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

Part 5 Chapter 4

"Honor!" She hurried down the hall, banging on her sister's door. "Honor!"

Honor opened it abruptly. "What-?"

"I need you to take him. Please. For a few hours." She handed JT over. "I'll pay you. I'll-I'll do all your chores. I just have to go."

Ophelia hated forcing her sister to watch JT, just like she hated her parents forcing her to be Honor's babysitting everyday when she herself was still a child. But Ophelia had been staying home so often, she hadn't asked this favor in so long. It felt rational.

"Yeah, of course," Honor breathed. "Are you okay?"

Ophelia didn't answer. She practically sprinted to her car. "I'm on my way, Estella! Just hold on!" She sped the whole way, hitting sixty in the residential zones. She forced her car to a fast stop when she got across from the painfully familiar house. "I'm here, I'm here!" She yelled into the phone. The call ended.

A few moments later, the side gate opened to the De La Cruz yard. A small figure darted out. Estella, covered in a hoodie with the hood covering her face. She got in the car, slamming the door shut with shaky hands.

"Are you-?"

"You need to go!" Estella cried out.

"Estella-"

"Please, go! Now!"

Ophelia peeled away. She pushed the speed limit more, eventually pulling over into a random park parking lot as soon as she got the chance. She turned hurriedly to face the younger girl. "Estella, what happened? Are you okay?"

Estella was leaned over, covering her face, and crying hysterically.

"Estella," Ophelia tried again, her own voice showing that she too was close to tears.

"He found my Instagram," the young girl sobbed out. "I'm such a fucking idiot! I should've kept it on private. He found out I took a date to prom."

"What?" She paled even more.

"Take me up to the hills," Estella begged. "I can't go home tonight."

"You're not going to the hills," she said, immediately. "I'll take you to my house-"

"No," she cried. "No one can see me."

"You can stay at Tony's." Ophelia didn't know why she left Tony's in the first place. "Or Scott's. Or-"

"No one can see me!" Estella yelled again.

Ophelia was breathing erratically. Her worry didn't ease, not even for an instant. "Look at me, please," Ophelia begged. No answer. "Estella, let me see what happened."

Finally, after a long pause, Estella looked over. Ophelia ran pale. Estella was covering her face, but Ophelia could see blood on her chin.

She said, wavering, "...Show me your face."

Estella sniffed. All at once, like ripping off a bandaid, she took her hands away.

Ophelia flinched. Estella's nose was bloody, and swollen. It made her want to gag. The whole situation made her want to gag.

"...Oh my god..." She restarted the car. Panic hit again, harder. "Oh my God! We-We need to get you to the hospital!"

"No hospitals!" Estella yelled. "They'll ask too many questions! I'll get in trouble!"

"You won't get in trouble for anything!" Ophelia promised. "But you need to get help!"

"I don't care about getting in trouble! And all I need is somewhere to stay!" she insisted.