TROUBLED || thirteen reasons why

040.

Tristan doesn't sleep much that night, and every time she closes her eyes she can only see those of Bryce Walker staring back at her. After tossing and turning all night, Tristan is finally shaken awake by her bother the next morning. Justin's somber eyes meet hers and she immediately sits up, realizing what today is.

"You're testifying today." Tristan states, her grogginess instantly gone and replaced with pumping adrenaline.

Justin smiles softly and looks at his sister, "Yeah, I am."

A silence falls between them, Tristan looks down at Justin's hand placed on her leg and she glances back up at him, "Are you nervous?"

"No," Justin scoffs, his voice failing to sound confident in his answer, but he can't let his sister know the fears he has of today, "Of course I'm not, I'm going to be fine. It's going to be fine."

Tristan gives her brother a small smile before she wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace. Her nerves are already eating away at her and she hasn't even gotten out of bed yet. He's her brother and she feels as if it is her job to worry about him, especially as of late.

The bedroom door opens and Clay walks in with a towel around his neck, eyeing the siblings as he grabs a shirt to put on, "My dad is cooking breakfast downstairs if you guys want any."

Tristan looks towards Clay and nods, getting up off the couch and following him down the stairs. Justin is right behind her as they enter the kitchen, and all three of them stop when they see Lainie Jensen sitting at the kitchen table with coffee in her hand.

"Good morning," The woman says, her eyes are careful as she examines each of the children walking in, her eyes stop at the two boys, "What the hell happened to you two?"

"It was a fight."

"Sports."

Tristan raises an eyebrow at their mixed responses, both the boys looking at each other in an attempt to get their story straight. Justin speaks up first, "Mine was a fight... and his was sports."

"I told Dad yesterday. P.E." Clay tells his mother as he sits down beside Tristan at the table.

"If someone is hurting you, we need to know what is going on." Lainie says assertively, looking at all three of the teenagers sitting in front of her.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Clay asks, curiosity fills his voice.

"Well, uh, I want to apologize. That an argument that was largely between your father and me had the impact it did on the family." Lainie says before turning to the Foleys sitting next to each other, "And on you two."

Tristan looks down at her lap, but Justin speaks up, "I feel like I came here and messed everything up, so-"

"No, no..."

"No that's not what happened."

Clay's parents give concerned looks at Justin and Tristan, and Clay glances up at the two, "You didn't. Neither of you."

Tristan meets Clay's eyes and he presses his lips into a tight smile before turning to his mom, "So... you're back?"

"I'm back," She smiles at him, "And I need to speak to Justin privately. After breakfast. I heard last night that you're going to testify today, and while I like Dennis Vasquez very much, he does not represent your best interests. I want to make sure you understand everything that is at stake for you before you testify."

"What's at stake?" Tristan squeaks, nerves beginning to find their way into her stomach again. She can't lose her brother.

"Tristan, I don't want to have any secrets, but if I'm going to help Justin, that has to be between the two of us... for now. If he chooses to tell you after we talk then that's up to him," Lainie says, eyeing Tristan closely as worry etches onto the girl's face, "Can you trust me?"