Post Death
Pre Death

WARNING : This Chapter contains mentions of Sexual Assault

The Jensen family sat at the breakfast table as Lainie questioned her son. "So, you didn't see Bryce after that? Over the summer, this fall?" Clay shook his head. "You had no contact with him at all?"

Clay looked up at Elizabeth and Justin who made eye contact with him, telling him to say no. "No. No contact at all." Clay looked down at his lap as he spoke.

"You never went over to his new house?" Lainie asked him. "Threatened him again."

"No."

"Can you think of any other reasons why the police would suspect you?"

"It's Mrs. Walker. She's out to get me." Clay tried to explain this to his parents earlier, but they had not understood. "You have to believe me. I didn't do anything."

'Clay, we believe you. We just.." Matt paused before finishing. "The more we know, the better we can protect you."

Clay shrugged. "There's nothing to know."

The Jensen parents shared a look before Lainie spoke again. "Dennis has agreed to represent you." Elizabeth's eyes widened as she listened to her mother. "He started out in the PD's office. He knows criminal defense."

"Hold up." Elizabeth put her hands up to pause the conversation. "Clay's not a criminal." Her brother nodded towards her. 

"We know." Matt nodded.

"We need to take action. We need to protect Clay." Lainie explained to her daughter.

"So, what- what can I do?" Clay stuttered as he spoke.

"Nothing." Lainie leaned onto the table. "Dennis was very clear about that."

"You don't want to give the police or Mrs. Walker anything they can use against you." Matt explained for his wife.

Lainie sighed before speaking. "And, we'd like you to see Dr. Ellman."

"Why?" Clay furrowed his eyebrows.

"Just to check in." Matt shrugged, before lifting his mug. "This is a tricky time. It might be useful to talk it through." He took a sip of his coffee.

"So, you think I'm, like, crazy?"

"We don't." Matt shook his head.

"Mental illness might come up." Lainie glanced up at her husband.

"We don't." Matt repeated. " We just thought it might be worth talking to him." He glanced up at the clock. "Right now, you three have to get to school."

The three left the kitchen and made their way into the shed. Elizabeth already had her backpack, but the boys had to get their things ready for school. "All I'm saying is your folks are doing the right thing." Justin spoke as he piled his things into his gym bag. "You need a lawyer even if you didn't do anything. Trust me."

"What's it like in juvie?"

"Clay, what the actual fuck?" Elizabeth groaned as she shook her head. "You're not going to juvie."

Clay's eyes widened in realization. "No, I'm an adult."

Justin sighed. "Clay, you just got to chill out a little bit. It's going to work out."

"Like it did for you?" Justin glanced up at Clay and cocked his head to the side. Clay started to turn to leave. "I have to go talk to Mrs. Walker."

"Why would you ever fucking do that?" Elizabeth frowned as she stopped her brother.

"At the sheriff's station the first time, I could tell her the truth to her face." Clay explained to his sister.

"Mom literally just told you to not do anything suspicious, and now you're going to talk to the woman who thinks you killed her son." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "What a great idea."

"Mom also thinks I'm a crazy person."

"Well, who knows? Thats a real fucking crazy idea, even for a crazy person."

Justin stood up, causing the Jensen twins to look at him and stop arguing. "I feel like you going to talk to Mrs. Walker right now kind of supports the theory of you being a crazy person, Clay."

"They're giving me a lawyer because they had to take action. That's what she said." Clay said to Justin. "Well, same for me."

Clay started to walk out the door. Elizabeth tried to follow him, but he slammed the door in her face. She turned to her boyfriend and took in a deep breath. "I'm going to fucking kill him. The police won't even be able to arrest him because he'll be dead."

"Eliza, he's going to be okay, alright?" Justin walked up to Elizabeth, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Just calm down."

"I can't fucking calm down because I'm worried about my brother." Elizabeth began to tear up as she pushed Justin away from her. "They can't do this to him. He did nothing wrong."

Justin shrugged. "They're the police. They can do whatever the fuck they want."

"Well, that's fucking stupid."

*

Elizabeth sat in the principals office next to her own guidance counselor, Mr. Porter, as the sheriff stood and listened. "Look, I know that you guys are just trying to get more evidence to use against my brother. My brother is innocent. He didn't drop anything."

"We'll be the ones to decide that." The sheriff spoke from the corner of the room.

The girl shrunk in her seat as Mr. Porter began to ask her questions. "So, Clay brought your boyfriend, Justin Foley, back to Evergreen against his will, yes?"

"No." Elizabeth scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Justin was homeless. He literally got him off the streets."

"He took revenge on Tyler, on Courtney-"

"He wanted people to finally own up to how they hurt Hannah."

"Did he want you to own up to hurting Hannah?"

"I already had."

"Clay acts out of emotion. He goes after people."

Elizabeth leaned towards Mr. Porter. "Look, Clay always tries to do the right thing. He doesn't go after people." She scoffed. "You know that, Mr. Porter, so I really don't understand why you're doing this to him." Mr. Porter did not respond. "You and I both know that Clay is a good person. And, he only acts out of emotions because he actually cares about people." She paused, waiting for Mr. Porter to say anything, but he said nothing. "Are done here?" She questioned the sheriff. He nodded, and Elizabeth left the room.

*

Tyler Down had asked Elizabeth to hang out with him in the dark room while some pictures developed because he did not want to be alone. Of course, Elizabeth said yes. She enjoyed Tyler's company. While they were in there, Clay entered the room to speak to Tyler about his conversation with Mr. Porter. "I just told them the truth." Tyler shrugged. "I mean, not the whole truth, but the truth. That you're a good person."

Clay smiled softly in response. "Thanks, Tyler."

"Yeah."

"How about you? How are you doing? Everything okay?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Why?" Tyler chuckled as he nodded.

"Look, I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately." Clay looked down at the ground as he spoke.

Elizabeth looked up at Tyler. "Clay, the cops are literally investigating you for Bryce's murder. I think Tyler understands." Tyler nodded, agreeing with Elizabeth.

"Yeah." Clay sighed. "Tyler, did Monty do something to you?" Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows.

Tyler's body position shifty uncomfortably. "What- What do you mean?" He stammered.

"I think you've been through something, and you haven't told anyone. Maybe last spring?"

"No." Tyler looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

"Tyler?" Elizabeth asked as she took his hand in hers, but Tyler pulled his hand away.

"I mean, no, not really." Tyler took in a deep breath, trying to hide the fact that he was clearly lying. "Who have you been talking to?"

Clay swallowed the lump in the back of his throat before speaking. "Mr. Porter noticed some things today. But, I've noticed some things, too." Tyler looked down at the ground, still trying to push his tears back. "You don't want anyone to touch you. You won't use the bathrooms. You wanted to die."

Tyler inhaled sharply, and tears finally started to run down his cheeks. "Tyler, what is it?" Elizabeth asked him.

"I- I can't." Tyler stuttered, "I can't."

"Okay, you don't have to." Clay nodded. Tyler sniffled, not able to make eye contact with either of the Jensen siblings. "But you can tell me."

"And me." Elizabeth sent Tyler a warm smile. "We both care about you so much, and at this point, you can always tell either of us anything."

The boy let out a couple sobs before breathing in deeply. "I was- I was in the bathroom when I got back from my diversion program." Tyler spoke very slowly as it was hard for him to speak. "Monty came in and he- He was mad about the field and he- he smashed my head on the mirror and on the sink." Elizabeth's eyes widened in awe as she listened to her friend speak. "And then, he and- uh- Tayler and Kenneth- they held my head in the toilet." Tyler's tears came rushing down his face. "And Monty- he got and mop, and he- He- He-" Tyler paused, shifting uncomfortably. "He pulled my pants down, and he put it in-" Tyler's voice broke. "In me." Elizabeth and Clay exchanged looks before returning their gaze back to Tyler. "And he pushed it in my hole, and- and in and out until I was bleeding, and they- they left me on the floor."

Elizabeth sighed as she looked down at the ground. "What the fuck?"

"Jesus, Tyler. I am so sorry that happened to you." Clay spoke to his friend. 

Elizabeth's gaze went back up to Tyler. "Would it be alright if I hugged you right now?" Tyler nodded, and Elizabeth pulled him into her arms. Tyler wrapped his arms around her, sobbing into her hair. "Hey, it's okay, Tyler." Elizabeth stated, running her hand through his hair.

Clay went to get Tyler a bottle of water, When he returned, Tyler was sitting in a chair, and Elizabeth was standing in front of him. "Thank you." Tyler responded before opening the water and taking a drink from it.

"Tyler, do you want to tell someone?" Clay asked his friend as he moved next to his sister. "An adult?"

Tyler swallowed harshly before answering. "I told Bryce."

"Bryce?" Elizabeth asked as she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, he came to see me a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to know what Monty did." Tyler explained to his friends. "I finally got up the guts to tell him, and he was shocked. He was actually upset, and he asked if I wanted his help." 

"Bryce offered to help?" Clay furrowed his eyebrows.

Tyler nodded as he took his phone from his backpack. "He left me a voicemail just before he died."

"Tyler, It's Bryce... Walker. Listen, that thing we talked about, I'm dealing with it. You're all good. Take care of yourself, man."

He put down his phone as soon as the message finished. "Tyler, if he went to Monty about this and threatened to turn him in.. We have to tell someone."

"No." Tyler shook his head frantically. "No, please. Clay, I can't."

"Yeah, of course." Elizabeth nodded. "You don't have to tell anyone until you're ready."

"But, please, ask for help when you need it." Clay spoke to Tyler. "Please?' Tyler nodded in response.

*

Elizabeth Jensen walked onto the football team to confront Montgomery De La Cruz. "Monty!" She shouted as she approached him and two other boys.

"Hey, sweetheart." Montgomery chuckled as he walked over to her. "Have they arrested your brother yet?"

"No, but maybe they should come after you." She frowned as she spoke.

"What does that even fucking mean?"

"Where were you after homecoming? Did you see Bryce?"

Montgomery scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I was with the boys all night. We got shit faced at Charlie's." He shrugged, smirking. "The Cops already checked into it. I'm all good, sweetheart, but maybe you should be asking your little boyfriend all this? You know him and Justin went at it that night, right?"

"You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about, Monty."

Montgomery laughed before he spoke again. "You think you know him, but he's playing you just like he played Bryce. He's been playing you all alone. It's what he does."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Justin shaves with electric right?"

"I think so." Elizabeth nodded.

"Then why does he have a can of shaving cream in his bag?" Montgomery smirked, sending Elizabeth a wink. "Maybe you should check that out, sweetheart."

"Stop calling me sweetheart."

"Oh, I'll call you whatever the hell I want." Montgomery left Elizabeth alone on the field.

*

The Jensen Family sat at the dinner table with Clay's lawyer, Dennis. "Well, they brought in Tyler, Jessica... Everyone." He spoke as he wrote on his notes in front of him.

"It's a dirty way to do it." Lainie shook her head.

"Mr. Porter said most people defended me." Clay said to his family. "He said he was trying to get them to say good things about me the whole time. Who knows if it's true."

"It's true." Justin nodded. "He kept trying to get me to get me angry at him, and then he smiled and nodded at me. I couldn't figure out why, but that's why."

Dennis sighed before speaking. "Look, they may have tried to defend you, Clay, but any statement they made about your history with Bryce can still be used against you. They're building a case against you, and they're moving fast, so we need to be talking next steps."

"What does that mean?" Elizabeth questioned Dennis, leaning forwards in her seat.

"Well, in the absence of another suspect, we need to focus on a strategy for Clay's defense."

Matt spoke up from next to Clay. "This is just to be prepared. That's all, Clay."

Clay shook his head. "Montgomery De La Cruz. They need to be looking at Monty." Elizabeth nodded in agreement with her brother. "He had something to do with it."

"Why do you think so?"

"Clay..." Elizabeth sent a glare towards her brother, telling him to not say anything.

Clay looked at his sister and then down at his lap. "I can't- I cam't say, but I know."

"Why can't you say?" Matt asked him, but Clay did not answer.

"Clay, if you know something about anyone who might be implicated in this, now is the time." Lainie spoke from across the table from her son.

Clay shook his head. "Someone did this. It wasn't me."

"Then who?" Dennis questioned, but Clay did not have an answer.

*

After their discussion at the kitchen table, Elizabeth walked into the shed where Clay was sitting on his bed. "Justin's taking a shower."

"I know."

Elizabeth walked straight passed her brother and kneeled on the ground next to Justin's bed. He pulled Justin's gym back out from under his bed and dug the can of shaving cream out from inside. She tried to pour some onto her hand, but nothing came out. She shook the bottle, and it rattled. "What the fuck?" Clay gasped as he moved behind his sister. Elizabeth took the top off to reveal a bottle of Oxycodone inside that were prescribed to Bryce Walker.

Rewritten
Word Count - 2550

An : I'm sorry that this is such a depressing chapter:(

Have a nice day, lovelies 💕