☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

°•. ┊ Delicate┊.•°
✧ ˚ ━ that meteor strike, act one

CHAPTER THREE — tape 2, side a

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Now

Tony is sending me updates about Clay's progress through the tapes and I'm just gonna say it, this kid is taking forever. Most of the people who listened finished them in one night, some listened more than once. I get that it's hard to listen to, I mean it's words from a dead girl, but still at some point in the tapes you have to get hooked and want to hear the rest. Justin's still not at school, so he's continuing to hide at Bryce's. What is his deal? If he doesn't start showing up and acting like life is normal, then there's gonna be real issues. Such as the school calling the cops due to his continued absence, which will probably send his mom's meth head of a boyfriend, Seth, on a rampage and J will be screwed once again. I get that life is shit and school is the last place any of us want to be, but for fucks sake grow a set and do what the rest of us do, pretend as though nothing is wrong and scream into your pillow or punch a wall when you get home. I get through two classes before Dempsey is at my side with a request. "Can you go talk to Justin, please. I know it's the worst favor in the world, but he won't listen to anyone except for you. Coach is livid because he missed the pep rally the other day and multiple practices, Jess is on him, and he still won't come back. And I know you. You can't look me in the eyes and tell me you're not the least bit worried." I hate him. He's right and I hate it.

"Fine, but you owe me dickhead." I turn on my heels and head towards the doors that lead to the parking lot.

"Awe, love you too!" He yells as I'm half way down the hall. I just flip him off and exit hell. I make my way to Bryce's house.

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Hot or Not List

Sitting in class and a paper gets tossed on my desk. It's too early for this crap. I open it and regret it immediately. The hot or not list. I got best face, which is probably better than most of the others on there, but it's a disgusting concept. Teenage boys are pigs. Mack grabs the paper from my hands and reads it herself. She scoffs and tosses it in the trash behind her. Of course some guy got up and pulled it out, to continue to pass it around. I just brushed it off because it didn't matter and it wasn't gonna cause any commotion for me, unlike girls who got put under other categories. I walked to lunch and saw Jeff, he waved me over and I sat across from him and next to Scott. "What's up, dorks." I greet.

"Well, we're just honored to be sitting with the girl with the best face in school." Atkins teases. I shoot him a warning look, which doesn't stop him. "I mean with a face like that you could have sat with anyone and you chose us, we are extremely lucky." He and Scott laugh.

"Congrats by the way." Scott adds.

"You're lucky I'm not stabbing you with my fork, douche. Enough with the stupid list already. I hate it and really couldn't care less." I tell them. We spend the rest of lunch getting excited for baseball season and they slipped in a few 'best face' jokes along the way. While the list didn't cause problems for me, I found later that it definitely caused some for Hannah and Jessica.

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Now

I decide to avoid any interference by going right around to the backyard. The pool house enters my sight and I hesitate. Do I seriously want to do this? It's not my problem, right? We're not together. It's Jessica's problem. Then again, I am genuinely worried about him. Ah fuck it. I entered the pool house and see Justin, on the couch, a beer in hand, surrounded by a disgusting mess and playing some video game.

"So, this is your hideout. Grosser than I imagined. And a lot less secretive." I tell him entering and setting my phone on the kitchen counter.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, sitting up straighter and attempting to sound annoyed. He failed.

"Well, in one hundred percent honesty, Zach sent me. But I was still worried about you. Jess is worried." I said cautiously.

"Believe me, I fucking know." He snaps at me. I raise my brow, stunned a little. Justin noticed and sighed. "Sorry, I'm not mad at you or at the fact that you're here. At least you didn't come in here yelling at me. I just, I wish she would back the fuck off. If I'm ignoring her calls and texts, you'd think she would get the hint. I just need some space." He explains. I move to sit on the table in front of him.

"Did you attempt to tell her that you need space or time for yourself with everything going on right now? Or did you simply ignore her? Because as a girl, we'd rather be told straight up what's going on, so that we don't freak out. And most girls understand and would respect your wishes and would also respect that you told them what was going on, instead of blowing them off." I told him.

"I just ignored her. I see your point, but again, wouldn't most people get the hint. I mean you did. You asked where I was once and then left me alone." Justin argued.

"True, but in all fairness I was asking on behalf of Jessica and I truly didn't care where you were a couple of days ago." I laughed lightly. He smiled and took a sip of his beer. "It's not even noon, J." I scold him.

"It is somewhere." I roll my eyes and we just sit there, not talking. It takes me back to that night in my room. I smile a little at the thought. "What are you smiling about?" Justin asks.

"That night that you came over after the whole picture incident and we sat like this, in silence, comfortable silence." I answered. Justin looked at me and then down at the drink in his hand and smiled.

"Yeah, I remember. I also remember the conversation between you and Abbie, after Zach asked her out." We both start laughing. "And you fell asleep during Iron Man 3. That's like one of your favorite Marvel movies and you fell asleep during it. I was shocked." We just looked at one another, smiling. He got a genuine smile out of me. That hasn't happened in a long time. "I need to tell you something..." And there goes my smile. The serious tone of his voice concerned me. Justin stood up and started to pace behind the couch. "I- I just need you to promise not to hate me after I tell you. Okay? Because if you hate me, god Evangeline, I can't have you hate me. Not anymore than you already do."

"I don't hate you." This stops his pacing and he looks at me. Now, he's hesitating. Wondering whether or not to continue telling me what he wants. I see him debating it in his mind. "Justin, just tell me. Whatever it is, it can't make me hate you. At this point, I don't think I'm capable of hating you." He scoffs and dryly laughs.

"Don't be so sure. Okay. Um, when Hannah died. She left these tapes and each one has a different person on it and what they did to hurt her, ultimately what part they took in causing her life to end. And I did something, fuck, I did something terrible." I stopped him. He didn't have to say the words. I already know.

"Justin I-"

"No, just listen to me, please. I-" This time I grab his shoulders. I force him to look at me and to stop fidgeting.

"Justin! I already know." I confess.

"What? H-How? What the fuck do you mean you know? What do you know?" He asks like 5 questions.

"I know about the tapes. I listened to them. Hannah entrusted two people with the copies of the tapes. I'm one of them. I know what you did. I know what you all did." I explain, wondering what he would say.

"You know." He lets out a sigh of what seems like relief. "I'm so fucking glad that you know. I can't tell you how close I was to telling you when I first got the tapes or that day in your car. I just needed someone who wasn't on them to know and I don't trust anyone, but you. Wait, how don't you hate me? I hate me."

"I get it. I get the situation. Am I pissed off at you? Yeah. But I was there, J. I sat with you on the floor of that hallway, while you cried about something that you wouldn't or couldn't tell me. And as much as you could've stopped it, or Hannah, I could've too. I saw what it did to you, to know what was happening behind that door and feeling powerless." I wipe the few fallen tears from his face and rest my hand on his cheek. "It's okay. I've got you. It's gonna be okay." And that was it he was in my arms, sobbing. We stay like that for a while. Until I have to leave and help Sage and Sheri with something for cheer. "You know where I'm at for most of my life, school, home, and sometimes Monet's. Call me, text me, whatever you need, I'm here. Got it?" I tell him.

"Yes, ma'am." He salutes me and we both laugh. I turn towards the door when it opens to reveal Bryce, Alex, Zach, and Monty. "What's up, guys." Justin greets them.

"Hey, Ang, you staying for a bit?" Bryce asks. I tense when he says my name.

"Uh no, I have to get to the school and help Sheri with something for cheer. See you guys tomorrow though." There were some protests from everyone, but eventually they gave and let me leave. Sheri and Sage needed my help with the new mats we got. Great. When we were done with moving those, I genuinely couldn't feel my legs. I don't even know how I drove home, muscle memory I guess. I got in bed and knew that my whole body was in for a lot of pain when I woke up. My phone went off, I assumed it was Sage or Mack, maybe Justin, but it was none other than Clay Jensen;

I was drunk. Very drunk when I got home tonight. Bryce, Justin, and the rest of the guys made me chug a 40. I think I'm still a little buzzed. What the fuck.

I laugh to myself at the idea of a drunken Clay, but mentally scold Justin and Zach for acting like total tools. I respond;

Sleep it off Jensen. We can talk tomorrow if you really want lol. Try not to die.

And with that I was out like a light. The day was more eventful than the rest.

[word count: 1860]