𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 - lexi howard

- 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

[no silent readers please]

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Lestari siblings walk into the store, Montana already knows she's in trouble by the way Fez looks up at her. Ashtray is staring at them from behind the counter, jaw clenched, trying to look scary for his age like he usually did.

"Yo, where you been?" Fezco asks after a few moments, a spliff hanging out his mouth.

Montana shrugs. "School."

Ashtray looks up to roll his eyes at her answer, then goes back to counting the cash they've made today.

"Tana," Fezco says, voice gruff and with warning.

Monty squeezes Montanaʼs hand, and a wave of guilt washes over her. Last night, she didn't know what she was doing. Her mind took control over her. She hates herself for doing such a stupid thing, for breaking her promise to her brother. She would do anything to have somebody elseʼs mind; she's so sick of arguing with her own.

"I had a sleepover," she lies, and she knows Fezco doesn't believe her at all. "I got the text really late last night and I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I snuck out."

"Yeah? With who?"

"Lexi," Monty answers confidently, a big grin on his face, feeling the need to stick up for his big sister. "She's Tanaʼs friend."

Fezco crosses his arms and takes out the roll in his mouth to blow out a puff of weed. He doesn't say anything. And for a moment, Montana thinks what happened last night might remain a secret.

But then...

"Tana doesn't have friends," Ashtray states from behind the counter.

"That is so rude," says Montana, holding a hand to her heart as if he offended her. But it's true. She doesn't have friends.

Monty shakes his head, jumping up and down for a moment. "You're not listening to me!" he groans loudly like the child he is. "She's a friend."

Montana looks down at him with a pout. "You little bitch," she accuses and lifts him up to spin him around, causing the seven-year-old to giggle.

"aight, Tana, I believe you," says Fezco, a slight smile on his lips. He doesn't believe her at all, he knows she did something last night, but she's happy now and that's all that matters for the moment.

The buzz of her phone causes Montana to put down her little brother. The smile on her face, as she half-expects it to be a message from Lexi Howard, - who doesn't even have her number yet - drops instantly when she sees the video. Thank God her volume is down.

"What is it?" asks Monty curiously.

"Nothing for nosys," she responds and taps his nose.

❤︎

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 know where it came from, but the next day at school, Montana has the sudden urge and motivation to go through the six, long hours completely sober. It's not that being sober is hard or anything, like I've said before she's not addicted like Rue, but she simply enjoys the feeling of being high. It makes things more interesting for her, and she likes the way it stops her mind from screaming.

Kat Hernandez walks through the halls with her head low, afraid to meet the eyes of any student staring at her after last nightʼs video leak. Mortified, she denies every single accusation that it was her, even though it clearly was.

The first student she meets eyes with is Montana Lestari, who stands at her locker with her arms crossed as she chews on the cord of her earphones. "What are you doing?" she asks with a sigh, momentarily forgetting who she's speaking to.