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

Part 4 Chapter 4a

"Enough," Ophelia said. "You're not staying alone. Especially not outside in that awful place."

There was no way Ophelia would be able to get any sleep at all if she wasn't in the same area as Estella, making sure she was safe and sound.

Estella sat back in her seat. Ophelia watched devastation cloud her eyes.

"I never had to do this alone," Estella whimpered softly. "I don't know what to do." She leaned forward, putting her head in her hands, saying, "I don't know what to do without him."

Ophelia's heart ached for her. And also, for Montgomery. Things would never be the same for her, or for Estella.

They both missed a man they were supposed to despise. A wicked man who deserved to pity.

But he would forever be a part of Ophelia. He would always be a tragedy that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Looking at Estella, Ophelia realized things would only get harder for the girl who now had to live, for the first time, without her older brother looking out for her.

Estella would never go back to that house, Ophelia decided. She was unhurt today, but who knew about the next time. Ophelia cringed, remember when her father gave her a black eyes. She should have done more then. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Ophelia wouldn't let her go home.

She would do everything in her power to stop it.

*****

"Someone knows something."

"No one knows anything, Ani. Quit being fucking paranoid."

Ani scowled at Alex. "That graffiti was done so that everyone in the whole school would see it. Whoever it was had to be pretty confident they were right."

Alex sighed, running his hands over his face. "Or they just had to be a confident asshole," he said. "Which is every single one of Montgomery's friends."

Ani let out an irritated breath. Clay, who sat next to her, put his hand over hers. The two of them were seated on his bed. Zach was laying on Justin's, while the rest of the group was scattered in the room. Ani called the meeting to Clay and Justin's room as soon as school let out. They had been there for hours already.

"I don't understand why we even keep meeting," Alex said, "If anything, us huddling around and whispering is why people think Montgomery was innocent in the first place."

Justin had to disagree. "People think he's innocent, because he is. He didn't kill Bryce." He looked at Tyler, who sat by himself in the corner of the room. "He deserved to be in jail, for lots of reasons. Just not for that. He didn't..." Justin looked at Zach when he said. "He didn't deserve to die."

"Some people disagree." The statement came from Jessica.

Charlie, who had stayed mostly silent, spoke against her. "No one should disagree. No one deserves to die."

Jessica turned to him sharply. "After all that he did to Ophelia, you really believe that? After what he did to Tyler?"

Charlie cringed. But Montgomery had been his friend. He saw the worst of him, but he also got to see the best of him.

"I don't think he deserved to die," Tyler said aloud. "It's not what I wanted."

"You still can't say he didn't deserve it," Jessica said. "He drowned you, Tyler. He didn't care when your heart stopped beating, you shouldn't care when his did." She looked around the room. "Are we forgetting that he's an abuser and a rapist?"