Beyond the Reasons || JUSTIN FOLEY

One

PRESENT TIME
JUNIOR YEAR
IMOGEN'S POV

5 months.

It's been five months since Hannah killed herself. It's been five months since I lost Jeff. It's also been five months since I've seen Justin, who I can safely say is my ex boyfriend. It's also been five months since I've been to school. A lot has happened in these last five months. I told my father first about what Bryce did to me, and he sat with me, and let me cry for hours, and then we told my mom, and then I went to a rehabilitation center for girls who have been abused, sexually and/or physically.

Jessica and I did the program together.

It was nice to have her with me, because it really has brought us even closer than we were before. I know that the trial for my school vs The Bakers started, and I know I have to testify, my mom said that I don't have to if I don't want to, but I want to. I owe it to Hannah and to her parents to tell the entire truth about what happened.

Jessica and I also reconnected with Alex. 5 months ago, Alex tried to kill himself, by shooting himself in the head with one of his dad's guns. . but he survived. And I'm really glad that he did, because losing Hannah, Jeff, and Alex all in one year? I don't think I would've been able to handle that, and to lose Alex the same way I lost Hannah, by suicide? I couldn't take that.

My mom has been coddling me ever since I got back from the rehabilitation center, like she did two years ago, and I hate it even more now than I did before. I did get back on my antidepressants, since I have an actual diagnosis of clinical depression, my therapist thought it would be best for me to get back on that medication. Some days, it helps.

Other days, it feels pointless.

I heard Clay come home, and I heard my mom telling him that the trial was going forward. She already had this rundown with me, so I didn't need to hear this again, and even though Clay is barely home, we've also gotten closer. He visited me all the time, and so did Zach, Monty and Tony. I was really grateful to have all of them with me.

Monty and Zach came a lot of the time. Monty mainly came for me, because he and Jess were never close. Zach a lot of the time came for both of us. Jessica, Alex and I are all going back to school tomorrow. We've been texting about it in our group chat and we decided we were going to do it together, so we're all going. I don't know if I'm ready for sure, but I know with Alex and Jessica by my side, and Zach and Monty.

I know I can do it.

And then my phone started ringing, and it was Alex, and then he added Jessica so we were on a three-way call, because Alex had texted us and said he was talking to his dad about going back to school tomorrow with us. Well, we all talked to our parents today.

"Hey, what'd they say?" Jessica asked.

"I can go. What about you two?" Alex asked us.

"They don't like it. . but they said yes." I said. My mom just kept asking me over and over again if I was sure this was what I wanted to do, and I told her, I had to go back with Alex and Jess, I couldn't wait later and go back into that school alone like I did the last time.

"Same here." Jess said.

"This trial has me freaked out, you know, what have people been saying about us? What do they know?" Alex said, and honestly, I was thinking about that a lot too.

"We're gonna find out." Jess said.

"Jess. . Mimi. ." Alex trailed.

"Look, whatever happens. We're going to stick to the plan. Me and Jess don't remember what happened to us, just like you don't remember what happened to you." I said.