Loose Change~ Montgomery De La Cruz / Zach Dempsey/Scott Reed

Part 3 Chapter 7b

tw: mentions of parental abuse, mentions of sexual assault

a/n: random note but sometimes I just be watching TikTok and the songs remind me of this story 😭 like that song 'A Line Without a Hook' be randomly reminding me of Ophelia and Montgomery. And that song 'Me and My Husband' kind of reminds me of Ophelia and Zach at this point of the story 😭

Montgomery was crying. Not just crying. Sobbing. Ophelia was holding onto him, hugging him tightly.

"He was just here," Montgomery cried into Ophelia's shoulder. "He was just fucking here!"

Ophelia patted his hair, and hugged him tighter. She sniffed, and tried to hold back her own tears. It didn't work. They escaped her eyes. "I know, baby. I know."

They were at Jessica's house. The party had disapated downstairs.

As soon as everyone heard the news.

Jeff Atkins had gotten into a car accident. He was rushed to the hospital. He was dead by the time the ambulance arrived.

Clay Jensen had found him, and the word spread quickly as people began leaving the party, and passing by the incident.

When the news got to Jessica's house, it hit everyone like a heart attack.

Ophelia had been drunk out of her mind that night. But the news sober her faster than she thought possible.

Then again, the drunken state helped her stay numb. It didn't do the same for Montgomery. He was obviously in unimaginable pain.

Ophelia had taken Montgomery upstairs, because she saw how drastically the news affected him. She wanted him out of everyone's view before he exploded.

Ophelia tried to swallow her own cries. The news devasted her, but she knew it was a thousand times worse for Montgomery. She needed to be there for him.

She brought him upstairs because she knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself together in front of everyone. And if he cried in front of his classmates, she knew the next day he would only cause them pain and torment in order to erase the weak image of himself from their minds.

He clutched the shirt she was wearing, and his hold on her nearly lifted her off her feet. She stood on the tips of her toes, so that his head could rest completely on her shoulder.

Someone began jiggling the handle of the door.

"Monty?"

Montgomery straightened up immediately, and began wiping his eyes.

"Hey, hey," Ophelia said quickly, "It's alright. I'm gonna go send them away."

She could tell he was trying to hide his grief already.

He nodded. "Thank you." His voice so deep.

She led him to the bed of one of Jessica's guest rooms, where he collapsed.

Ophelia opened the door quickly, stepping outside before the person could glance in.

It was Scott Reed at the door.

He looked just like Montgomery. His eyes were so red they were almost shut.

"Shit, hey," he said to her. "Um, I -I want to talk to Monty."

Ophelia bit her lip. She shook her head. "Not right now."

The boy scoffed. "What? Let me talk to him."