On his first day back at Liberty High, Justin Foley followed both Clay and Elizabeth Jensen into the high school. All of the students stopped and stared at him, gossiping amount themselves. "This is about me, isn't it?" Justin frowned as he looked at his two friends.

"Must be." Clay nodded. Elizabeth could tell Clay was hiding something. He always had been a horrible liar.

"Hey, did you not get any of my texts?" Sherri interrogated Clay as she approached him.

"My ringer must be off."

Clay's karma was instant as his phone suddenly began to ring. Clay sighed as he picked up his phone. "Skye?" His eyes widened as he put the phone up to his ear and walked away from the three.

"I would say welcome back, but it's pretty shitty timing." Sherri rolled her eyes as she glanced back over at Clay.

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows, not exactly sure what was going on. "What do you mean?"

"The tapes." Sherri responded as if the two were supposed to know what she meant.

"What about the tapes?" Justin asked Sherri, moving closer to Elizabeth.

"Did Clay not tell either one of you?" Sheri frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Maybe he doesn't even know."

"Please just tell us what the fuck your mean." Elizabeth snapped at her, trying to finally get some answers out of someone.

"The tapes are out. Someone posted them online. Everyone listened all last night."

"What?" Justin's eyes widened out of disbelief. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Yeah." Sherri nodded softly.

Justin ran his hand through his hair before approaching Clay. "Jensen, did you know about this?"

"Yeah- uh- I guess I- uh- kinda knew." Clay stuttered out, feeling trapped. Elizabeth frowned, knowing something was off with him. "I gotta go."

"Hey, Clay! Come back!" Justin called out to Clay. "Where the fuck are you going?" He sighed before turning back to Elizabeth.

"We're having a meeting today." Sherri spoke softly as she walked the two down the hall.

*

Justin Foley stood next to Bryce Walker's locker, waiting for him to notice him. Once he did, Justin approached him. "I heard your confession."

"You feeling okay, brother?" Bryce completely ignored what Justin had said. "You didn't look good the other day."

"You're going down, Bryce." Justin growled.

Bryce smirked, raising an eyebrow. "How do you see that happening, exactly? Without you going down with me?"

Justin stepped closer to Bryce, lowering his voice. "I will do what I have to to make you fucking pay."

"I'm not gonna pay for a goddamn thing, Justin." Bryce stated casually. "I've got a legal team working for me around the clock. I've got state fucking senators that will talk about what a fine citizen I am. What have you got?" Justin swallowed, never lowering his eyes from Bryce. "A junkie mom and a deadbeat dad?" Bryce chuckled. "Oh shit, that's right. You don't even know your dad, do you?"

Bryce's eyes wandered the hallway to find Elizabeth Jensen talking to Zach Dempsey at her locker. "And then there's the girl you love." Bryce smiled as he watched her. "Too bad her and your ex-best friend are totally fucking right now." Justin looked over at Elizabeth and Zach. "I mean, he is hotter than you and a better person." Bryce laughed, clapping Justin's shoulder. "If you think there is some fucking way that you will get her back, think again. She's too good for you. She's always been too good for you. You're just a piece of shit, Justin. Nobody's gonna listen to your truth. No one in this world gives a shit about you, especially not Elizabeth Jensen. You've got nothing and nobody."

Bryce put his bag on his back and left Justin alone. Justin was still staring at Elizabeth and Zach.

Elizabeth Jensen laughed as she pushed Zach Dempsey's shoulder. "You snuck into my room in the middle of the night and tripped on my bed."

"I thought it would be cute and romantic." Zach shrugged, smiling.

"Yeah." Elizabeth nodded. "Zach, I thought about everything you said."

"And?"

"I love you." She smiled. "But as a friend." Zach's expression faded as he looked at the ground. "And, maybe that will change, but for right now, Justin needs me."

Zach scoffed. "Yeah, Justin seems to always need you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest.

"He's trying to get you back, and you're letting him."

"Zach-"

Zach shook his head. "I know that you say that you won't get back together with him, but I know that's not true." He furrowed his eyebrows. "I've got to get to class." Elizabeth frowned as she watched her best friend leave her.

*

Elizabeth Jensen stood outside her house. She stared at the front door standing open and grabbed the baseball bat laying in her front yard before entering the house. Elizabeth looked around carefully as she walked up the stairs, her fingers gripping the bat tightly. Clay's door was standing open, and she saw Alex and Justin sitting on the ground.

"What the fuck?" She sighed, putting the bat down. Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair. "I thought there was an intruder."

"There was." Alex nodded, pointing to himself.

"What the hell happened?" Elizabeth moved farther into her brother's bedroom.

"Justin shot up on really fucking hard drugs, and then almost chocked on his own puke." Alex explained, reaching for his cane to help himself up. Elizabeth handed him the cane and helped him up herself. "I just wanted to wait to leave until someone else showed up."

"Yeah, thanks." Elizabeth nodded, her eyes locked on Justin. "I'll walk you out, Alex."

"Just letting you know. Clay's the one who leaked the tapes." Alex stated as he exited the room.

Elizabeth helped Alex down the stairs, and watched him leave. She made her way back up to Clay's bedroom and frowned. "What the fuck, Justin?" She exclaimed, kneeling in front of him. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking." Justin shook his head. "Bryce said that no one cared about me, and that you and Zach were sleeping together."

"I told you we were just friends." Elizabeth snapped at him quickly. "How could you believe Bryce over me?"

"Because I saw you guys!" Justin yelled back at her, a tear running down his cheek. "You were laughing together at your locker."

"I was telling him in that moment that we should stay friends." Elizabeth stood up, shaking her head. She began to pace around the room. "He wanted to get together, but I said no because of you."

"Because of me?"

"Because it's more important to me to help you right now."

"Eliza-"

"Don't believe everything you hear." Elizabeth scoffed.

"I know-" Justin nodded softly. "I don't know why I let him get to me."

"Bryce just has a way of getting to people." Elizabeth sighed as she sat down next to Justin. His head landed on her lap, and she, comfortingly, rubbed his back.

They sat like this for an hour until Clay arrived back at his house. Clay entered his bedroom, seeing Elizabeth and Justin sitting together. "What the fuck happened?"

"Justin shot up, and he choked on his own puke."

"What the fuck? I thought you were clean." Clay screamed at the two of them.

"Clay, lay off him." Elizabeth frowned as she continued looking down at Justin.

"What, so now you're defending him?" Clay retorted.

"Well, I'm not defending you." Elizabeth finally looked up at him. "What the hell were you thinking with the tapes? How do you think Jessica feels?"

"I was trying to get justice for Hannah." Clay explained to them, still frustrated with Justin. "I'm sorry if it hurt Jessica, but maybe it's time for her truth to come out, too."

Justin's head moved from Elizabeth's lap so he could look up at Clay. "Who gave you the right to decide when someone's truth comes out?" 

Clay nodded before sitting down in front of them. "Look, I've done everything I can to try and make things right." Clay paused as he looked straight at Justin. "But, I can't do it alone." Justin nodded slowly. "I'm sorry about the tapes, but it's gonna get worse before it gets better. I need you two."

*

"I'm leaving." Justin entered Elizabeth's room with a duffle bag.

"Not again." Elizabeth shook her head as she walked up to him, trying to take the bag from him but not succeeding.

"I'm going to see my mom."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "No." She pulled him into a hug. "Please, Justin, stay here. Stay with me."

"I have to."

"No you don't."

"You don't understand."

She could feel his breath hitching and she pulled away from the hug, looking into his eyes. "Maybe I don't, but you need to stay here."

"I made a mess." Justin shook his head, walking towards Elizabeth's window. "You're parents are mad at Clay now, and they hate me."

"They don't hate you. They're just frustrated. They don't know what to do." Elizabeth grabbed onto his hand, trying to keep him from exiting out the window.

"Eliza, just let me go. I need to see my mom." Elizabeth stared into his eyes, remembering how they were the first thing she had fallen in love with.

Elizabeth frowned, shaking her head. "I don't want you to leave."

Justin looked down at the ground and then back up at Elizabeth. He cupped her cheeks with his hands. "Please. I need to go."

"You don't have to. You can stay here. I need you here."

The girl glanced down at Justin's lips. She pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back, removing his hands from her cheeks. "I have too, 'Liza."She nodded slowly, letting him go. "Please, don't tell Clay."