Previously on 'The Night We Met': "Shut up Willy" Becks snapped slamming the car door shut. "It's hard listenin to her voice, I know kid. But ya gotta know the truth" Becks confessed with sad eyes that seemed more tired than usual; his hands worn down and body drooping-the body of someone who was exhausted. "That my walkman?" Becks said and Kyle nodded not really worrying about getting in trouble right now. James tensed waiting for Becks to fly off the handle. "Keep it, gonna need it kid" Becks sniffed before gesturing to Owen and James that they were leaving. Kyle pressed play and listened to Sophia's words carefully crafted by her blooming soul crushed by a knife and pills.

'they just kissed?'. Why, did you hear something else?

CHAPTER 3: Rumours Were Just The Beginning

and then I can tell myself

what the hell

I'm supposed to do, and then I

can tell myself

Kyle stared at her locker more intensely, not really remembering how he got to school or if he slept in his bed last night. A rude voice tore him from his thoughts, "what you listening to Griffiths?" Max spat shoving past him-he'd never done that before? Kyle shook him off pressing play on the tapes with the earbuds firmly in his ears-the noises of fake people were drowned out by her perfect voice.

Sorry, Max. I said this wasn't going to be easy, just listen to me tape by tape-you and me whoever's listening right now, against the world right? Someone used to say that to me.

Kyle nearly flinched when she said that, he always used to say it to her. He watched as Connor waved at him with a golden boy smile and he waved back, Becks stepped beside Kyle death staring Connor who glared back. Becks's whole body was tense, his skin hot and eyes icy, "woah Becks, calm it it's just Connor" Kyle soothed but Becks just glared him down too.

"Yeah, he couldn't do any harm...right?" William's dry voice cackled from behind them making James unfold his arms and nab him in the stomach warningly, "you're not innocent Griffiths I don't give a shit what she says" William continued sourly. Owen pushed him through a classroom door and Kyle stood confused, what who says? Who thought Kyle was innocent. He was wasn't he? Becks patted his shoulder comfortingly and walked to his own classroom glancing at Kyle before he did. Kyle walked to his own class where some stared and others didn't-he sat down in the creaky wooden chair to see the teacher had stuck a film on sleeping off what seemed like a hangover. Kyle popped the tape back on avoiding eye contact.

Hallways, empty but somehow still full of whispers, classrooms full but somehow you feel completely alone. Well-that's how I felt that day Max. The day you ruined my reputation, quite spectacularly I'll give you that. I know what you're probably thinking right now, Sophia Heather is a slut...oops did you catch that? I said 'is'. Can't say that anymore.

2MAY 2017 LADY HAWKINS HIGHSCHOOL

Kyle observed as Sophia sauntered through the hallway doors and down the corridors-dirty looks thrown her way and whispers passed furiously. Slowly, Kyle watched her confident smiley stance shrink into a vulnerable sad one, her head low and legs trying to get through the halls as fast as they could. "Hey Griffiths!" Connor pointed at him and waved him over eagerly. Kyle went over to the crowd that consisted of Connor, Max, Naughton Chris and William.

"Hey guys what's up with Sophia?" He questioned, Max turned a pale colour with guilty eyes but his sickly smile stuck trying to fit in with the other jocks, Kyle didn't know why he called them the douche jocks when he was one of the jocks. An endangered species as Sophia said. They all burst out in boisterous laughter holding their stomachs.

"Probably still got Max's dick up her ass!" Chris yelled-everyone in the hall giggled making Sophia turn around with flushed cheeks-she'd obviously heard what he said. She charged up to him with tight lips and curled fists; the boys tried containing their laughs whilst Kyle stood by watching like a deer in headlights...what did Chris mean?

"Come on fatboy! Make some more jokes about something that HE lied about!" Sophia thrust her finger in the direction of Max whose face had fell and William was hiding behind him but of course Sophia saw him, she saw Kyle too-she looked to him for help but he scuffed his feet on the floor. "Come on Chris! Get your dads cock out your mouth and answer me!" Sophia continued and Connor made an immature 'ooo' sound. These guys were all talk, Sophia was showing them up by herself.

"You probably want his dads cock after Max's right?" William piped up. Sophia stared at him hurt, her eyes glazed over with disappointment and betrayal. Kyle frowned realising something must've happened between Max and Sophia last night! Sophia turned on her heel and cast a hurt glimpse at Kyle before marching off angrily. Owen trailed after her glaring at his younger brother and Kyle.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kyle interrogated them all.

"Max said that she gave him a quickie last night. Was begging for it!" Chris revealed and the guys were still laughing. Kyle exchanged a glance with Naughton-the only one who wasn't laughing either. Kyle side eyed Max before walking off angrily, "come on Griffiths! She'll probably do you too!" they all laughed again. Sophia ran into the girls bathroom locking the door shut and crying into her hands whilst the girls outside laughed shamelessly.

"what..." Sophia breathed as she ran her fingers over the words written on the bathroom walls, "Sophia is a slut" she read aloud, "how'd he taste Sophia?" she continued, "die" she read the last one directed at her as there were many other words directed at others.

Kyle's eyes bored into Sophia's old empty seat and made eye contact with a sad, disgruntled looking Max. Kyle couldn't stand to look at him anymore and stormed out of class-his eyes shot down the the lockers by the doors where the rumours began. Naughton stood there, his tall figure looming in his locker hiding his face; Naughton was 6"5 with black hair and green eyes that were the kindest out of the jocks. "Naughton?" Kyle said his voice bouncing off the walls of the treacherous hallway. He banged his head on his locker before looking at Kyle.

"oh hey Kyle" he answered somewhat lifelessly. "You okay?" he asked him.

"Yeah, you?" Kyle replied sensing that he was upset. He remembered Naughton's serious face as the jocks relentlessly teased Sophie over something that wasn't even true. Naughton shifted walking to Kyle but stopping as he reached Sophia's locker, it was like an invisible wall stopped him, he gulped then walked out of school. Kyle threw his hands in the air tirelessly.

But don't think you ruined everything Max, no, you don't have that kind of power over me. And although people will never stop believing your lies, it doesn't matter now right? I'm dead.

Sophia's cold comments hit Kyle. She was never like this, she'd changed-this was dead Sophia-long before she actually killed herself; Kyle began thinking how he'd missed her changing so much? How had he not noticed the most amazing girl being squashed slowly-a butterfly in a school full of nets. Jess stood beside Kyle watching Naughton leave too-she sighed brushing her wavy blonde hair behind her ear which was decorated with several piercings. "Pain changes people Kyle" Jess spoke.

"so I'm noticing...only just" Kyle said rubbing the back of his neck. Kyle saw Sophia leaning up against the lockers, her hair in braids and her smile a little smaller. When he blinked she was gone and he remembered that she'd never be leaning up against the lockers again.

"I never noticed how it changed her" Jess blurted. Kyle jerked his head in her direction but she was already hurrying after Naughton picking up her feet behind her. People in this school loved to speak in riddles.

But why am I dead? It takes more than one person to ruin a life right Tape 2?