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

Part 3 Chapter 8b

tw: mentions of violence, mentions of sexual assault, sexual content

A/N: This chapter and the next few chapters will be darker than the previous ones. If you ever think I need to be more specific in the trigger warnings PLEASE let me know.

Also, if you ever come across something you just don't think you would be comfortable reading, you can DM me and I can summarize for you.

Also, DM me any questions or issues you have! I haven't been able to respond to all my comments and I'm so sorry because you all deserve better :( but I've been able to respond to all my DMs so far I think.

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"He started by just yelling at me," Tyler whispered.

No one else was in the room. No one else was anywhere near them. But he still whispered. Partly because he was terrified of an unknown person overhearing, and also because his voice lacked enough confidence to speak any louder.

Tyler sat on the ground, back against the wall. Ophelia sat right next to him.

He pulled his knees up to his chest, and hugged himself.

"He was so mad about baseball," Tyler told her, his voice shaky.

Ophelia had a hard time hearing him, but didn't dare ask him to speak up.

"I fucking forgot about the field," he admitted. "I was upset that Cyrus ratted on me, and that's what I was thinking about. I didn't even...it wasn't important to me. But obviously it was..." He took a breath. "Obviously it was for him."

Ophelia inched closer, sitting so close to him now that their shoulders were touching. She was terrified of Tyler just the other day, now, she wanted nothing more than to comfort him.

"They found me when I was alone..."

Ophelia wanted to ask who 'they' was, but she figured she would wait until he was done. She knew one of the people was Montgomery. That was all that mattered.

"I tried to apologize..." he told her, looking at her, as though he thought she would be mad if he hadn't. "But he just...slammed my head against the mirror."

Ophelia couldn't withhold her gasp, and the shiver that went down her body. She glanced at his head, just imagining the pain.

"The mirror broke," he told her. "I heard it shatter before I felt it."

Ophelia grit her teeth together trying not to cringe.

She wanted to reach up and touch him, feel to make sure his head was healed.

"Oh my god..." she breathed, unable to quiet her reactions.

But Tyler wasn't done. He was far from done.

"And then, he-he hit my head against the sink. And-And I thought it c-cracked too. I-I thought I heard it. But it was just my head. My-My skin split open. That's why I have this..." He touched the top of his forehead.

Vaguely, she saw a scar.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she found herself reaching up, and softly running her fingers over it.

"Tyler..." Now, she could only whisper as well.

He flinched away, and she fell back, guilty.

"Was someone able to help you?" she asked, hoping he'd say yes. "Someone was able to look at it?"