Post Death
Pre Death

Clay and Elizabeth Jensen had decided to wait to discuss the Oxycodone with Justin Foley until the morning and that Elizabeth would be the one to do it. Clay had taken a shower, but Justin was still sleeping. The girl sat on Clay's bed, staring at the prescription bottle in her hands, wondering how she could have let this happen to Justin. She thought he was clean.

Justin rolled over and opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw his girlfriend, but it soon faded when he noticed the sad expression on her face. "Babe, what's the-"

"What the fuck is this?" Elizabeth held up the bottle.

"Did Clay go through my stuff?" Justin looked pissed off as he sat up.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I did." She let out a scoff before speaking again. "But, you don't really get to be upset. You just to tell me why the fuck you have an Oxy prescription in the name of Bryce Walker hidden in your shaving cream bottle."

"How'd you even know."

"You use electric."

"Fuck."

"Are you fucking using again?"

Justin's eyes widened. "No."

Elizabeth frowned. "I don't know if I believe you, Justin."

"Eliza, I'm not. I swear."

The girl looked back down at the ground and shook her head. "You told me that the last time you saw Bryce was at the end of summer. But this," she pointed to the date on the bottle, "is from a month ago. Why'd you fucking lie to me? Did he sell these to you?"

Justin sat up on his knees to look her in the eye. "Babe, you've got it all wrong."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Then please, enlighten me. Where the fuck did you get these?"

"At the Chatham House." Justin grabbed a shirt from his floor as he answered her. "At the funeral."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not." Justin stood up and took a hold of his girlfriend's hands. "It was when I told you I was going to the bathroom, but it was just that once." Justin could tell that Elizabeth was not believing him, and he sighed. "It was just that day. Bryce was dead, and I was all fucked up. And I just went to look for a place to chill, and suddenly, I was in Bryce's room, and it was fucking with my head. I just felt empty and messed up and alone."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You weren't alone. You had me."

"I know." Justin nodded. "But, you've always fucking hated Bryce, and I didn't want to burden you."

The girl sighed. "It was only that one time?"

"Yeah. I fucked up, okay?" Justin took in a deep breath before he spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm really fucking sorry, 'Liza."

"I know." She nodded.

"Just please don't tell your folks. 

*

When the boys had finished getting ready for school, the trio made their way into the house for breakfast, where they saw their parents and Clay's lawyer, Dennis, sitting at the table. "What happened?" Clay asked his parents.

"Clay, honey, sit down." Lainie spoke from the table.

"I don't want to sit down."

The Jensen parents looked over at Dennis, and he sighed before speaking. "You've officially been named a person of interested by the sheriff. He held a press conference this morning."

"A press conference?" Clay asked as he glanced over at his sister, who's mouth was open from her surprise.

"What does that mean? 'A person of interest'?" Justin questioned. "What the fuck is that?"

Matt spoke up from his seat. "Character assassination is what it is."

"It's a tactic." Dennis spoke over Clay's father.

"It means nothing legally." Lainie tried to explain to her son.

Elizabeth shook her head. "It doesn't feel like nothing. It feels like they're trying to arrest my brother."

"They can't arrest Clay. They don't have enough." Dennis stated. "So they try to put public pressure on him. They don't have the evidence to call him a suspect, but they want him scared."

Clay shrugged. "Well done, then."

"Maybe it's best if you boys stay home from school today." Matt stated, glancing over at his wife who was sitting next to him.

"No. No way. We're not doing that."

Clay began to move towards the door, but Justin stopped him. "Clay."

"Maybe you should stay home, Clay." Elizabeth spoke to her brother.

The boy turned to face Justin. "You two can stay home."

"No" The girl shook her head. "Not unless you do."

"We've got your back." Justin moved next to his girlfriend. "That's what we do."

Clay nodded before turning around. "Let's get a coffee on the way and talk."

*

Clay and Elizabeth sat at a table in Monet's as Justin went up to order their coffee. The two were both staring at their phones, Elizabeth reading an article about her brother, and Clay trying to do anything to distract himself. A man approached their table and pointed to an empty seat. "Taken?"

Clay slowly looked up at him. "Knock yourself out."

"Yeah, I should hope not." The man chuckled as he sat down. "Coffee's supposed to do the opposite of that, right?" The two nodded before looking back at their phones. "No school today?" The man asked them before he took a sip of his coffee.

Elizabeth looked up at the man, furrowing her eyebrows wondering why he was so fucking nosey. "It starts in half an hour." Clay answered his question.

"I'm surprised you're going." The man stated, leaning closer towards the Jensen siblings.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, scoffing.

The man scooted into the seat next to Clay. He turned on a recording device he had in a hand. "After the police named you a person of interest in Bryce Walker's murder. How does that feel?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Elizabeth questioned the man.

"Austin James." He answered. "I write for the Evergreen County Register. Just want to chat about the case."

Justin approached the table with a tray of coffee's in his hands. "Hey, get the fuck out."

Austin shrugged. "Just enjoying a cup of coffee."

Elizabeth stood up from her seat. "Then we'll get the fuck out."

"If you come in here again, I'll see to it that your coffee is pissed in." Justin spat as he moved next to his girlfriend.

"So, thank you very much for ruining our day." Elizabeth said as her brother stood up.

The trio began to walk out of Monet's. "Thanks for the save." Clay sighed as he spoke.

"Yeah, what a dick." Justin groaned.

*

Clay and Elizabeth were walking to a class when Ani ran up to them. "Guys, Justin was lying to you." Clay had told Ani everything that Justin had said to Elizabeth that morning.

"Why the fuck would you say that?" Elizabeth looked over at her friend.

"He told you he stole a bottle after the funeral? Just a one-off?"

"Yeah, just a one time relapse." Clay nodded. "He said he found the pills in Bryce's bedroom during the wake."

"He's lying." Ani stated. "After the police found Bryce's steroid stash at the crime scene, they swept his room clean."

Elizabeth stopped walking. "Wait, what?" Her eyes widened. "Fuck."

*

When school had finished, Ani, Clay, Justin, and Elizabeth went to Monet's. The four were sitting at a table. "So, the oxy that you found in Bryce's room," Ani started, "where exactly did you find it?"

Justin crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat. "It was- uh- in his medicine cabinet in the bathroom."

"Lies are harder to remember than the truth, aren't they?" Ani stated. Elizabeth was staring at the table, not wanting to look over at her boyfriend. "I cleaned that bathroom out myself. You didn't find anything."

Justin let out a scoff before looking over at his girlfriend. "You believe me, right, Eliza?" Elizabeth couldn't answer him. She felt as if she couldn't move.

"Was he selling?" Clay questioned the boy sitting across from him. "And did you owe him money?"

He shook his head. "Why would I kill Bryce after he saved Eliza's fucking life?"

Elizabeth finally looked up from her lap. "Uh, that never happened."

"Yes, it did."

Justin Foley handed a customer a box of muffins before turning to start an espresso shot. "Extra hot, please." Justin turned back to the register to help the next person, but saw his mother's ex-boyfriend, Seth, standing there. "I like it when it burns."

He looked around before leaning on the counter. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I just got out of County." Seth shrugged. "I had four long months to think about all the money you owe me."

Justin shook his head. "I don't owe you shit." He turned back to grab some coffee mugs.

Seth walked around the counter and grabbed onto Justin's arm. "Either you pay me or you work."

"No, I'm not doing that."

"Then pay me." Seth showed Justin the gun that was in the waistline of his pants. "Or, your pretty little girlfriend is going to get pretty fucking hurt."

Justin nodded as he looked down at the gun. "Can we not do this here?"

"You meet me out back in five."

*

Justin began to sell drugs for Seth to pay off his debt, but would take some of the drugs for himself some of the time. He sat in a chair behind Monet's smoking. He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes, when he felt a gun grass against his head. He jumped as his eyes opened to see Seth standing behind him. "Rookie fucking mistake. Did you really think my customers wouldn't notice you skimming off the top?" Seth turned the chair to face him as he kept his gun pointed at Justin's head.

"Fuck, Seth." Justin put his hands up in defense. "Let me explain."

"No, shut up! I don't want to hear any of your bullshit excuses, Justin." Seth grabbed onto Justin's shirt and threw him up against a wall. He put the gun up to Justin's neck. "I tried to gave you the chance to work off your debt. Now I just want my fucking money." Justin nodded frantically. "I want two thousand. For what you owe and what you stole. And I want it tomorrow or I'm going to blow your girlfriend's brains out."

"I can't- I can't get it that fast."

"No?" Seth smirked. "Then maybe you're going to have to ask your new rich family for help. Or maybe I will."

"No, don't do that. I'll do it."

"Yeah, you will."

Sirens started blaring as a police car showed up in the alleyway. Seth threw Justin down and ran out, leaving Justin alone for the police.

*

A police officer was bringing Justin, who was in handcuffs, into the waiting room of the station to meet Bryce Walker. The officer removed the handcuffs and left as Bryce approached him. Justin sighed. "Thank you."

"Yeah." Bryce nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "You okay?" Justin nodded as he stuck his hands in his pocket, but Bryce did not believe him. "My lawyer made it all go away. I mean, they only had you for a misdemeanor anyway," Bryce hushed his voice as he stepped closer towards Justin, "because apparently you smoked it all before they got there." Justin looked down at the ground. "They didn't call your mom?"

Justin shrugged. "They tried. She's long gone."

"Yeah, right." Bryce nodded. "You're with the Jensens now."

"The cops didn't know that."

"Right."

"Can you-" Justin felt a little uncomfortable. "Could you give me a ride home?"

"Yeah, man. Of course." Bryce looked around before speaking. "Hey, listen. The deputy told my lawyer that Seth is back in town. Are you caught up with him?" Justin's silence spoke for itself. "Justin.."

"I can handle it."

"Okay." The boy nodded. "But you know I'm here for you, right? For anything."

"Yeah, I know." Justin scratched the back of his neck.

Bryce touched Justin's shoulder lightly. "I'm your brother forever no matter what."

*

The next day, Bryce and Justin approached Seth behind Monet's. "Who the fuck is Abercombie?" Seth laughed.

"He's my friend."

"I know you from somewhere?" Seth questioned Bryce.

"No, you don't." Justin shook his head. "He's got the money. Can we just get this done already?"

"Okay, let's see it."

Bryce pulled a small envelope out from his back pocket. "This is five thousand. To cover Justin's debt and to make sure that you leave him alone for good."

Seth stepped closer towards Bryce. "And what are koi going to do if I don't?"

"Then I guess you're going to have to find out how good of a friend I really am." Bryce stated, moving closer to Seth as well.

"You're that rapist kid, aren't you? I thought I recognized you. That is some fucked up shit you did." Seth said as he chuckled.

"Yup, that's me. Fucked up." Bryce shrugged. "And my life is pretty fucked up, too. Which means I have no problem dedicating whatever's left of it to ruining yours." Seth scoffed nervously. "So, what's it gonna be?" Seth took the envelope and left the boys. They made their way into Monet's and sat down at a table. "Can I asked you a question? Are you just smoking it, or are you shooting it too?"

Justin frowned as he looked down at his lap. "Yeah, both."

"Fuck, Justin." Bryce sighed. "That shit will kill you dead. One shot you get something that's too strong or fucking fentanyl or some shit-"

"What, are you going to to teach me now?" Justin questioned, cutting Bryce off.

"No, no of course not. But I don't want you to die, and I know that neither does Eliza." Justin sighed in response.

Bryce reached into his pocket and pulled out a prescription of Oxycodone. He passed it to Justin under the table. Justin looked down at the bottle and furrowed his eyebrows. "You take this shit?"

"I don't, no." Bryce shook his head. "It makes me puke like a fire hose."

"Fire hoses don't puke per se."

"Shut the fuck up." Bryce chuckled. "I got it when I twisted my ankle. Take that shit instead, okay? Tapper off it if you can. Don't fucking die."

"Bryce had my back." Justin sighed as he spoke. "If it wasn't for him, Seth-" Justin looked over at Elizabeth. "He would have killed you." She nodded before looking back down at her lap.

"Did you ever see him again?" Clay questioned Justin. "Bryce?"

Justin licked his lips as he shook his head. "It was just a one time thing." Justin looked down at the table. "I tried to avoid him at the homecoming game. I just- I couldn't face him."

Clay sighed. "So, you have no idea how he died?"

Justin reached into his backpack and took out his phone. "Seth sent me a text on the day they found his body." He put the phone in the center of the table so everyone could see the text. The text read, 'I'm coming for you next.' "I didn't kill Bryce, but I think I might be the reason he is dead."

Clay moved forward in his seat. "So, you really believe that Seth killed Bryce?"

"I don't know, maybe." Justin shrugged, "It could be that he- he did." Justin paused and looked clay right in the eye. "It could be we make the cops think that he did. Either way, I know where to start."

Rewritten
Word Count - 2592

An : this is such a long chapter omg.  It was either this or a pretty short chapter, so I just decided to make it long :/ also, it's a pretty sad chapter for Eliza...

Anyways, please vote and comment what you want to see happen in future chapters.

Have a nice day, lovelies 💕💕