CHAPTER ONE || THE FIRST POLAROID

IT HAD BEEN FIVE MONTHS since Hannah Baker killed herself. And the trial had finally begun. Five months of anxiety fuelled panic swirling through Lana's stomach as she hid from the truth.

She'd convinced herself she was over it, Over the grief. Over the horrors that hide in the walls of Liberty highschool. And once the trial was done, So was she. She'd promised herself she wouldn't think of it again.

She'd spent the past five months avoiding the Tapes, Avoiding everything that had followed. And luckily, She wasn't on the tapes. She wasn't questioned. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long.

Burying secrets was a dangerous game, A game that was almost certain to be followed with Anger and heart break. Yet Lana was willing, She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her secrets safe.

"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to think about Bryce" Lana confirmed as she walked through the corridor beside her two best friends; Martha becks and Bree Dawson.

"You know Alex is back right? So is Jessica" Bree revealed Causing a flood of memories to fill Lana's mind. The couple walking beside Lana had become what some would refer to as Lana's Spy's. Filling her in about the trial, and the group of teens she was avoiding.

"Let's stick to the schools fucked up rule." Lana shrugged trying to forget the demons that haunted the corridors she was walking through. But the demons didn't just stop at the school the prowled the outside hunting for victims.

"Don't act like that rule even works- gossip spreads through this school faster than Usain bolt" Martha scoffed shaking her head. The rule. The rule that had stumped most students. A rule that further added stigma to the word suicide.

Students are not allowed to talk or discuss suicide, Hannah baker or the attempted suicide of Alex standall. Any student found discussing these topics on campus will be suspended. That was the rule that had been reinforced since the news about Alex had been released.

"I know. But i'd rather stay out of it. Let Alex heal on his own" Lana shrugged playing with the sleeves of her brown zip up jumper as she Followed the couple in-front of her into class.

As Lana entered the classroom her throat instantly grew dry as she caught a glimpse of Alex and Clay sat beside eachother in the front row. The anxiety that seemed to be a constant battle in her mind finding it's way to her stomach causing a wave of nausea to flood through her body.

at least bryce wasn't there. That's what she told herself as she took a breath following her two best friends further into the class room before finding her seat... Which so happened to be right beside Clay. The boy she'd agreed to meet for Coffee after school... Work on the assignment that hadn't even crossed her mind.

As Lana sat down Clay's eyes flickered toward her, Watching the short brunette open her Note book. Her eyes focused on the front of class, Not daring to look over at the two boys on her right.

Lana tried to focus on the words falling from the teachers lips as Class begun, But the conversation between the two boys beside her invaded her eardrums, forcing her to hear about Alex's Note. She couldn't escape it, She couldn't escape the clouds of grief and trauma that lingered over her.

*****

"Jess! Hey Jess!" A familiar voice Flooded Lana's ears as she walked Out of the school, A familiar voice that triggered a ghost of touches down her spine that made her sick. Yet her head Jerked in the direction of the voice.

"Welcome back" The same voice pierced her ears as she caught sight of Bryce walker. The sickening boy talking to Jessica Davis. Lana tried to fight against the screams in the back of her mind, Screams that urged her to surge forward, Pull Jessica away. Yet the second she saw Bryce's hand extended toward Jessica The screams became overwhelming.

"Jess! I was just looking for you" Lana spoke her cold eyes Glued to the pathetic excuse of a human that stood before Jessica as she approached the pair. The look in Jessica's eyes relaxing to one of Relief as she Saw Lana, A girl she used to be close with.

"Keep on moving Walker." Lana offered a sarcastic smile to the blonde boy as she fought every urge in her body screaming at her to attack him. Lana's hand found it's way to Jessica's back as she led the girl away, Saving her from the beyond unnerving conversation.

Jessica's eyes met Lana's as she led her away, A look of thanks prominent in Jessica's eyes as she wondered why Lana had bothered to even help. They'd been friends, Close friends, Yet in the months leading to Hannah bakers death Lana had gone awol. Cutting off anyone she associated with aside from Martha and Bree.

"Thank you" Jessica nodded, Her voice soft, Weaker than Lana had remembered. The rumours Bryce had spread through the school slowly breaking Jess with every snide remark thrown her way.

"Don't sweat it. Just get home safe" Lana nodded, The voices in her head now contradicting the screams that still echoed. She'd just opened another line of communication throughout the teens. First Clay, Now Jessica. but that didn't mean Secrets had to come out, right?

*****

The Roman Empire is a topic thought about by many, A topic that lingers in the mind leaving many unanswered questions. As Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius said 'Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars and you'll see yourself running with them'

Lana sat opposite Clay in Monet's cafe, staring blankly at her computer screen trying to figure out what to write, What she could write to keep the topic of conversation between herself and Clay strictly on the Assignment. Yet she'd barely paid enough attention in a single history class to write more than a page.

"Lana what do you know about Scott Reid?" Lana's body seized at the question Clay asked, Her eyes falling from her computer screen as she looked across to him.

"the baseball player?" She questioned, as if trying to act like she wasn't sure who he was. But she knew. She knew he was friends with Bryce, He went to Bryce's parties. And just knowing that was Enough for her not to like him.

Clay nodded as he searched Lana's eyes for any indication that she knew more than she was letting on as he waited for her answer.

"I know he's friends with Bryce, Probably Zach too. Why?" She shrugged off the question her eyes returning to her computer screen.

"Nothing... Nothing. Just asking" Clay nodded his anxious exterior returning as Lana studied his closed off body language as her eyes met his once again and she asked; "are you okay?"

"yeah" he nodded brushing off her question as she stared at him narrow eyed raising a brow. Something was off, Yet she shook her head trying to put it down to the trial.

"Then let's get this done" She nodded toward her computer jogging Clays memory as to why they were in the cafe in the first place. He nodded his eyes widening as he leant forward shifting his chair closer to Lana's as the two began working on the assignment.

He seemed distant, Even more distant than usual. He normally held the conversation, Normally initiated them but he couldn't. The way he'd asked to study contradicted way he'd been acting since they arrived at the Cafe. His mind was elsewhere, But so was Lana's so who was she to Judge.