My Way To You [2] 🍀

22 - Zach Dempsey

Zach's POV

"I try not to be a victim but it's a tough line to walk." The Baker's lawyer is asking questions now. Mom is sitting and looking over at me. I see Lara sneak in and sit at the back.

It's good to have her here. The support means alot. "So the bullying you just mentioned. Do you feel pressured to join in when it's happening?" I nod my head. The constant fwlling of fitting in.

"Yes sir." This seems like pretty straightforward questions about the bullying at school. I don't want to mention Lara's name in this. I know she doesn't always mean to. She has a good heart. Like me.

"What types of bullying?" I lean forward trying to find the right words to describe it. I look at Lara. I know what I'm about to say will reflect on her relationship. "Well sometimes it's obvious and sometimes it's not. Sometimes a kid gets roughed up but alot of the times though it's just stuff that people say. Especially athletes. "

Mom looks proud and Lara looks uncomfortable. I don't want to put her where she has to choose between her friends and her boyfriend. She'll choose him in a heartbeat.

"What type of stuff do you say?" This leaves my mouth dry. I feel uncomfortable and I don't know what would be the right answer. "We brag about things we do with girls even when it's not true. Sometimes they can get around."

The lawyer looks triggered by this he steps forward. "Whose saying these things ?" I look back at our lawyer. He nods his head with a smile. "Lots of kids."

The schools lawyer gets up. Her turn. I know that things are going to,start get tough. It always does with her. "Zach isn't it true that Hannah reached out to you to about her feelings ?" I nod my head. Fold my hands infront of me and answer yes.

"She did it in a note right ? That was not anonymous?" I rub my thumbs together and look up at her. "Yes she wrote me a letter explaining how she felt. That she felt alone and worthless."

The lawyer leans against her desk. Folding her arms over her chest. "Isn't it true that you told no one at school about this ?" I feel the guilt washing over me. I should've said something.

"No I didn't." She stands back up and turns towards the jury. "But you did reach out to her off campus right ?" This makes me thing of our summer.

Thousands of memories floating into my mind. "The summer after sophomore year? The summer afyer the note?" I nod my head. My voice is shaking but I try to stay calm. "Yes"

The lawyer turn back towards me. She looks ready to take her prey done. "Isn't it true that you saw her more than once that summer ?" This is getting really uncomfortable. I look over to Lara. She holds a thumbs up with a gentle smile.

"Yes" The lawyer is getting comfortable with me. She can see what freaks me out the most. "Did her parents know ?" I look over at her parents. They looked really shocked. "No to my knowledgeher parentsnever found out."

The lawyer once again turns towards the jury looks at me and back at them. "So,you told no one about this ? Were you ashamed of Hannah?" I look over at Lara to see if she was okay with my next few answers.

She nods and smiles at me. I swallow the lump in my throat. "No that's not true. I told someone close to me. My best friend." The lawyer walks closer to me. "Who's that?" My mom looks shocked at all this information.

I can't blame her for it. "Lara. Lara Hastings." The lawyer nods and moves away back to the jury. "Why Hannah?" I knew I had to talk about my dad now. It brought painful memories back. "It was the summer my dad died. I wanted to talk with someone and she was there for me."

The lawyer looks at me again. Raising her eyebrow. "Why not talk with your best friend ? You told her about Hannah why not talk to her about your dad ?" My answer is going to sound so shitty. Lara is going to feel guilt.

"She spent summer with her boyfriend." I see the guilt flashing through her eyes. She is hurt. My mom is hurt. The Baker's is hurt. "Where you and Hannah ever more than friends ?"

The memories flash back before me.

We were all hanging out at Bryce's. Lara was in the pool with me. Monty busy playing football with the others. "Can I ask you something?"

She laughs and gets closer. Grabs a pool tube. She wraps her legs around it so that it keeps her up without her making effort. "You know about me and Hannah. Well .. I .. I .. want.. to lose my virginity to her."

The last part I rumble off quickly. She starys laughing at me. "Your asking me sex advice right now?" Nodding my head she starts to laugh more. I was about to get out but she stopped me. "No Zach don't leave. I'm sorry. But quick question. How many guys do you think I've slept with ?"

I look at her. Well she is really beautiful and I'll admit it she's sexy as hell. I heard Bryce said that she is rough in bed. Monty has the marks to show it. " I don't know. Three maybe ?"

I state it more like a question. I see her mouth falls open. She throws the pool tube at me. "One Dempsey only one ever." That I didn't expect at all. I look over at Monty.

Back at her. "Monty ? You lost your virginity to him?" She gives me a sarcastic answer and I swim closer. "Sorry I didn't mean disrespect or anything like that. I just didn't know."

She laughs and gets out of the pool. "Don't worry but that's way I'm saying ask Justin or Bryce about this. I don't have alot of experience."

"Zach were you ever more than friends ?" The lawyers voice brings me back. I look back at Lara. She nods and I feel the words slip out of my mouth.

"Yes. We were. We took each other's virginity."