who said i took three and a half years from this fic? time is an illusion.
TAPE 3, SIDE A
tw: mentions of homophobia
Lizzy: Paranoia does things to people. It causes them to be constantly worried, always wondering when something is going to happen. When you’re paranoid about your reputation, however, it can get a whole lot worse.
——-
Xav sees Kieran at the picnic table at lunch.
Xav: You asshole.
Kieran: Why am I an asshole now?
Xav: That picture of me! I know it was you!
Kieran: Whatever could you mean?
Xav: I saw you outside my window! As soon as I turned around!
Kieran: Doesn't feel good to be stalked and exploited, does it?
Xav: I apologized!
Kieran: Apologies won’t bring her back.
Kieran throws his apple on the ground and walks away.
——-
Lizzy: I couldn’t bring myself to be worried about the pictures anymore. It had been a few days, people had probably forgotten about them. I just hoped you would’ve come to your senses about them, too.
——-
Flashback
CC approaches Lizzy hesitantly.
CC: Can we talk?
Lizzy: I thought you couldn’t be seen with me.
CC: I’m sorry! It was rude of me to say that stuff to you.
Lizzy: Well I’m glad you finally admitted it.
CC: Listen, let me make it up to you! Let’s go to the Spring Fling dance together! A few of my friends are going and I'd love for you to join us!
Lizzy: Sure you want a girl with a reputation to come?
CC: I really am sorry about saying all that stuff. I promise I am.
Lizzy: Okay. I’ll come.
CC: Yay! I’ll pick you up at 9!
——
Lizzy: Part of me really thought that you had been telling the truth. You really were sorry and we could be friends again.
——
FLASHBACK
CC is walking to class, content that her and Lizzy had made up. Suddenly, Kaylin corners her in a dark lit hallway.
Kaylin: So you and Baker, huh?
CC: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Kaylin: Oh, c’mon CC, everyone knows that it’s you two. There’s no mistaking that fat ass Baker has. Now tell me, who tops? Or do yall trade?
CC: Shut up Kaylin! You have no idea what you’re saying! It’s not me!
Kaylin: Ok, if you’re so sure, then who else could it be?
CC: It’s..it’s Tiffany!
Kaylin: (laughing) Is that right?
CC: Yes! Haven’t you heard? Lizzy and Tiffany love to have threesomes, especially with the exceptional student athletes at this school. Sometimes they even look for outside sources.
Kaylin: Well, I’ll be damned. Thanks for the information, Crimsen.
Kaylin walks away, chuckling to herself. CC slides down the wall, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
——
Lizzy: And there it was. What were you so afraid of CC? Why did you have to add on to the “Lizzy the Slut” rumors? Why could you not just tell Kaylin the truth?
——
Kieran sees CC sitting outside studying her calculus book. He storms over to her with his bike.
Kieran: Come with me. We need to talk.
Confused, CC gets on the back of Kieran’s bike. He pedals to their destination, the cemetery.
Kieran: Do you know what this is?
CC: Why did you bring me here?
Kieran: Answer my question.
CC: Yes, Kieran, I know where we are.
Kieran: Then why won’t you look at it? Why won’t you look at her?
CC: Kieran, shut up.
Kieran: What are you so afraid of?! We deserve an answer! She deserves an answer, CC!
CC: I can’t have people thinking I’m a lesbian, okay! I fight enough homophobia every day! My dads have put up with it their entire lives! I cannot have them thinking their daughter is going through the same thing! You don’t understand. She didn’t understand! Do you think I wanted this to happen? I feel awful every day about what I’ve done!
CC falls to the ground in front of Lizzy’s grave, crying for the first time since she died.
CC: You have no idea what it’s like, Kieran. If I could apologize to her, I’d never stop.
Kieran: Then it’s just too bad you’ll never get that choice, huh.
Kieran walks away from CC, leaving her to her grief at the foot of Lizzy’s grave.
——
Lizzy: The night of the dance. What was supposed to be a night to remember turned into a night I wanted so badly to forget.
——
Lizzy is waiting outside her house, waiting for CC to come pick her up. Lizzy checks her watch, and it says 9:12. Crushed, Lizzy climbs into her car and drives to the dance herself.
//
As she enters the door, she sees CC. CC looks in her direction and then quickly looks the other way. Lizzy scoffs and goes to sit on the bleachers, watching the dance happen around her. She wishes that she had just stayed home. Kieran comes to sit down next to her.
Kieran: These school dances are so lame, huh?
Lizzy: Seeing teenage hormones come to fruition while the teachers try to enforce the two feet rule? Incredibly lame. But, Katie’s got some wicked taste as the DJ.
“The Night We Met” starts to play over the loudspeaker.
Lizzy: Even her slow songs are bangers.
Kieran: May I uh…um…
Lizzy: You can do it.
Kieran: Dance? You? Me? Together?
Lizzy: Lead the way, Backpack Boy.
Kieran guides Lizzy to the middle of the dance floor. Lizzy places her hands on Kieran’s shoulders, and he settles his on her waist.
Lizzy: This reminds me of those RomCom movies where the two main characters finally realize they were meant for each other.
Kieran: Or the severe breakup that happens right in the middle of a drama with a dramatic rainstorm happening in the background.
Lizzy: I like mine more.
Kieran: Yeah, me too.
Lizzy and Kieran sway to the music.
Lizzy: Such a wonderful dancer. You’re just so full of hidden talents.
Kieran: I took ten years of competition dancing.
Lizzy: No shit.
Kieran: I’m totally kidding.
Lizzy closes her eyes and leans her head back.
Lizzy: I’m glad I came tonight.
Kieran: I’m glad you came too.
Lizzy: Careful, Backpack Boy. I might start to think you like me.
Kieran: Was there ever a doubt?
The two of them look at each other. As the chorus of the song ends, they both start to lean in and…
…are interrupted by Delia falling onto the floor.
Lizzy: Seriously.
Kieran: Some people just can’t hold their liquor.
Lizzy turns to Kieran and they both burst out laughing. Suddenly, a hand grabs both of them around the shoulder.
Kaylin: What say you, Baker? Trying to get Jensen in on some of that three way action? Where’s your partner in crime, Tiffany?
Lizzy: Excuse me? What the fuck?
Kaylin: Don’t be coy, Lizzy. CC told me everything.
Lizzy looks at Kaylin, disgusted. She gives a sympathetic look to Kieran and then stomps off to find CC. She finds her by the bathrooms.
Lizzy: You want to explain to me why Kaylin Montgomery just came up to me asking if I was handing out threesomes?
CC: Zero idea.
Lizzy: You fucking liar. She got it from you. Why would you do this to me, CC?!
CC: I can’t have these rumors following me, Lizzy. I have too much to lose. Too many judgements can be passed. You understand, right?
Lizzy: YOU have too much to lose? Don’t even get me started you fucking bi-
Delia: -izzy? Is dat you?
Delia stumbles into Lizzy’s arms.
Lizzy: Delia? How much have you had to drink?
Delia: Yes.
Lizzy: Why?
Delia: Tori fuckin sucks.
Lizzy: We need to get you home. This isn’t over, CC.
Lizzy carries Delia to her car, when she notices that her headlights have been on the whole night.
Lizzy: Fuck. Please start.
Lizzy tries to start her car, but the engine doesn’t turn over. She gets out and leans against the side of her car, sighing. She looks at Delia, passed out in the passenger seat.
Katie: Need a jump?
Lizzy: Yes, please! Thank you so much Katie. You’re a lifesaver.
Katie jumps Lizzy’s car for her and the engine finally turns over.
Lizzy: My angel.
Katie: I wanted to give you this. The car jump is just an added bonus.
Katie tosses a tape to Lizzy. It’s the song her and Kieran danced to.
Lizzy: Thank you.
——-
Lizzy: My beautiful night, my moment, ruined by yet another rumor of my supposed promiscuity. I don’t even know who Tiffany is, CC. But somehow she’s my threesome partner? Were you that scared, CC? Scared that someone would assume you liked girls, just because you were with me? You’re a coward.
——-
Kieran is walking away from the cemetery, lost in his thoughts. Angry at CC, angry at Lizzy, angry at those tapes. Just…angry. He doesn’t notice the car pull up next to him and the hands that grab him into the backseat.
Kieran: Kidnapping, huh? I guess there are worse ways to go out.
Yazzy: Shut up, Kieran. It’s just us. We want to ask you some questions.
Kieran: Oh what joy.
Tori: What tape are you on?
Kieran: Why does it even matter?
Alex: Because it does. Now what tape are you on?
Kieran: None of your business.
Tori: You really don’t make anything easy do you?
Kieran: Where’s the fun in that?
Yazzy: Listen, Kieran, do you believe those tapes? Do you honestly think we’re that bad of people and that Lizzy was telling the truth?
Kieran: I have no reason to believe otherwise.
Alex: Did you forget you’re on those tapes too?
Yazzy, fed up with Kieran’s responses, lays her foot down on the gas pedal.
Yazzy: Don’t you understand the predicament you’re in right now? We’re all in this together, we’re all part of her story! If they get out, all of us are going down.
Tori: Dude, slow down.
Yazzy continues to press her foot on the gas pedal. Suddenly, cop lights flash behind their car.
Alex: Fuck.
Yazzy pulls on the side of the road and waits for the police officer to come.
Tori’s Dad: Tori? What the fuck are you doing?
Tori: Um. Taking a lovely stroll with my friends.
Kieran: We’re not friends.
Alex, Yazzy and Tori: Shut up, Kieran.
Tori’s Dad: Well can you do it slower? The last thing I need going around the station is that my own daughter can’t go the speed limit. You better be happy I was the one patrolling tonight.
Tori’s Dad walks away from the car and pulls off. Alex starts laughing hysterically.
Tori: Dude, what the hell?
Alex: Don’t you realize? We have the cops on our side! We’re invincible! We’re bulletproof.
——-
Lizzy: My night ended how it started. Miserably. Left to care for my ex friend as she spilled her guts into my bathroom toilet. Left to wonder what could’ve been. Left to listen to a tape play over and over on my radio. You ruined my night, CC, but that’s not all you ruined.
——-
After more useless questioning, the trio of girls finally drop Kieran off at his house. Even more angry, he walks into his kitchen to see his mom sitting at the table.
Zai: I’ve been chosen to be a litigator for the case against the school.
Kieran: Oh that’s great.
Zai: I need you to tell me if you’ve witnessed any bullying at the school, Kieran. Anything with Lizzy Baker?
Kieran thinks back to everything he’s seen. Everything with Lizzy.
Kieran: Nope. I need to shower.
Kieran rushes up the stairs and slams the door to the bathroom shut. He quickly turns the shower on and falls against the bathtub, sobbing.
——-
Lizzy: Fear. Paranoia. Two emotions that do terrible things to people, which causes them to do terrible things. Are you in fear? Are you drowning in paranoia? Are you next? What horrible things did you do? Keep listening and find out.
END OF EPISODE 5