train wreck // justin foley

59

justin was silent.

"alright. if that's how it's going to be, if you guys are going to keep vital secrets, then all of you are grounded." lanie said. "until one of you can tell us why this test is positive, none of you are leaving this house apart from going to school. understand?" lanie told us.

"alright, get some rest." matt said, walking out.

"you're fucking using again?" clay asked.

"fuck you. you know i'm clean." justin told him.

"then why were you in your old neighborhood?" i asked.

"well how about one of you tell me, 'cause clearly, you guys followed me and then ran straight home to rat me out." justin accused.

"why am i going to follow you, justin? we're not even together." i said to him.

"so, we're not together, but you'll still have sex with me?" justin asked.

"i didn't need to know this, but i didn't follow you either." clay told him.

"then how the fuck did they know i was there, huh? they were asleep when i left, and they were asleep when i came home." justin informed us.

"how did my dad know i was at the pier? he just happens to see me from the overpass? he just happens to find me last week?" clay asked.

"well, clay, he couldn't have followed you because... 'cause he left way after you." justin informed him.

"what if it's our phones?" clay asked, looking at his phone.

"what?" i asked him.

"they gave us these phones for christmas with a bunch of apps already loaded. what if... what if one of those apps is, like, tracking us?" clay asked, looking through his phone.

"alright, clay, you're being so paranoid. your dad found you because you've been doing crazy shit." justin told him.

"yeah, like showing up at the fucking pier or bryce's house? i mean, what the hell?" i asked clay.

"why were you in your old neighborhood? and why were you at monty's house? what the hell have you two been up to?" he asked us, earning no response. "yeah, that's what i thought."

"why'd you test positive?" justin asked clay.

"fuck you." clay said, going into the bathroom.

"kylie, what were you doing at monty's house?" justin asked.

i walked up to the del la cruz house and hesitantly knocked. a few seconds later, estela opened the door.

"what—what're you doing here?" she asked me, stepping outside and closing the door.

"i've been thinking... you know, i haven't treated you fairly since you've been at liberty and... and i'm sorry." i told her. "i was just stuck focusing on the past and i didn't think..." i sighed, "i didn't think you had changed because monty never did."

"oh, you're fine." she told me. we both sat on the porch. "i, uh, understood why you did what you did with the baby and my brother." she told me. "i'm sorry he hurt you so badly."

"the thing is, stel, he wasn't like that all the time. there were times when we were together when we were both so happy." i said, smiling. "but i alway expected him to stay that way.

"he had his moments." estela replied. "he did bad things, but i think it was because of all the stuff my dad would do. he just... had all this anger built up and i don't think he knew what to do with it."