A/N-Wow, I am simply blown away by the responses to this story. It's a truly humbling and rewarding experience honestly. Thank you guys so much for your support and encouraging me to continue writing. I just want to add that I don't want to take away the very important message both the 13RW show and book try to deliver us, as it is truly something we as human beings need to reflect upon, but I guess this is what I had hoped would happen to Hannah instead. Now, without further ado, let us continue.

Chapter 5

It was with a heavy heart that Clay carried when he returned to the hospital to see Hannah again after school. The other kids, bar Zach and Alex (so far), wanted him to convince Hannah to keep her story a secret in order to protect their lives and reputations. How could people be so selfish? For fuck's sake, they were almost responsible for the death of a girl!

At least Clay was certain that Alex and Zach were completely against it, and he had also seen Sheri hesitate. Clay was sure that he could probably convince Jessica to come to their side as well, he just had to figure out how to get Justin out of her head. Ryan probably wouldn't take a side and would instead probably sit down with a bag of popcorn and watch the drama unfold as if he were watching a reality TV show.

Hannah gave Clay an angelic smile when he walked into her room, and it only made Clay's heart sink further.

"You came back," she said quietly, almost as though she didn't quite believe it. Clay noted that her voice didn't sound as hoarse as before.

"I keep my word Ms Baker," said Clay with false arrogance, though his heart wasn't quite in the mood for joking. Hannah seemed to sense it as well, because her smile faded, replaced with concern for Clay instead.

"What's wrong?" asked Hannah.

How could Clay tell her?

"Something... happened at school today," said Clay slowly.

"What?" Hannah pressed.

"The other kids, the ones who heard the tapes... they had a meeting," answered Clay. "They wanted me to convince you not to go public with what happened to you."

Hannah's face turned blank, and her eyes took on a lifeless look as she looked away from Clay to seemingly stare at the wall on the other side of the room. Clay searched her face for any sign of a reaction, hoping that she wouldn't do something drastic.

"What did you say to them?" asked Hannah in an eerily calm voice.

"I said I wouldn't do it, and that I wasn't even sure if you even wanted to go public," said Clay.

Hannah was silent for a few moments, and Clay could see the gears turning in her head as she processed what he had told her.

"Why do they want me to keep my mouth shut?" she finally said.

"Um... I think some of them are worried of the repercussions that'll happen to them," Clay answered honestly. "I mean, Courtney's afraid of coming out to everyone, Marcus is more worried that his shot at becoming the valedictorian and his reputation will be blown, and Justin just seems to want everything kept under wraps."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think he wants the truth of what happened to Jessica to come out for some reason."

Hannah's eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Do think I should?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Should what?" said Clay.

"Keep quiet," she elaborated.

Clay didn't speak right away, himself not sure of the answer. Should they? No doubt it'll end up going to court and there might be a lawsuit against the school for charges of bullying. Several of the kids involved would get in serious trouble as well. Bryce, and probably Justin would go to jail for a long time, Bryce for the rape of two young women, and Justin for being an accomplice in attempting to hide the truth. Sheri would face charges for failing to report damaged property resulting in the death of a fellow student, though more than likely she would get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. And Tyler, he would probably also face charges, for invasion of privacy and trespassing. Marcus could even get in trouble for sexual harassment, no matter how small or innocent he claimed it to be.

"I think that you should," said Clay finally, having thought it out.

Hannah's head snapped up, her eyes betraying the surprise and confusion she was feeling at the moment.

"But, just the serious stuff, although it's fine if you want to tell the entire truth," he said, "though Bryce needs to go to prison for what he did to you and Jessica," he added, his voice laced with anger and hatred.

Hannah flinched when Clay said Bryce's name, and Clay mentally slapped himself.

"Nobody will back us up though. It'll be the words of two teenagers against ten more," said Hannah hopelessly, her tears finally spilling over and down her cheeks.

"That's not true," said Clay. "Zach and Alex said they'd help us if you decided to go public, and I'm sure I could get Sheri on our side as well. Tony would gladly help too."

"But nobody would believe me if I say anything about Bryce," said Hannah. "He's the most popular guy in school. It would be the words of the class slut and outcast against Bryce-fucking-Walker."

"They'd believe you if Jessica testified against him with you," suggested Clay.

Hannah snorted, "Yeah right. She doesn't even know the truth and Justin is trying to keep it that way according to you," she said.

"I'll just have to try to find a way to get him out of her her head then," said Clay determinedly.

"How?"

Clay shrugged, "I don't know. But hey, it's me. I'll think of something."

Hannah let out a small laugh and Clay mentally congratulated himself.

"Thanks Helmet. You're a real life-saver, both figuratively and literally," said Hannah warmly as she stared at Clay with a look that Clay couldn't name. It made her seem as though she was staring into his soul, but in a way that made him feel like he wanted to be looked at that way again, only by Hannah.

Clay ducked his head in embarrassment at the compliment, which only made Hannah laugh again, this time a little louder.

"Classic Helmet, always so humble in the face of praise and adoration," joked Hannah, and Clay joined in on her laughter.

"Well you know what they say, humility is a great quality to have," said Clay, puffing out his chest slightly.

Hannah rolled her eyes, "And the moment's gone," she quipped. "But seriously, it's one of the things I like most about you."

There she was again, staring at him with that same penetrating look. Clay felt his cheeks heat up and he ducked his head to save himself from the embarrassment, and the to teenagers fell into comfortable silence. Clay began perusing the old magazines, hoping to find something he may have missed, and settled on working on one of the crossword puzzles in the back of one of them. Hannah had leaned back against her pillows, her face contorting into a look of deep concentration.

"Do you really think I should go public with my story?" Hannah finally asked, drawing Clay's attention away from his puzzle.

"Huh?" said Clay stupidly.

"Do you think I should go public with my story? Press charges and the like?" repeated Hannah.

Clay let out a long breath. "Personally, I would. But I don't think you have to make that decision just yet. Let's just concentrate on getting you better first, and then we'll see what happens next," he said.

Hannah nodded her head. "Yeah, I think that sounds good."

Clay's phone started buzzing then and he pulled it out of his pocket. Hannah stared at him curiously as he read the text message he received.

"Shit, Mom needs me home," said Clay, standing up as he pocketed his phone away.

He noticed the disappointed look Hannah had on her face and he put his thumb under her chin, pulling her head up till she was staring at him.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he promised.

Hannah nodded her head slowly, and her eyes darted down before quickly looked back up, her cheeks tinging slightly. Was she looking at my lips? It was then that Clay realised how close they were to each other and he backed away. "See you later. I'll come by after school tomorrow. How far away are your parents?"

"They should be on their way back. Why?" said Hannah.

"I just didn't want you to be alone for too long," admitted Clay.

"Oh," she said. "Bye Helmet."

"Bye."

oOoOoOo

"Were you out with friends?" asked Clay's mom when he got home. She was in the kitchen, preparing dinner while Clay was perusing the fridge, scanning for any late afternoon snack.

"I was at the hospital visiting Hannah," he replied, his eyes zeroing in on a piece of leftover lasagna. He plucked it from the fridge and took a bite as he walked over to the bench, leaning against the counter.

"Oh? How is she?" asked Mrs Jensen.

"She woke up today," said Clay easily.

"Really? How is she?" said Mrs Jensen, surprise etched all over her face.

"Scared and a little upset, but she's recovering quickly."

Mrs Jensen stared intently at Clay, which he tried his best to ignore. Nut unfortunately for him, his mother had this kind of look that made it impossible to ignore easily.

"What is it?" said Clay with a roll of his eyes.

Mrs Jensen walked over to Clay, her eyes full of concern for her only son. "How close are you and Hannah?" she asked quietly.

Clay didn't, couldn't look at his mother when he spoke the next few words. "I really care about her Mom," he said, pain bleeding into his voice. "When I found her, I thought she was gonna die, and even waiting at the hospital for news, it felt like she had left a really big hole in me. It fucking physically hurt seeing her like that, like I wanted to die as well if she went.

"I don't think I could live without her Mom," he finished, his voice cracking at the end as he tried to stifle a sob.

Mrs Jensen pulled Clay into a tight hug, providing him with the love only a mother could give her child. Clay kept crying into her shoulder as he returned the hug, his tears soaking through her shirt.

Clay sniffed and wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt when he pulled away from his mom and smiled gratefully.

"Thanks," he said.

"If you need to talk Clay, I'm here for you," said Mrs Jensen, her own eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"I know," was all Clay said before he left the kitchen and up the stairs into his bedroom.

He left the door open, as per his mother's request and at down at his desk, opening up his textbook to begin his homework. He felt a lot better after talking to his mom, and it was at that moment when Clay swore to be more open with people.

oOoOoOo

Clay saw them first as he sat alone at a table during lunchtime the next day. They were heading his way, no doubt to ask him about what Hannah said to him. They sat across from Clay when they came to him, placing their trays on the table, though neither of them touched their food.

"So what did Hannah say?" asked Zach, the first to speak.

"She isn't sure yet, but I told her she doesn't have to make a decision right away," said Clay.

Next to Zach, Alex let out a sigh, though whether it was in relief or exasperation, Clay wasn't sure.

"Why aren't you sitting with Justin and the others?" asked Clay.

"We... had a falling out," said Zach. "He and Marcus think we're being idiots for supporting you."

"And they're trying to protect Bryce for whatever stupid reason," added Alex with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh," said Clay. "So why are you sitting with me?"

"Why not?" retorted Alex. "You're the first one who wants to do something about what happened, and we want to help."

"Besides, we could do with some better company," said Zach.

"And that better company being me, the awkward, antisocial kid in our school," said Clay, raising an eyebrow slightly in disbelief.

"Well yeah," said Alex in a sarcastic tone. "But we feel like we owe you some answers."

As if on queue, Zach reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. From inside the wallet Zach grabbed a folded piece of paper that had his name on it. Clay instantly recognised Hannah's handwriting, and comprehension dawned on him.

"You never through away the note she gave you," he said.

Zach gave a nervous chuckle. "I sometimes read it, you know. To better understand what she went through," he said, his voice dying down to a whisper. "Do you want to read it?"

Clay shook his head. "I don't think I could," he admitted. Did Hannah lie? Did she lie about other things?

Zach seemed to sense what was going on inside Clay's head because he shook his head. "I don't think she was lying, I think she just thought I threw it away," he said.

Clay remained skeptical, but conceded the point, promising himself to ask Hannah about it after school.

"Why do you hang out with those guys?" Clay asked Zach. "From what I've seen, you don't really fit in even though you try."

"I don't know," said Zach. "I guess because I'm on the basketball team I feel like I have to. But it's hard, you know? Trying to be something you're not. And I feel bad, because I should have said something when the others were talking about Hannah in that way."

"Sometimes we have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy," quipped Alex.

"Really? You're gonna pull Dumbledore on me?" snapped Zach.

"You read Harry Potter?" said Clay, his face looking stunned.

Alex too looked at Zach weirdly, as though he had grown a second head or something.

"What? Just because i'm a jock doesn't mean I don't like to read," defended Zach and he sighed awkwardly.

"Uh... right," said Clay. He turned to Alex. "So why are you hear?"

Alex's face darkened and he bowed his head.

"Because I fucking hate what I did to her and Jess," he whispered. "That list was stupid, and I regret it every day. It's worse now because of the impact it had on Hannah."

"I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty fucking stupid," said Clay.

Zach hummed in agreement, though he too looked abashed, as he was one of the boys who had talked lustfully about Hannah's backside.

"But you need to apologize, to both of them," continued Clay.

"I've already tried with Jess, but she won't listen," said Alex. "And I don't think Hannah wants to see me either."

"She does," said Clay, making both Alex and Zach's heads snap up to attention, disbelief on their faces. "Well, she never actually said that, but she was grateful for you when I said you both wanted to help."

Alex and Zach both looked relieved, but Alex's face fell again. "What about Jess? She's always around Justin," he groaned.

"Well, this is actually part of something I had planned," said Clay, leaning in. Zach and Alex did the same and listened intently to Clay's next words. "We all know that Bryce raped Hannah and Jess, and he deserves to be punished for it."

Zach looked uncomfortable, but didn't say anything.

"I think Hannah does want to press charges, but she can't because she was the only actual witness to what happened to Jess, and Jess believes Justin."

"What does this have to do with me?" asked Alex.

"You're probably the closest person to Jess after Justin and Hannah," explained Clay. "If you can somehow get closer to her, maybe she'll believe us."

"How the fuck do I do that?"

"I don't know! You're asking Mr Antisocial over here," snapped Clay.

"Why don't you just try to be her friend?" suggested Zach. The other boys looked at him. "I don't know, be there for her, help her? You used to date her, so you probably know her better than anyone else."

"He's got a point," said Clay.

Alex huffed angrily, but agreed in the end.

"Great, this was a productive conversation," said Clay when the bell rang for class.

"Wait, Jensen!" said Zach. Clay looked at Zach curiously. "We were wondering if it was alright if we could visit Hannah sometime this week?"

Clay shrugged. "It should be alright. I'm heading there after school today, did you guys want to come?" he said.

"Can't, got basketball practice," said Zach.

"I've got Jazz band practice too," said Alex.

"What about tomorrow?" suggested Clay.

The other two boys looked at each other for a moment before they nodded in agreement.

"Great, I'll see you guys later then," said Clay before heading off to class.

He spotted Tony and quickly walked over to his friend, then explained his plan.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, it sounds okay," said Tony thoughtfully.

"Just okay?" said Clay.

"Well, in the end, it's Hannah's decision, isn't it?"

"Yeah but-"

"But nothing," interrupted Tony, giving Clay a stern look. "I'm glad that you and the others are trying to look out for her, but you need to be careful, 'cause you might make some pretty difficult enemies."

"I'm pretty sure we've already made enemies," grumbled Clay.

"Not all your enemies are as rich as Bryce Walker," reminded Tony.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing my mom's a lawyer then," joked Clay, making the shorter boy grin.

"Can't argue with that," laughed Tony, clapping Clay on the shoulder. Clay was suddenly reminded of a question he had been meaning to ask.

"Hey, have you been visiting Hannah?" he asked.

"Only once so far," said Tony. "It was just after you left yesterday actually."

"Oh," said Clay.

"She seems to be doing well. She was in a pretty good mood when I saw her at least."

"Yeah?"

Yeah. And I think you had something to do with it," said Tony, giving Clay that look that said Tony knew more than he let on.

Clay merely rolled his eyes and bid Tony farewell, then headed off to class for real. Maybe things were looking up for everyone, despite the challenges they would face in the future.

A/N- Next chapter, Clay confronts Sheri!