Seventeen (Zach Dempsey/ Montgomery De La Cruz

Chapter 9

Today Zach was testifying and while I swore I would come back to this courthouse I found myself sitting in the parking lot trying to talk myself into going in. I tried to convince myself I didn't need to know but I had to I knew this was the only way I would hear the truth from Zach.

I hope once I got it maybe I could move on, maybe once I knew everything it wouldn't hurt so much. I reached in my purse and took out my medication I stared at the bottles then I opened them and took one of each. I took another deep breath then I got out of the car.

When I walked in Zach was already on the stand we locked eyes as I sat in the very last row.

"Zach?" The lawyer called and he broke our eye contact.

"Were you and Hannah Baker just friends?" She asked and Zach looked at me then he looked down

"No, we hooked up that summer." He answered

"Hooked up?" can you elaborate?"

"We had sex."

"Just once?"

"No." He said looking at me

"But Zach didn't you have a girlfriend at the time?"

"Yes um Perri. Perri Down was my girlfriend."

"The girl who believe Hannah to be her best friend?"

"They were friends but Hannah and I crossed a line."

"Why would you two do that to someone who trusts you?"

"It just kind of happened, we were both in a bad head space my dad had just died and she was still reeling from the previous school year."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yes a little she didn't like to talk about it ."

"Did she ever acknowledge how her friend might feel about this relationship between you two."

"No we didn't talk about Perri." He said and that hurt big time

I felt worse and worse as I sat back and listened to the details of the brief fling they had while I was in New York. Once they let him off the stand I left the courtroom, I knew his mom wouldn't let him get far so I could get away

++++++++++++++++++++++++

After practice that day I was waiting for Monty by his car. I heard him talking to a few of the guys minus Bryce and Zach when he saw me he said something to them then walked over

"Hey." I said

"I read what happened in court today that's fucked up."

"Yeah and I'm know I went off on you and I'm sorry but I don't have anyone else." I was cut off by him hugging me I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him back

"I'm here for you pretty girl." He said and I felt him kissed the top of my head. We pulled apart and I saw Zach looking at us

"Can you get me out of here please?" I asked and he nodded and we got in his jeep

"Shit!" Monty moaned in my ear as he came, I locked my arms around his neck and pressed his lips to mine. After we left the school Monty drove down to the docks, he let the backseat down and we shared a joint and now here we are. Monty rolled off of me and we laid there catching our breath.

"That was fucking amazing." He said kissing my cheek as he wrapped his arm around me

"I'm sorry about the other day Monty. I was tripping,"

"It's cool."

"It's not, my parents just don't know how to treat me like a fucking person anymore. I feel like when they look at me all they see is the 'victim' and-" He cut me off with a kiss

"You can go off on me anytime." He said

"Look I know this maybe too much but I need to tell you I really like you Perri a lot. All of the bad shit in my world you are like the only good thing. What we had before was good wasn't it?" He asked and I thought about our short lived pre-high school relationship

"It was but it happened and ended so fast." I said shaking my head

"I know and I fucked that up I used to be so jealous of Zach when you guys got together. I know you need time I hope you can give me a chance when you're ready. But until then if you want to go off on me you can I'll take it." He said running his fingers through my hair

I listened to what he said and I felt like shit, I really like Monty I did. He had this side you're seeing now that's just for me he was funny, sweet and very cute. But deep down inside I knew I was still in love with Zach as much as I tried to turn it off. That big headed idiot stayed in my mind

"If I said yes when I'm ready would you stop hanging out with Bryce?" I asked

"I will protect you no matter what."

"The worst already happened don't you think?" I said then closed my eyes then looked at him

"Look I don't want to fight with you again but if you ever wanted to try this for real. You can not stay friends with Bryce." I said sitting up and grabbing my clothes I heard him sigh then he sat up to and we quietly got dressed

Monty dropped me at me car and as a parting gift I reminded him my window was always opened for him. he gave me a kiss then I got out and drove home.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Tyler

"Dude don't drink it too fast that's a one way ticket to barf town." Kyle told me as I downed the drink he made me

"This is shit is so good what did you put in here?"

"My secret recipe." He said then we toasted

"I'm in." He said from the computer

"Already?" I asked we were hacking Zach's iCloud trying to kill two birds with one stone after Zach testimony today. I couldn't believe Zach and Hannah had a thing behind Perri's back while I liked Hannah this definitely made me think of her differently

"Yeah his password is Zachattack23." He laughed as we got into his phone, there were tons of pictures of him and Perri and a few I didn't need to see.

"Man your sister is so fine." Kyle said and I hit him

"Dude not cool,"

"Not my sister." He said and I shook my head

"Wait what's that?" I asked pointing to one of the pictures, he clicked on it, it was Marcus getting a lap dance with the jocks in the back cheering him on

"We got him."