The Tapes; A 13 Reasons Why Fanfiction

And Then the Hurricane Hit

Y/n's POV

"Hey," I greet Zach and lean up to press a kiss to his lips. "What's going on? Your text sounded urgent."

"Clay didn't make it home last night," Zach told me.

I frowned. "What?"

"He fled," Zach reiterated. "Justin called me a few minutes ago to tell me. I guess he didn't come home last night, and he wasn't in bed this morning. He's gone." 

"That's crazy," I comment as the two of us entered the gymnasium to take a seat on the bleachers. "I mean, innocent people don't run, and Clay is innocent. He has to be." 

Today, Jess was going to be giving a speech. Principal Bolan wanted the football teams from both schools, Liberty High and Hillcrest, to come together so that Jess could apologize for the riot she caused on the night of the Homecoming game. He also wanted anyone who was involved in the fight after the riot to be here, and since I was on the field helping Zach, I was included.

"Welcome, everyone," Principal Bolan started. "I'd like to give a very special welcome to our guests from Hillcrest. We would like this to be a time to come together. The interruption of our Homecoming game inflamed feelings on all sides, and it was followed a few days later by the news of the tragic death of a former Liberty and recent Hillcrest student, Bryce Walker. Now, I've spoken at length with the student leadership, and Hillcrest administrators. We agreed that it was time to bring our schools together for a day of accountability and healing, and with that in mind Jessica Davis, student body president and organizer of the protest, would like to offer a few words." 

"Thank you, Principal Bolan. You're absolutely right that at times like these, people need to be held accountable for their mistakes, and after something traumatic happens, it's important to focus on healing. But the thing is, how is anybody supposed to heal if all we do is cover up the wounds and hope that they'll go away? We have to look at them and recognize them for what they are. We have to be honest about who actually got hurt and how. The protest I led was an attempt to try to draw attention to the rape culture in boys' sports and throughout our school," Jess explained. "And yes, I admit that the way I went about it wasn't perfect. I'm sorry for how it all ended up. I really am. But making mistakes is part of being a survivor." 

"Damn. No wonder Jess was elected student body president. She has a way with words," I murmur to Zach. 

"At first, you think you're, like permanently broken," Jess continued. "But then little by little, you start picking up the pieces and you start realizing what you're making is a mirror, and the more of those pieces that you put together, the more you start to see yourself. But maybe we can start picking up those pieces of that mirror together, and we can finally see the truth. If you think sexual assault doesn't affect your life, you're wrong. There are survivors all around us. People you care about who you never knew were suffering in silence. Let them know that you're there to listen. It's time for you to know the survivors in your life. To hear their stories and to know that their voice matters. My name is Jessica Davis, and I'm a survivor." 

Then, one by one, people in the stands started standing up. Some of them I knew, and others I didn't. But my heart hurt for every single one of them.

"My name is Casey Ford, and I'm a survivor." 

"My name is Janelle Martin, and I'm a survivor." 

"My name is Maggie Kim, and I'm a survivor." 

"My name is Tyler Down and I'm a survivor." At seeing Tyler stand up, I suddenly felt guilty. I had treated him so poorly the past few months, but maybe the reason Tyler wanted to shoot up the school was because he was raped. However, I still didn't know if I'd ever be able to forgive him for shooting him.