tabulated by the chaperones, and you know it's secure 'cause it was overseen by Dean Foundry," I said while pointing over to him.

Everyone cheered more as the secretary came and gave me the envelope with the winners' names inside. I was honestly curious to see who won, because like Jess said, every year prom King and Queen have been determined by who the football team wanted to win.

"Thank you..." I said to her as I took the envelope and when I opened it, I smiled. "Holy shit! Um... sorry. The prom king and queen are... or, king and king I should say, or queen and queen, it's whatever they prefer... but your prom royalty, Alex Standall, and Charlie St. George!" I exclaimed.

The football players started jumping up and down and cheering. While everyone else was clapping and cheering, I was searching the crowd for them. "Where are they?" I asked.

"We're right here!" Charlie said as they appeared to my side and walked up to the stage I was standing on.

"What!" I exclaimed when they were both in front of me.

"What is this? Why did this happen? Was this you" Alex asked and I held my hands up in surrender while shaking my head.

"Secure vote. Jessica told you guys, it's whoever the football team wants every year." I said and then I put the envelope down and picked up the box lid we had the crowns in. "So, who wants the crown, and who wants the tiara?" I asked.

"I... think I'd like the small one," Charlie said. I smiled as I put the lid down and I picked up the tiara from it. Charlie leaned forward so I could put the tiara on his head, and once I did, he stood back up and we kissed each other on the cheek while everyone started cheering.

Then I grabbed the crown and turned towards Alex. Once I put it on his head, we did the same thing and kissed each other on the cheek while everyone was continuing to cheer for them. "You deserve to be happy," I told him. I walked off the stage as everyone chanted for them to kiss, which they did and that made everyone cheer even louder for them, but especially me. I love them together so much. Never saw it coming.

But I loved it.

"Alright! King Charlie, King Alex, it's time for your first dance as Liberty High School royalty."

―

"You doing okay?" I asked when I saw Clay sitting on his own. Ani was trying to drag me and Jessica out onto the dance floor, but I said I wanted to check on Clay first. Clay was sitting at the table by himself, so I sat down next to him.

"Yeah... I just kinda wish Justin were here." Clay said and I nodded my head.

"Me too... come on, don't you want to dance?" I asked.

"I don't know. Something about seeing all of our friends dancing and happy, that's enough for me... you don't have to sit here with me, you can go dance with everyone else." Clay said and I shrugged my shoulders. I kissed him on the cheek before going to join Jessica and Ani, and of course, as soon as I got out there, Best Part by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. started playing.

As Jessica playfully spun Ani around, I noticed something. The crowd seemed like it was parting down the middle of the floor and when I noticed why. I was a little surprised.

Justin was here.

He had on a white suit, and he looked really handsome. And the fact that he showed up while one of my favorite songs was playing. I almost felt like crying.

"Go..." Ani and Jessica said to me.

"Come on, you know you want. Go dance with him. We know he only came for you." Jessica said as she slightly pushed me forward. As I approached Justin, he was approaching me too until we met in the middle. Justin had tears in his eyes as he looked at me which made me want to cry too. When I was in front of Justin, he laid both of his hands gently down on my cheeks.

"I love you more than life, Imogen Jensen," Justin said and I laid my hands down on his wrists.

"Don't love anything more than life," I said and he nodded his head.

"Okay..." He said as he laughed a little. I moved my hands from around his wrists and wrapped my arms around him while hugging him close.

"You better hold me and don't ever let me go..." I whispered to him and after I said that, I felt him squeeze me in tighter.

"Yeah, okay..." Justin said as we pulled our heads back from each other's shoulders and I smiled at him as we danced together. With one hand, I ran my fingers through the back of his hair as we smiled at each other.

"And I forgot to say, but I love you too, more than I could ever put into words."

―

THIRD PERSON'S POV

Ani and Jessica came over to Dance with Imogen and Justin once the music switched to a faster one, and now Imogen was truly having fun. Tony and Caleb came to join them too, and Imogen only wished that Clay was out on the dance floor with them, and then to her, everything would feel complete. But, Clay was talking to their mother, and Lainie couldn't believe how grown her twins were.

"I would've thought you'd be here with her tonight," Lainie said as she watched Ani dance with everyone else and she sat down next to her son.

"Nah.." Clay said while shaking his head.

"You all look so handsome tonight... and Imogen, Jess, Ani... they look beautiful. All grown up..." Lainie said and Clay only awkwardly nodded his head. "You have to know, Clay, when your dad and I look at you and your sister, we still see those little kids who... needed us every day to... kiss an owie or... to fix a bike..." Lainie said and Clay nodded his head.

"There were a lot of bikes." He said which made them both laugh.

"There were. Yes..." Lainie said and then she looked out onto the dance floor to see how happy Justin and Imogen looked especially together and it warmed her heart.

"Hey, Mom... would you like to dance?" Clay asked his mom and Lainie looked over at him, with a big smile on her face.

"I would love to dance."

―

Imogen was having the time of her life dancing with Justin. This was all she imagined for prom since her junior year. She knew this night wouldn't have been as fun if Justin wasn't here. As they continued dancing, Imogen for a moment had her back to Justin and she didn't see that he was no longer keeping up. As he was trying to loosen his tie, Imogen turned back around to see Justin didn't look that great and laid her hands on his shoulders.

"Hey... J... are you okay?" She asked. Justin laid his hands on her waist and he was going to respond, but how he was feeling was too overwhelming and he collapsed instead.

"Hey! Hey. Justin! Justin!..." Imogen trailed off as she laid her hands on his cheeks. "MOM!! Where's my Mom!!" Imogen screamed as loud as she could as she looked around at the crowd. "Somebody help! Somebody help, please!! Mom! Clay!" Imogen shouted as Justin was still lying unconscious on the floor. Many students called 911 as Foundry, Mr. Standall, Clay, Tony, Caleb, and a lot of her friends ran into the circle.

She was just praying to God that Justin didn't overdose.

―

Oof, so considering that the next episode, the finale is an hour and 40 minutes long, it'll definitely be broken up into a lot of chapters. Also, comments on the last chapter were very lacking, and this book is almost over so please, don't forget to comment.

Don't forget to vote/comment.

xoxo.