𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆|𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐀

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲

"Here, drink this," Marcus encouraged, holding a hot cup of tea out to Monty who willingly took it while uttering a small thank you. "It'll warm you up."

Despite being under multiple layers of blankets and holding a warm drink in his hands, Monty still couldn't help but shiver every so often. He occasionally glanced at the window, checking to see if it was simply because of the cold breeze flowing in. But when he noticed it was in fact closed, Monty knew there was for sure something wrong with him, something that couldn't be articulated into words. It had been a few hours since the events that had taken place at Blue Farm, yet for Monty it seemed as if it was only seconds ago. Seconds ago when Monty had pushed Abby away for good, causing a nasty breakup between them. Each time the memory flashed in his mind he would develop a feeling of nausea (he had already thrown up once, much to Marcus' dismay.)

When Monty had kissed Abby on his birthday, he had sworn an oath to never break her heart, no matter what had happened. However he broke that promise, which further added on to his feelings of disgust and regret within himself. Soon after the breakup, Marcus had offered to take Monty home without a single question behind asked. For the Baker boy knew what it was like, and bombarding someone with questions through such s vulnerable point was just going to make everything worse. However Marcus knew he couldn't avoid his parents, who had decided to ask a billion questions once they saw a shivering and crying Monty walk through their door. After a shitty explanation that Monty had gotten sick at Blue Farm, the two teens were now up in Marcus' room, sitting in a comfortable silence.

"Do you need anything else?" Marcus softly questioned, making sure not to startle Monty more than he already was. "A blanket, change of clothes."

"You did enough," Monty replied, his voice hoarse from all of the crying. He sniffled, rubbing at his nose which was now a bright pink. "I think I'm just gonna go home now."

"Go home?" Marcus repeated, furrowing his brows. "No, you can't go home."

"Why not?" Monty replied with an even more confused expression on his face.

"Would you rather get yelled at for coming home late and breaking your so called curfew, or would you rather stay at my place and drink some tea?"

Monty hesitated before wrapping his blanket tighter around himself, clearly indicating that he was going to spend the night. Marcus hummed in response, moving to sit beside Monty and wrap his arm around his shoulders. Monty couldn't help but feel a bit startled at the touch, but nonetheless a few seconds later he relaxed and let out a small sigh.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Monty blurted, turning his head towards Marcus who had raised a brow at him.

"What do you mean?"

"After everything that's happened, after everything I've done, you still let me in your home," Monty continued to explain. "Why? I treat everyone around me like garbage."

"That's not true," Marcus argued, shaking his head. "That's just your mind trying to push all of these negative thoughts on you."

"But I don't deserve your kindness," Monty sobbed, wiping at his eyes. "I mean god, I lost the one person who was supposed to love me through anything and everything. I ruin everything. I'm probably gonna ruin our friendship."

It was the truth. That was all Monty was. A burden. Someone who was incapable of love of being loved. That was probably what everyone says about him. How much of a monster he was. How if even Abby left, that showed how much of a freak he was. That no one would love him again. And that was all Monty had wanted. For someone to love him, to hold him at night and let him know that it was all going to be alright. That there was nothing to fear. But now that the sense of comfort was gone, Monty felt naked, out in the open for everyone to see. Giving people more of an opportunity to come at him for the smallest of things.