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

Part 3 Chapter 11a

tw: heavy mentions of sexual assault, mentions of abuse, heavy parental abuse, heavy homophobia

"Why not tell people Zach's the father? It's not like I want to tell everyone what happened."

The cold air around Ophelia whipped against her skin, causing her teeth to chatter. She stayed put. She sat on a bed of grass, outside and alone.

"I feel like it's my only option," Ophelia admitted to herself. "I mean, if I do keep it, it is. I still feel so unsure, but I also can't imagine going back to that clinic."

She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered. She didn't like thinking about the clinic, and how weak she had been there.

"I don't know how I could go back to normal after everything being so...unnormal."

The grass Ophelia sat on felt damp, but she paid no kind to it.

"I can't tell Marisa. I've been avoiding her. She might be getting mad at me, but if she sees me she might figure out what's wrong."

And Marisa figured things out so well. She was the one who figured out another girl in their grade was pregnant after she already had an abortion.

She struggled to say, "I've thought about talking to Jessica, but I wouldn't know how. How could I possibly try to relate to her, when her experiences were so painful and mine...god, they just weren't. And I'm so ashamed they weren't." Ophelia get ready brimming her eyelids. "I wish more than anything that it had been more painful because maybe it'd be easier to accept what happened. But it wasn't."

Ophelia sniffed, and wiped her nose.

"I wish you were here. You were always so understanding. And you never judged me. I-I never realized how lucky I was to have you around."

Ophelia stared straight ahead at the cemetery stone that read 'HANNAH BAKER'.

"God, Hannah," Ophelia breathed. "How did you do it? How did you just live like everything was normal when everything was so terrible?"

Ophelia stopped herself for a moment when she realized Hannah hadn't been able to live with it. Not for long.

"I wish you were here," Ophelia told her. "Maybe we could've helped each other."

She imagined what would have happened if Hannah was here senior year. What if she was in a coma when the tapes came out, and she got better? What if the trial happened with her there? She could've help Jessica through it.

With everyone knowing about Ophelia and Montgomery, maybe Ophelia would've finally accepted her help.

Ophelia suddenly started crying. Imaging a different time made the current one so much harder to bare.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you Hannah."

There had been much Ophelia could have done. But she hadn't done it. And she'd live with it for the rest of her life.

When she felt she was finished at Hannah's grave, she stood up and walked back to the car. Justin parked at the cemetery parking lot, and he waited for her.

Ophelia mentioned the day before she was interested in visiting the grave. She said it in front of Justin and Zach, and when Zach didn't say anything about it, they both figured he was uninterested.

Justin seemed more than happy to take her. Ophelia still wasn't sure why.

When she walked up to the car, she watched Justin put something in his mouth and swallow it.

When he saw her walking up, he jolted up straight in the driver's seat. It was her car, but he insisted on driving again. She didn't mind. She wasn't in the mood for driving lately.

"What was that?" she asked him as she entered onto the passenger seat.

He acted dumb. He blinked slowly, and seemed to not understand what she said.

"Hm?"

She frowned, confused as to why he was confused.

"What you swallowed," she clarified.

"Oh." He tapped his pocket. "Just some Advil. I've got a head ache."

Ophelia cringed. She was making him drive her around while he wasn't feeling well?

"Sorry," she told him, quickly. "Does it hurt bad?"

Justin shrugged it off. "Doesn't really matter. What about you? Are you okay?"

She wiped all her tears off already, but Justin could still see the redness in her eyes.

Ophelia hesitated. "I guess. It's my first time visiting her grave. I feel bad for not coming before."

Justin began their drive to school. She flinched when he merged into traffic. Boys did it so ungracefully.

"Don't feel bad, most people haven't gone at all."

She supposed that was true. Then again, most people didn't claim to have once been her best friend.

"Did you just sit there?" he asked. She had disappeared from his view for most of the time.

"No, I was talking to her."

Justin paused.

Ophelia saw his reaction and said quickly, "Obviously, not to her. I just pretended I was. It helped, kind of."

Justin sighed. "As long as it helped."

It did help, in a way. But at the same time, Ophelia felt more defeated than ever. Hannah could live with what Bryce had done. How could Ophelia expect to live with what Montgomery had done?

They came onto an empty backroad that would lead them to school.

Ophelia hesitated, wondering if sharing with Justin would make things easier. It had before. "It's kind of weird, though."

"What?"

"It's just, she had fourteen reasons why she wanted to kill herself. Thirteen, actually, since she was never upset with Clay. So she had thirteen reasons why life was fucking terrible, so she just ended it. Just because she wanted to."

Justin looked over. "I'm not following."

"That was too much. She thought it was too much to live."

"And?"

Ophelia hesitated. "And...I feel like I have a hell of a lot more than thirteen reasons."

The car jolted to s stop and Ophelia threw her hands out quickly to stop herself before flying forward and hitting the dashboard.

"What the fuck, Justin?"

There was nothing in front of them that Ophelia could see. She had been staring out the front window, and didn't see anything that would have made him stop like that.

"What are you doing?-"

She stopped suddenly as she looked over and caught his expression. His eyes were wide, and he looked panicked. And she swore she could see his hands trembling, but maybe that was just from the cold.

"...why the fuck would you say that?"

His voice was quiet, and barely a whisper. But it was deep.

Ophelia took a deep breath. "I-I was just venting."

He frowned. He was frowning at her. He looked angry, but at the same time there was still only panic on his face. "That's not venting. Saying you have plenty of reasons to kill yourself isn't venting."

Ophelia turned away. She hadn't expected this reaction. She regretted speaking at all. "Just forget it."

"How am I supposed to forget that?" This time, she heard his voice crack.

"Just forget it, Justin!" she snapped again. "It's not like I'll actually do it!"

"I don't know that!" he snapped at her. Yes, he definitely seemed angry now. "I didn't think Hannah would fucking kill herself either!"

"I'm not killing myself!" she yelled at him. "Jesus, Justin! Why are you so upset about this?"

Justin stared at her for a long time. So long, she wondered if he was going to kick her out of the car, and make her walk the rest of the way. Or maybe he would get out.

A car began approaching them, and it honked.

Justin scoffed.

He looked back to the road, glaring into the rear view mirror, and started driving again.

Ophelia saw his chest rising up and down with large, heavy breaths.

She had seen this behavior enough times with enough people to know he was trying to withhold anger.

"Why the fuck would you say that to me?" He asked again, suddenly fuming.

"I'm sorry!" she told him finally. "I won't say it again."

Justin frowned at the road ahead. She didn't understand why what she said was affecting him so much.

He bit his tongue. He had a lot more to say, but didn't want to upset her any more by saying it.

As they neared the school, Justin asked her, with a voice serious as death, "Am I one of the reasons?"

Ophelia flinched. What? Why would he think that?

She sighed, shaking her head. "Of course not, Justin."

"Is Zach?"

That question shocked her.

"What-No!"

Justin stopped asking.

He pulled into the parking lot, and parked. Ophelia didn't mention how he nearly hit two cars while doing so.

She felt the need to explain things to him better. "Justin, it's not people. I-I've just been through a lot. I don't know how to process anything. I-I shouldn't have said anything."

He kept a grimace on his face.

"Do you know how fucking guilty I felt about Hannah killing herself because of shit I did?" he asked her. "Do you have any idea how fucking guilty I'd feel if you did the same thing?"

"I'm not going to do the same thing," Ophelia huffed.

Justin swallowed. "You've never said shit like that before."

But she felt like he barely knew her before the tapes.

"I've never felt like it before."

"Is this about Homecoming?" The question felt more like a statement.

Past the window, Justin saw Zach approaching the car. Ophelia saw him too. She grabbed the door handle to push it open.

But before she went outside she told Justin, very clearly, "Isn't everything about Homecoming now?"

Justin watched Zach and Ophelia meet each other. The whole time, he wondered if she lied to him. Maybe he was a reason. He felt like he'd be a reason for everyone.

"Hey," Zach greeted her, softly. "How was, um, the cemetery?"

It honestly made him uncomfortable even thinking about it.

"It was nice," she told him. "There were fresh flowers. I think her mom might have been in town to put them there."

He offered a small smile.

"I'm glad. I was thinking, I could take you if you ever wanted to go again. Maybe we could make sure there aren't any weeds or anything that grow?"

Zach tried to picture Hannah's grave. He forced it out of his mind. Because thinking of her grave made him think of her death. It made him think of her sitting in a bathtub full of her own blood.

To bleed to death...what a terrifying thought. He gulped. The night before he took Ophelia to the abortion clinic, he had a nightmare of her bleeding out on the surgical table. Then after she decided not to go through with the procedure, he had a nightmare of her bleeding out during childbirth.

Zach didn't know what he would do if anything happened to. Especially if the baby survived, and she didn't.

Ophelia, oblivious to his mental troubles, smiled. "That'd be nice."

Zach nodded to Justin, who got out of the car with a blank look.

"You alright, Justin?"

He slowly looked up.

"Hm? Yeah. Yeah. Is Clay here yet?"

Zach shook his head.

"No, I haven't seen him."

That wasn't the answer Justin was hoping for. "He wasn't home when I woke up," he mentioned to them both.

Ophelia frowned, "Really? Where do you think he is?"

Justin tried to brush it off. "Hopefully just at Monet's or some shit." But his tone of voice showed he was obviously worried for his brother. "You know, last night Ani came over."

Zach chuckled. "I'm sure she did."

"Not like that," Justin said, quickly brushing off the sexual implication.

"What did she want?" Ophelia asked him.

"She was asking about this notebook?" Justin recalled. "I didn't know, I wasn't paying attention."

Zach's head snapped up. "A notebook?"

"Yeah, something Bryce had the night he died."

"Why would he have a notebook?" Ophelia asked, confused. "I mean, he just played a football game. He doesn't even have a notebook when he's in class." Ophelia stilled, and then repeated, "Well, he didn't carry one."

She realized she never went back to her Hillcrest classes after learning of his death. All her memories of the school he seemed to be in. It was sad, suddenly, thinking that he was gone forever.

"She just really wanted to find it," Justin told them. "Maybe that's where Clay went, I don't know. I think they thought whoever had it must have killed him."

"Do you think they killed him for the notebook?" Zach scoffed, like the idea was stupid.

Justin just shrugged. "Like I said, I didn't know. And I didn't know what they fuck could have been on there for someone to get so angry about him having it."

Zach just said again, "They think he was killed because of some stupid notebook?"

"That's ridiculous," Ophelia agreed.

It was hard to imagine a former classmate being murdered for something so small. Or for anything at all.

"I'm gonna go try calling Clay," Justin told them. He began typing in his phone, but suddenly looked up. "What the shit?"

The Hillcrest bus came rolling in. Ophelia recognized it immediately.

"That stupid assembly's today," Zach remembered, suddenly.

"God, so everyone's gonna be here?" Justin looked worried again. Security officers would be there in case of any trouble. "Clay better just be running late."

When Justin left, Ophelia turned to Zach with tedious suspicion.

"Do you know what they mean about a notebook?"

She noticed is tone when Justin brought it up, and his shifting eyes.

Zach hesitated.

He was already on edge from seeing Montgomery at practice, and from thinking of Bryce at all. He just wanted to take Ophelia home and forget about it.

But she brought up the thing he was trying to keep off his mind every day: Bryce's 'mysterious' death.

"W-What do you mean?" Zach asked her.

"You went to the pier to meet him," she said, confidently. "You were there before whoever..." Before whoever killed him. "You didn't see a notebook or anything?"

Quickly, Zach tried to think of an excuse. But it must have been hesitation that gave him away. Because he barely had time to think before Ophelia's eyes widened, and she turned completely to face him.

"You do know what they're talking about!"

How could he not mentioned it? How could he have not told her?

"I don't have it!" Zach insisted.

"Oh my god!" she shouted. "Zach, Ani thinks whoever had the notebook killed him."

"I don't have it!" he repeated. "I-I had it for maybe one second on the pier, and then I threw it."

"You threw it?" She couldn't believe her ears. "What if they find it with your fingerprints?"

"Well I fucking hope they don't!" he snapped at her.

Ophelia slumped her shoulders. She didn't like him yelling at her so loudly, and so aggressively. But she started the argument, so she knew it wasn't her place to complain.

"Well, what was it?" she asked, softer. "What kind of fucking notebook did he have that got him killed?"

She imagined the worse possibly. Maybe it was a list of his victims. Maybe it was a written confession to everything he had ever done.

"I don't know what it was," he admitted. "But it didn't get him killed. I mean, he was going to give it away anyways."

"Give it to who?" she asked. "To you?"

Zach bit his lip. "No."

She eyed him, suspiciously.

Zach sighed, and then admitted, "He wanted you to have it."

Ophelia fell silent. Any thought she had suddenly disappeared. She couldn't even process what he had said.

"What do you...What?"

Still, she couldn't figure out what he said to her. Her brain couldn't come up with any scenario where Bryce had something to give to her.

Zach gulped. "It's...why he wanted you to meet him, I guess. I don't know. I didn't stick around long." He hoped she couldn't tell he was making up part of his story in the spot.

"What was it?" Ophelia breathed.

What on earth could Bryce want her to have?

"I don't know," Zach said, honestly. "He said it was for you, and that if I didn't understand it, you would."

Ophelia stepped back from him. Zach looked hurt.

"How could you not tell me about this?" she demanded. "You said that you told him to stay away from me and that was it."

"That was it," he defended himself. He quickly added, "I mean, that was basically it."

"How could you not tell me?" she just repeated.

"It was nothing!" he insisted. She flinched at his loud voice. "It wasn't some book of secrets like fucking Clay and Ani seem to think it is. It was just some letters or shit like that."

"Letters?"

"Or a journal, I don't know. It didn't mean anything. It was probably some bullshit way of convincing you he changed."

"You should've told me," she snapped at him. "What if they find it with your fingerprints. They'll know you were there!"

"It's not there anymore," Zach assured her.

"How do you know that?"

Zach sighed. "Listen, the week Bryce first went missing, before the police went and checked the place out, I went back. There was nothing. It was gone."

Ophelia frowned, feeling suspicious and untrusting all of a sudden.

"When did you go back?" she asked him. "And why?"

Zach thought fast. "Look, I was scared. I was trying to figure out what happened."

"But-"

"It was nothing!" Zach told her. She flinched again. "They're grasping at straws because Clay's in trouble."

Ophelia gulped. "Maybe."

"I've got to get to morning practice, okay?"

Ophelia fell silent. She wanted to keep talking about it. But then again, she felt too weak to be able to handle more arguing. Especially if it contained yelling.

"Okay, yeah, fine." When he turned around she told him softly, "I love you."

Zach turned around quickly. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"I love you," he said back. "I'll see you at the assembly."

*****

"Fancy seeing you here," Ani joked. "Especially studying."

Montgomery rolled his eyes.

She took a seat across from the athlete, whose pleasant mood shifted when the annoying girl sat down.

He sat in the library again that day, but he couldn't focus. Hillcrest was visiting Liberty that day. Montgomery saw the buses pull in just before practice.

He skipped practice that morning. He knew he would get hell for it from his coach after school

"What the fuck do you want?"

Ani watched as Montgomery's face formed a frown.

She laughed. "I'm just sitting."

Montgomery scoffed. "Shouldn't you be fucking your murder boyfriend or something?"

When he said this, Ani tilted her head. "That's a nasty attitude you got there."

He slammed the textbook shut. "What the fuck do you want?"

Ani gave a short laugh. "I just came to talk. About Bryce. About Bryce on Homecoming night."

Montgomery scoffed, leaning back. "God, you're so fucking desperate."

"Am I?" she asked him, narrowing her eyes at him. "I heard he called your phone after the game."

Montgomery stilled. He quickly composed himself. "And what the fuck makes you think that?"

She shrugged. "Common knowledge to people that pay attention to the investigation."

He let out an annoyed laugh, "It's also common knowledge that you need to mind your fucking business or something bad will happen."

She tutted. "That's not what boys on probation should be saying to their female classmates. Not unless they want someone calling and complaining. I mean, threatening me? That would, if I'm aware, be a strike on your probation."

Montgomery took the library textbook and shoved it across the table at her. It hit her chest. She winced as the corners hit her. But she didn't show the pain.

"It's not a threat, it's a promise. Leave me alone, or you'll get your fucking ass beat." Hs shrugged, casually. "I'm not saying I'll do it. Maybe I'll get one of those cheerleaders to do it for me so you don't have to run to fucking HO. Would it feel less sexist getting your ass beat by a woman?"

Ani tilted her head and smiled at him. His anger didn't scare her. He was a handsome man. Even when angry.

"Oh, Monty. You're past the point of pretending you don't beat up woman."

If looks could kill, Montgomery would have ended her already.

Montgomery, frustrated, said, "If you knew he called me you should know we talked for two seconds. I answered, he asked where I was, I told him to fuck off. I was already with Charlie."

"But that's just what you claim," she said. "Who knows what really happened on the call which actually lasted thirteen seconds?"

He shook his head, angry. "I'm out of here."

Ani stuck her hand out, so he wouldn't leave.

He scoffed, "Get your bony ass arm-"

"I know Bryce had your notebook."

Montgomery's frown disappear. Actually, all emotion off his face disappear, as his head snapped up to stare at Ani.

"And I know he had it at Homecoming," she told him. "But the police never found it. No one found it."

Montgomery gulped. "How the fuck do you know about it?"

"You think Bryce didn't tell me about it?" she asked him. "He told me. He was proud of it actually."

Montgomery scoffed. "Proud? Bullshit."

She shook her head. "None here. He boasted about getting you to do it."

Montgomery shifted uncomfortably. "And what the fuck did he tell you exactly?"

"Don't worry about that," she told him. "Worry about the fact that it's out there."

Ani's eyes went up and down Montgomery. Not to check him out, although she hadn't minded doing that before, but to study him.

"Unless it's not out there. Unless you have it."

He scoffed, nervous. "I don't have shit."

"I would hope not," Ani told him, threateningly. "Because whoever has their hands on that notebook, definitely saw Bryce after the game Homecoming night." She looked deep in his eyes when she said, "I do hope it doesn't come out you were lying about where you were."

Montgomery gave her what could only be described  as a death stare. He stood up abruptly, the chair squeaking loudly, even though it was a carpeted floor.

"Stay the fuck away from me, you nosy bitch," he growled at her.

Ani smiled smugly as she saw him storm away, obviously worried.

Montgomery headed straight to the weight room, to clear his head. Weights always helped him do that. What he didn't anticipate was just as much stress to be caused there.

Especially as Diego came up to him with a worried appearance. Montgomery thought it was because he skipped practice. It was actually because of Charlie's behavior that morning.

Diego seemed unsure about bringing up the topic. "Hey, some people are starting to talk, man."

Montgomery frowned. He sat up on the bench press. "Talk about what?"

Diego looked around the weight room. Only a few guys from the team were there during lunch.

"About Homecoming."

Montgomery scoffed. But he felt his heartbeat accelerate. "What about it?"

Diego sighed. "Look, people are pointing out that you and Bryce were fighting that night."

"So?" Montgomery stood, and began adding more weight to the bench press. He then laid down. "Spot me?"

Diego sighed again, and went behind the bench press. He placed his hands just below the bar.

"You didn't see him that night after the game, right? Shit, man. I don't mind covering for you, but just promise you didn't do this shit."

Montgomery sat up again immediately. "Of course I didn't see him. Where the fuck is this coming from?"

Diego finally admitted, "It's Charlie, man. He's freaking out, asking people if they saw you."

Montgomery stood up now, angry. "Charlie's saying that?"

Diego just nodded. Montgomery scoffed.

"That's bullshit if he thinks I saw Bryce at all."

"That's what I said," Diego said quickly. "I mean, I know you two were buddies again."

No, they weren't exactly buddies in the very end. And Charlie knew that.

"Where is he?" Montgomery asked. "Let me talk to him."

"He's headed to the gym already," Diego told him, "For that fucking assembly with Hillcrest."

Montgomery rolled his eyes thinking about it.

"I'll help you talk to him just...tell me where you were. Tell me, promise me, you weren't anyone near Bryce, and I'll convince the rest of the guys to believe you."

Montgomery huffed. "I wasn't anywhere near Bryce."

Diego blew out a breath. "Okay, where were you?"

Montgomery hadn't planned on telling anyone else what happened. Or his version of what happened. He didn't want all the guys on the team trying something with her just because they thought she'd go for anything.

But it was him or her.

"I was with Ophelia."

Diego was taken aback. "What? Really?"

"I was heading home, and I saw her walking, so I took her home. She was turned away from the hospital or some shit." Maybe if he added more of the truth, his lie would be easier to believe. "We went to her house, and one thing led to another, alright?"

Diego blinked. "Wait-What?"

"Me and Ophelia fucked," he tried to say, casually. "That's why I haven't wanted anyone to know. It's why if you ask Ophelia where she was, she starts lying. If Zach finds out, we're both dead."

"Ophelia?" Diego still couldn't believe it. "But-her and Zach seem so solid."

"Now," Montgomery told him. "She started fucking him a lot more after Homecoming out of guilt."

Diego's eyes widened, like he was putting the pieces back together. "Oh shit, that's why he gets hella head from her now."

It was true Zach only started talking about their sexual relationship in the locker room after Homecoming.

"Exactly," Montgomery breathed. "Look, Charlie's freaking out over nothing. He just gets anxious."

Montgomery turned, Diego grabbed his arm. "Wait, does this mean you two are gonna get back together?"

No. It didn't mean that. No matter how much he wanted it to.

"No," he told him. "I'm gonna go find Charlie."

Because he needed to get him to stop asking questions.

*****

The deflated feeling in Ophelia's heart went away as she entered the gym.

"Hey, Ophelia!"

Her attention was brought to the opposite bleachers, where the boys from Hillcrest sat. She smiled to herself, and waved, but they kept calling over to her.

"Ophelia!" This time it was some of her old cheer friends.

She started to call back to them, until a teacher pointed for her to sit down.

She took a seat next to Zach, still smiling to herself.

"Is that your boyfriend, Ophelia?" one of the boys asked loudly, knowing it would embarrass her. Some of them started to make fake kissing noises

"You got some admirers," Justin laughed, as he came and sat next to her.

Ophelia rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile on her face.

"They're just being annoying," she told him. "I'll-I'll go talk to them later."

Across the gym, Montgomery and Diego took a seat next to Charlie, who had been watching the interaction between Ophelia and Hillcrest. He stiffened when Montgomery sat next to him, and patted his shoulder.

"What's been going on with you, Charlie?" Montgomery asked, his voice almost threatening without him even trying.

Charlie gulped. "N-Nothing, man. What's up with you?"

Montgomery shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering why you keep trying to fuck up everyone's story for Homecoming night?"

Charlie suddenly looked panicked. "I-I'm not trying to mess anything up."

Montgomery just smiled at him. "I would fucking hope not. We'd all be fucked if you did some shit like that. Even you."

One of the Hillcrest boys suddenly shouted in the gym, "Come back over here, O!" As her former friends tried to coax her to sit in their area of the gym.

One guy boldly announced, "Miss seeing you in your uniform!"

Ophelia looked away, obviously trying to hide her face, not knowing how many people heard. She was obviously embarrassed by it.

Charlie noticed Montgomery gain a deep frown. It was as if jealously ran through him each and every time Ophelia received positivity from anyone other than him. Charlie felt worried for her, because he knew how uncontrollable Montgomery was when feeling jealous.

But Montgomery just chuckled, despite his obvious irritation. "She'll fucking flirt in front of the whole school. Including her boyfriend."

"She didn't say anything back," Charlie told him.

Montgomery just told him, confidently. "Thats because she doesn't mind it, Charlie. She likes it. She always like it."

Charlie just nodded, and looked back at Ophelia across the gym. He watched that blonde cheerleader come up to her quickly.

Ophelia was surprised as Marisa suddenly came in front of her, a frown on her face.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" she asked her, anger in her voice.

Ophelia felt put on the spot. "I haven't been avoiding you."

She had.

"That's bullshit," Marisa told her, "You haven't talked to me in days."

Ophelia shrank back. There was so much anger towards her that day. From Justin, from Zach, from Marisa. And it was all her fault.

Zach spoke up for her with a quick, "She's been busy."

Marisa basically glared at him. "With what?"

"I'm sorry, Marisa," Ophelia said, quickly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Why don't you sit with us?"

Ophelia really hadn't meant to upset her. She was scared Marisa would find out about the pregnancy. She would be so humiliated. Marisa was way more sexually active than her, and she's never had a real pregnancy scare.

Marisa huffed, but sat down, squeezing her way in between Justin and Ophelia. Justin frowned at her, and was about to say something. Ophelia gave me a quick look to nonverbally tell him that if he said anything, it wouldn't end well.

"Where's Paul?" Ophelia asked aloud, hoping to take Marisa's attention off of her.

Marisa pointed him out on the other side of the gym. He came in late. Ophelia smiled, and waved to him. Paul waved back enthusiastically at them. Zach looked away.

Jessica walked into the gym. She took a seat in the front near the principal. She had a defeated look on her face. It made sense. Ophelia wouldn't want to be there either. When Jessica sat, Principal Bolan went up to the microphone.

"Welcome, everyone," he said, to begin. "And a very special welcome to our guests from Hillcrest. We would like this to be a time to come together. The interruption of our Homecoming game inflamed feelings on all sides."

Ophelia flinched when she heard the word 'Homecoming'. She had tried to stop herself. If anyone else saw it, they would assume she was sensitive to the day because of the fight, and because of Zach's injury.

But Justin and Zach knew the truth now. The ugly truth she had been able to hide for months. And she felt embarrassed reacting that way, and she suddenly felt like she needed to hide her true feelings.

Bolan continued, "And this was followed a few days later by the news of a tragic death of a former Liberty and recent Hillcrest student, Bryce Walker."

Ophelia couldn't help her eyes shifting to Zach. He was all she thought about anymore when someone mentioned Bryce. She couldn't stop her mind from imaging what could have really happened when they spoke together that night. Bryce's last night.

"Now, I've spoken at length with the student leadership and Hillcrest administrators. We agreed that it was time to bring our schools together for a day of accountability and healing. And with that in mind..." Bolan turned. "Jessica Davis, student body president, and organizer of the protest, would like to offer a few words."

There was an applause among the teachers. It was forced onto the students as well.

Jessica stood up and took the podium.

"Thank you, Principal Bolan. You're absolutely right that at times like these, people need to be held accountable for their mistakes."

There was a confidence in her voice. Yet, it almost sounded sarcastic.

"And after something dramatic happens, it's important to focus on healing."

She took a pause.

"But the thing is...how anybody supposed to heal if all we do is cover up the wounds and hope that they'll go away?"

There was a low murmur as students registered her words.

"We have to look at them and recognize them for what they are. We have to be honest about who actually got hurt and how."

Ophelia saw a few women from HO nodding.

"The protest I led was an attempt to draw to attention to the rape culture in boys' sports and throughout our school. And yes, I admit that the way I went about it wasn't perfect. I'm sorry for how it all ended up I really am. But making mistakes is part of being a survivor."

Ophelia felt Zach reach out and grab her hand. And Ophelia wasn't sure if it was because of Jessica's speech, or because he was becoming nervous with everyone talking about Homecoming night again.

"At first you think you're, like, permanently broken. But then...little by little...you start picking up the pieces, and you start realizing what you're making is a mirror. The more of those pieces that you put together, the more you start to see yourself."

A boy sitting a few rows behind them muttered, "What the fuck is she talking about?"

A few boys laughed, but a girl near him shushed him.

"But maybe we start start picking up those pieces of that mirror together, and we can finally see the truth."

"Why is she taking about mirrors?" another boy asked in a sarcastic tone.

Marisa turned to him and snapped, "Can you shut the fuck up and listen?"

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and she turned back and put her attention back onto Jessica.

"If you think sexual assault doesn't affect your life, you're wrong. There are survivors all around us. People you care about who you never knew were suffering in silence."

Ophelia felt herself panicking, because she saw Justin staring at her from the corner of her eye. She didn't look at him, and she tried her hardest not to look at Zach either.

Why was this so humiliating? It shouldn't be embarrassing at all. She didn't do anything wrong, but she felt so out of place and scared. She just wanted Justin to stop looking at her.

"Let them know that you're there to listen," Jessica said, sincerely. "It's time for you to know the survivors in your life. To hear their stories and to know that their voice matters."

Jessica began walking forward, and came to a stop in the middle of the gym floor.

"My name is Jessica Davis, and I'm a survivor."

Ophelia raised her hands to clap for her, assuming the speech was over. But suddenly, Casey, shot in from her seat on the bleachers.

"My name is Casey Ford, and I'm a survivor."

There was no time to process her announcement, before another girl jumped up as well.

"My name is Janelle Martin, and I'm a survivor."

Three girls was a pattern. This was becoming a pattern. Ophelia wondered, was this planned? It had to be, because another girl jumped to her feet.

"My name is Maggie Kim, and I'm a survivor."

They must have planned it in an HO meeting. Ophelia recognized them all.

"My name is Lina Ochoa, and I'm a survivor."

They obviously weren't embarrassed at all. And for a moment, Ophelia envied them. They were telling everyone that something so awful happened to them? How did they have the strength to do that?

"My name is Sarah Stern, I'm a survivor."

Sarah Stern? Ophelia knew her from her Econ class. She wasn't from HO. In fact, she didn't seem anything like them.

There was a pause for a moment, and everyone was too busy looking at these woman to talk amongst themselves.

But further down, just a few people away, Robby Corman suddenly stood. Robby Corman, from her PE class. A quiet boy, who would something walk along with Marisa and Ophelia when they decided to walk the entire mile run. He never was as competitive as the other boys in their class.

Ophelia filled with dread as he stood to his feet.

"My name is Robby Corman, and I'm a survivor."

She let out a breath, shocked. As shocked as when Justin confessed his past to her.

Marisa turned to Ophelia with wide eyes. "Robby?"

"I didn't..." Ophelia didn't know. How could you guess something like that?

Another girl from HO stood up.

"My name is Tanya Brown, I'm a survivor."

Ophelia felt Justin's eyes on her again. And I'm that moment, just by looking at his eyes, she knew what he wanted of her. He wanted her to stand.

Ophelia shook her head at him, quickly.

She couldn't. No way she could. No way.

She wasn't like these other girls. She'd never be like these girls. She would never be comfortable with everyone knowing. It was bad enough they knew Montgomery hit her. She'd rather die than everyone know the rest.

Justin still looked at her, as if he was pleading for her to change her mind. But she couldn't.

She watched Justin take a deep breath. Then, all at once, he stood.

Marisa gasped, as did more people in the gym.

Justin cleared his throat, and took another breath of air. "My name is Justin Foley, and I'm a survivor."

This shocked Ophelia more than anything. Justin had just admitted to her he never told anyone else what happened. But now everyone knew what happened.

Jessica's eyes widened, obviously unaware of the information.

Justin turned around again, and glanced once more at Ophelia.

She wanted to apologize, but also didn't want to speak at all.

She couldn't stand.

She couldn't stand.

And so she made him stand alone.

"My name is Stephanie Rodriguez, and I am a goddamn survivor," a girl across announced loudly.

No one from Hillcrest stood. It may have been none of them experienced what girls from Liberty did. Or maybe they were like Ophelia, and were raised to be embarrassed by it.

"To those of you who are still seated, I know a lot of you still have stories, but you're not ready to share them yet, and that's okay," Jessica spoke into the microphone. "When you're ready, we'll listen. And we'll continue to fight to make sure that no one is assaulted, harassed, or abused at this school."

Ophelia's attention was brought to Zach, who without saying anything, stood up, grabbing his crutches, and left the gym, going out the door closer to them.

"Zach?" Ophelia tried getting his attention. He didn't look back at her, he just left.

He was angry, Ophelia could tell just by the look on his face, but she had no idea why.

"Where's he going?" Marisa asked.

Ophelia had nothing to say. Not even to Justin, who looked over just as confused.

Jessica walked further, now almost halfway into the room. "We're not going to worship male athletes for their skills on the field, while ignoring what they do off of it. We won't idolize these boys who promote rape culture. Like the boys who 'accidentally' walk into the girls locker room while the cheer team is showering."

When Jessica said this, she turned and looked straight at a boy who looked like a sophomore, with thick rimmed glasses. He shrunk into his seat more as her gaze fell on him.

Whoops were heard from a few girls in the crowd.

Ophelia cringed her nose is disgust. That happened here?

"Or the boys who act like it's normal to keep giving girls alcohol at parties so it's easier to convince them to have sex."

Jessica looked right at a few football players when she said this, they glared at her.

Ophelia saw Prinicpal Bolan stiffen.

Jessica turned, suddenly, to the bleachers across from Ophelia.

"Or even the boys who are great at football, but who are also on probation for physical assault on a girlfriend half their size."

There was a full moment where Ophelia suddenly stopped breathing.

Her eyes fell on Montgomery immediately. He stiffened, and then glared. Charlie's head snapped over to look at him.

Ophelia couldn't see his hands, but she knew from all her experience with him that his hands were now fists, and he gripped them together so tightly his fingernails were probably digging into his skin.

Jessica was humiliating Montgomery.

But she was also humiliating Ophelia.

Because after everyone looked to Montgomery, they looked to her for a reaction. She didn't know how to give them one.

Marisa place a hand on her arm, seeing her stunned expression

"We are ridding rape culture from this school," Jessica said, confidentially. "We will not sit down. We will not be quiet. We will not rest until that happens."

The bleachers exploded in applause.

Ophelia couldn't find herself clapping. She felt sick.

How could Jessica do that? Just call attention back to everything that had happened to her, and then act like it didn't happen?

She drew attention to everyone who was a victim. And Ophelia knew it was a good thing, and the speech was great, and Jessica would only make the school better.

But Ophelia felt worse than ever.

She glanced across the bleachers again. Montgomery was talking with Diego and Charlie. He seemed so angry all of a sudden.

And then his eyes fell on her. And then to the empty seat next to her.

When he looked away, it was like he took the rest of her confidence with her.

"What the fuck is that bitch's problem?" Montgomery scoffed, speaking quietly to his friends.

"She's like the feminist queen bee around here," Diego said with a sigh. "Maybe she felt like she had to say something."

"She fucking didn't," Montgomery snapped.

"Does she think something else happened with you and Ophelia?" Charlie asked him.

Montgomery looked at Charlie suspiciously.

"What do you mean, Charlie?" 

He regretted his words. "Nothing, never mind."

Montgomery let out almost a laugh. "Tell me, Charlie. What do you thinks going on?"

"I don't know," Charlie said. "Maybe Ophelia regretted what happened."

Montgomery hesitated. "She didn't regret shit. I can fucking prove it too."

Charlie looked unsure. "How?"

"Pick something," Montgomery said. "She'd let me do whatever. I could go up and slap her ass and she won't say shit."

Diego frowned. "No way. She wouldn't let you do that in front of anyone. She'd mouth off if you did that while you were dating."

Montgomery swallowed, expecting Charlie to say no. "Well, that's how sure I am."

But he wasn't expecting was for Charlie to say, "Okay."

Montgomery blinked. "Okay, you believe me?"

"Slap her ass," Charlie said. "And, yeah. If she doesn't say anything she's obviously still obsessed with you."

Charlie suspected she wouldn't even let him close.

Montgomery shrugged. "Okay, I will. You'll see."

And while he sounded confident, he was anything but.

When the assembly was over, students filled the gym floor, chatting before having to be sent to their next period. It was an upbeat room given the conversation.

Ophelia was able to talk with Paul and Marisa. Marisa was so set on setting up a movie date. But Ophelia didn't know when Zach would ever be up to something like that.

"Why did he leave so suddenly?" Marisa asked her.

Ophelia just had to say, honestly. "I don't know."

"How about you come to one of our games?" Paul asked. "Both of you?"

Marisa sighed. "Babe, you know I'm always cheering."

He rolled his eyes. "Then let me take you to dinner afterwards?"

Marisa giggled. "You take me to dinner too much. God, I've gotten so fat already. We need to find something to do that's less calories."

Ophelia glanced up and down Marisa's body, and recognized how completely skinny she was. If Marisa was considered fat, Ophelia didn't even want to know what she was.

At least if Zach noticed how big she was he would blame it on the pregnancy.

Ophelia looked over and saw Justin talking to Charlie. She felt a pang in her heart. And she felt like she betrayed him.

He stood, in front of everyone, and said he was a survivor. And she...didn't.

There were so many people standing up, but she felt like she left him standing alone.

"I'll be right back," she told Marisa.

Marisa just gave a quick, "That's fine."

Ophelia walked up to Justin, cautiously. Charlie caught her eye and walked towards her.

"Hey," he said, before she reached Justin.

"Hi," she breathed.

He looked unsure. "Some assembly, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess."

Ophelia didn't know what else to say to that.

There was a bead of sweat running down Charlie's forehead. He was obviously nervous. For what?

"Hey, um, I noticed you didn't, um..."

He trailed off, and Ophelia looked at him, blankly.

"I meant to ask you something," he told her.

Now, she was the nervous one.

"Hey, Charlie!"

Diego called Charlie over. He was standing with Montgomery and another football player on the other side of the gym.

Charlie looked ahead. "Oh, um, I better go."

"Alright," she said, still confused why the conversation ever took place in the first place.

When he left, she finally reached Justin.

She didn't know what to say. She could only try to apologize.

"Hey, I'm really sorry that I couldn't-"

Justin cut her off quickly. "Ophelia, come on. Don't-Don't apologize."

"I just feel so bad," she admitted to him. She gulped, and felt her voice waver when she said, "I didn't mean to make you stand alone."

"I wasn't alone," he told her. "There were plenty of people standing."

Ophelia stepped forward, and hugged him. Justin was surprised. Shocked, almost. And while her embrace was warm, in touch and in feeling, Justin found himself hesitant to hug back. When she pulled away he asked, lowly, "That doesn't, like, squish anything?"

Ophelia managed out a chuckle. "No, it doesn't. I mean, I don't think. I'm not an expert of anything."

Her eye caught onto Jessica, who was coming up behind him.

"Hey," Jessica greeted Justin. "Do you have a minute?"

Justin seemed thrilled she came up to him on her own. "Y-Yeah, of course."

He turned to Ophelia, apologetic.

"I have to go anyway," she told them. "I'm gonna grab my bag off the bleachers."

Ophelia headed back, and grabbed her book bag she had left there.

She took a deep breath.

There was no way she could have stood without feeling completely humiliated. She knew she had no reason to, but she would've felt that way. Especially in front of all the people at Hillcrest, who still had a positive view of her.

"Hey, O."

Ophelia felt herself freeze. She didn't turn around.

She clenched her jaw, and put her bag on her shoulder.

She jumped, suddenly.

She felt someone so close behind her that they were touching her. There was nothing Ophelia could do in that moment. She couldn't move at all. She felt frozen in place as she felt hot breath on the back of her neck.

"Glad you didn't stand, O."

She heard the cruel voice taunt her.

"Nice to hear you're not a survivor."

He laughed when he said the final words.

Montgomery leaned in closer. She felt his chest touch her back. He whispered, so close to her ear that it sounded almost like a shout, "Because most survivors don't like it, right?"

She felt his hand squeeze her butt, harshly.

Ophelia turned around, her heart beating in her ear.

And in her mind, there was no end to the extremities she wanted to shout at him. There was no word too harsh to shout. No name too cruel to call him.

And in her mind, she screamed at him. She slapped him. She pushed him, and told him if he ever touched her again it would be the last thing he ever did.

But that was all in her mind.

Her mind...the place that wanted to be violent was also the same place that told her not to move, not to speak, not even to breath. If she did anything that he didn't like, her mind told her he was going to hit her. Or worse, he would grab her again.

He had only grabbed her, but he might as well have dug his nails into her skin until she bled.

Ophelia stood, frozen, being tortured by her own mind and past experiences. She was being controlled by her mind that convinced her if she spoke back to him in that moment, he would force himself on her all over again.

So all she could do was stare in horror, as he winked at her. And she saw him back off, and start walking back to this friends.

And it wasn't until his back was turned that she finally could breath.

Ophelia felt panicked. Like the first day Zach drove her back to Liberty, and she had a panic attack in the car. Montgomery hurting her was all she could think about on her first day back.

But she wasn't as scared as she was now. Because before she didn't have people in her ear telling her she had been raped. She had been ashamed of her own mistakes, and her own weakness against his strength. But now that she knew what happened was rape? Complete, non consensual rape?

How would she ever be able to bare seeing him again, knowing that it was no longer her wrong decisions that led to the terrible event? It was his lust, which could be refueled anytime.

Anytime.

Anytime.

Anytime.

Ophelia felt sick.

The past few weeks she convinced herself she was safe. She would never allow him in her home, or in her life again. She would never let him take advantage of her again.

But Montgomery could just decide to do it again. At. Any. Time.

There was nothing she could do, was there?

Even here, in the middle of school, he had come up and grabbed her in such an intimate area. At a fucking assembly about sexual assault.

There was nothing she could do.

About Montgomery.

About anyone.

So many people had stood up, Ophelia wondered how many of them had been hurt by a Liberty student. How many other rapists were running around, laughing, playing football?

How many other boys watched her and knew that they would be able to overpower her anytime they wanted to?

Anytime.

It could happen again at anytime.

Had she been able to move, she would have ran. Ran out the door, probably to the bathroom, and probably to throw up due to nausea.

But she hadn't been able to. She felt frozen. And alone, and vulnerable.

So, completely, absolutely vulnerable.

Montgomery walked back to meet Charlie and Diego, barely ten feet away from Ophelia, when he was suddenly shoved so hard he hit the gym floor.

The squeaking of fast moving tennis shoes on the basketball court is what finally snapped Ophelia out of her trance.

Her eyes adjusted to the sudden situation.

Montgomery was on the ground.

And Marisa was above him.

Marisa had come up on him suddenly, and caught him completely off guard, even though she had a running start.

The whole gym seemed to stop for a moment. People had been trickling out, so there was less than thirty kids still in there, the ones who cared the least about class. They were all obviously intrigued about what was going on.

Justin and Jessica stopped conversing immediately, and looked over.

Charlie's eyes were wide, but his reaction was quick. Especially as Montgomery rushed back to his feet, and ran at Marisa. Charlie held him back.

"The fuck is your problem, you crazy ass bitch?"

"You think I'm fucking blind?" she snapped. She stood, unafraid, as Diego came over to restrain Montgomery too.

"I don't give a fuck what you are," Montgomery snapped through gritted teeth, obviously becoming humiliated.

Justin and Jessica hurried over.

"Fuck you!" Marisa yelled at him.

"What the fuck's going on?" Justin asked at the same time Jessica asked, "What happened?"

"Fuck off, Foley," Montgomery seethed at him, "Go take some more fucking pills."

He caught Justin off guard. Justin's mouth fell open, and all he could do was pray no one took Montgomery serious when he said that.

"He grabbed Ophelia's ass," Marisa said with a huff, unafraid of the consequences.

Again, Ophelia felt froze, as eyes momentarily fell on her before back into Montgomery.

"And you're lucky my boyfriend left already or else I'd have kick yours," Marisa finish with a snarl.

Diego let go of Montgomery as he calmed down, and instead stood still with fury.

"Your new boyfriend? Or the one you fucked on video?"

Ophelia watched as Marisa froze.

Montgomery scoffed, a smile playing at his lips. "Yeah, we didn't forget watching you spread your legs wider than some pornstar whore."

Marisa took a step back, shocked and suddenly flushed with humiliation.

"Monty, shut the fuck up," Justin snapped at him.

Justin glanced at Ophelia. "Did he grab you?"

Again, all eyes fell on her. And this time, they didn't go away. And she didn't know what to say, or what to do.

All she knew was she wanted to get rid of those eyes on her. She wanted to get out as quickly as she could.

"Tell them," Marisa urged her, beyond furious at Montgomery.

"He..."

She felt at a loss for words. She felt like she was going insane. She wanted to talk so badly but just couldn't get anything out.

Justin must have realized this.

He took her by the arm, and seethed to Montgomery, "I'll fucking deal with you later."

Montgomery just scoffed, and laughed, as Justin walked out of the gym, taking Ophelia with him. His grip was the only reason she was able to move.

When they were far outside the gym, and just outside the main doors, Justin let go of her.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

She felt the sudden urge to divulge to him, "I-I don't know, Montgomery j-just came out of nowhere."

"Did he grab you like Marisa said?"

Ophelia cringed. After a moment, she nodded, slowly.

Justin's whole face fell.

"Why the fuck didn't you say anything?" he asked her. He seemed more upset to ask, "Why didn't you call for me?"

"I'm sorry!" she said, suddenly. "I suck at this, okay? I-I just suck-"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" His voice was suddenly annoyed. "I'm not saying that. I'm just asking why you didn't try to say anything. Did he, like, threaten you?"

In a way, he had. Seeing as his existence was a threat to her.

"Did he say anything?" Justin pressed.

Ophelia glared at the ground, and turned her head away from his eye contact.

"He said he noticed I didn't stand up. During the assembly."

Justin's shoulders dropped.

"That didn't mean anything, though. I mean, you not standing doesn't ducking mean anything."

"I guess it did to him," she told him. "And it probably means a lot to everyone else."

"Who else?"

"Everyone. If I ever try to come clean about what happened. They'll all remember I didn't stand, they-they'll all remember."

"It doesn't fucking matter whether you stood or not," he told her. "I'm sure there were other girls who didn't stand."

Ophelia felt her voice crack when she said, "Well, it must have mattered to Zach."

Justin fell silent. Ophelia admitted what she had been dreading. He left the assembly because he was angry at her for not standing.

"What if Montgomery tells everybody what happened?" Ophelia said, suddenly on the verge of tears. "What if he tells them about how I let him walk me home, and-and how I let him come inside?"

"Ophelia, people know what he's capable of. Especially after the tapes-"

"The tapes don't matter!" she insisted.

She wasn't just on the verge of tears anyone, the tears started pouring out.

"He can just tell them whatever he wants to!" Ophelia took a deep breath. "He can tell them I liked it!"

"Why does it matter what he says?" he asked. "People will believe you. They'll believe the truth."

Ophelia bit her tongue, stepping back.

They finally made eye contact again.

There was no part of her that wanted anyone knowing what happened to her that night, especially what happened when Montgomery forced himself on her. When he forced her, against her will, to orgasm.

But the information seemed too critical. She couldn't possibly imagine Montgomery keeping it a secret. He threatened so many times to tell people already. She was sure he would. She was sure everyone would know.

She was sure Justin would eventually know. But she didn't want him to find out from Montgomery.

Her heart broke as she admitted, to the first person ever, with wavers and cracks in her voice, "What if it's almost the truth?"

Justin's face turned to one of confusion. "What do you mean? Like, he'll convince people?"

"No," she breathed. "I mean, what if..."

She turned away again. "Never mind."

"Wait," he pulled her to face him again. "I can listen, come on."

"Justin, I-I can't."

She pulled out of his grip, turned around, and plopped herself down on the of the steps. She wrapped her arms around her legs.

Justin watched her for a moment, before slowly sitting next to you.

"Why are you so scared he'd tell people you liked it..." Justin asked her, "...if you can just tell them you didn't?"

Ophelia shook her head. He couldn't understand.

Justin asked, slowly, "Do you think people won't see it as rape just because your body didn't know you were being raped?"

Ophelia's head snapped to him, and she found her mouth dropping open.

Justin was able to use one sentence to describe what she was trying to figure out for months.

"I..." she struggled for the words. "Justin, I don't know. But I swear to you, I didn't want any part of it."

"I know," he told her. He cleared his throat. "I mean, I told you already the reason I stood. Because of my moms fucked up boyfriends, but, um..."

She saw his hesitation.

His eyes grew red and watery.

"It wasn't just them." He cleared his throat again. "When I was living on the streets, I was always, um, running put of money. And I was addicted then. And I was starving. So sometimes I agreed to do things to them for money. And...sometimes they did things to me I didn't want them doing."

Ophelia felt her tears return, but this time they were bigger. They stung her eyes, and she couldn't keep them from falling down her face, even when she tried blinking them away.

"But, all that shit that happened while I was homeless never fucking meant anything compared to when I was a kid. Because you expect that shit from people at my age, but not-not then."

"Justin..." her voice came out in a sob.

She pictured him on the streets, trying for money anyway possible. She pushed the picture out of her mind, it was too horrifying.

He only continued, "Right after I turned nine, that boyfriend came back for a few months. It had been almost a year since I saw him last, but the fear was just as strong when I saw him again."

He swallowed hard. "I remember he hit my mom that night. It's so vivid, the memory. So she went and passed out in her room alone. And then-then he came into my bed again, just like all those times before. And he touched me. But, this time...it was different. I got h-hard."

He had to stop again, and he gulped loudly. "He-He noticed. He said he was glad I liked it. And then he-he started jerking me off. And I had never done it before, so I didn't know what was happening, only what I saw other guys do to themselves. And then I, um, I finished and shit."

Ophelia could only watch as Justin relieved his worse memory. Her hand flew over her mouth, withholding her sudden sobs.

Justin kicked the ground. He recalled, regretfully, "And I remember how happy he was. It was like he knew that shit would keep me quiet. And it did. And he kept doing it for a few more months, after every time saying if I told anyone I'd just be admitting what kind of faggot I was. So I never told anyone. Ever. But I know I didn't want it, Ophelia. I know I didn't want it."

He sniffed loudly, and turned to her finally. "I don't know why I got hard. It doesn't fucking make sense to me. Because all he caused me was pain."

"Justin, I'm so sorry," she cried. "I never knew. I'm-I'm so sorry I never knew-"

"I never wanted anyone to know," he told her. "But telling someone isn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I guess, I feel like I finally got this weight off my chest. Especially since I felt like it was my fault. I-I always got hard, so it was like I was physically telling him I wanted to do it again."

Ophelia had never felt such strong hatred towards someone she didn't know.

"That wasn't your fault," she told him. "Especially once you first start getting those hormones, your body will react like that to anything."

"And it's not your fault either," he told her. "So even if he tells people you liked it...and it's not a complete lie...it wouldn't be your fault."

Ophelia gulped.

She admitted to him, "It's just...I can't stop thinking about Hannah."

Justin frowned, "Hannah?"

"The way she describes Bryce forcing himself in her...it's so painful in every way. Girls have said rape feels someone ripping them in half. It-It caused blood and scarring. But it didn't hurt me like that. I-I barely felt uncomfortable. The worse pain was..." she took a deep breath.

"It was his belt buckle pressing against my leg. That was the fucking worse pain. A fucking metal belt buckle pressing, and rubbing, and cutting my leg. And that's where my mind kept being drawn to the entire time. I'm sure Hannah would've given anything to just have to worry about a fucking belt buckle."

"Just because he didn't hurt you enough doesn't mean he didn't hurt you," Justin said, solemnly. "And it doesn't mean he can keep fucking touching you like that shit didn't happen. I'm not gonna let him."

Ophelia watched as Justin ran a hand over his face.

"The night of Jessica's party I felt like the worst fucking person in the world," he admitted to her. "I let what happen to me, happen to the person I cared most about in the world. I became my junkie mom who..." she saw him choke on his own sob. "...who I know damn fucking well knew what those men were doing, but cared too much about her fucking pills to say anything about it." He gulped. "I know what Montgomery is now. He's not gonna be bothering you anymore. He's not gonna get the fucking chance."

Ophelia felt herself scooting closer, and leaning onto Justin. He would've wrapped a hand around her, but didn't know how she'd react to that.

They stayed on the outside steps for a moment, in silence.

He chuckled, suddenly.

She snapped back up.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But you know what's crazy? I totally forgot you were pregnant for a minute. Does that ever happen to you?"

Ophelia only let out a chuckle in reply. "Justin, I've only know about it for a few days, that's not enough time to forget about it."

He laughed and said, "Okay, sorry."

She smiled, but felt it go away suddenly.

She admitted to him, "Sometimes, when I'm with Zach, I forget he might not be the father."

Justin told her, "I know it's a long shot, but he could be, right?"

Ophelia looked away. "I honestly don't know."

"You could always, you know, get a test. A DNA test or something like that."

"Can you get one while pregnant?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Should I even try?" she breathed. "What if as soon as he knows for sure that it's Montgomery's he's gone?"

"He won't be. But, if he is, it's better to know now."

Ophelia sighed, deeply.

"Hey," he told her. "I know I'm not the father, and I'm telling you I'm staying."

"Why?" she asked him. "Why do you care so much? Why is this such a big deal for you?"

Justin felt bad, because he had to answer, "I-I don't know. It just feels...important."

Ophelia sighed.

Justin said, seriously, "But maybe because I'm your husband?"

They both started laughing.

After a moment, when they quieted down, Justin told her, "If the reason you don't want anyone to know about Homecoming is because of...finishing, then you don't have to. But I think you should tell Zach."

"What if he's mad at me?" she gulped.

"He won't be. I promise, he won't be."

But there was a part of Ophelia that felt like if Zach learned that information, he would never understand.

*****

"Fuck this shit," Montgomery scoffed, tossing his backpack into the back of his car.

He had enough of school for the day.

Fucking Marisa never knew how to keep her whore mouth shut.

At least Charlie didn't seem so on edge anymore. He had seen him grab Ophelia, and saw that she didn't speak against him. Not even when Marisa pointed it out. He was calming down again.

Estella hopped into the car with Montgomery.

"So, what did you think of the assembly?" she asked him.

Montgomery pulled out of the parking lot.

He scoffed. "The assembly? What about it?"

"It was cool, right?" she asked. "HO's really cool."

"They fucking called me out in the speech," Montgomery scoffed. "How could you think that's cool?"

Estella shrank back. "It wasn't just you," she told him. "It was just, I don't know..."

Montgomery rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Estella."

Estella glared at him. "Maybe if you hadn't done such awful shit girls wouldn't feel the need to call you out."

Montgomery clenched his hands tightly around the steering wheel.

"Shut the fuck up, Estella."

But she didn't.

"You know I heard the tapes, right?"

Montgomery felt himself freeze. No, he didn't know she heard them. She knew of them. But he had never thought of whether or not she heard them. He had hoped she never would.

She continued. "You made me want to throw up."

"Shut the fuck up!" he yelled again.

"Ophelia is my friend!" she told him. "She would've been so perfect for you!"

"Imma throw you out the fucking car if you keep talking," he snapped at her.

She grit her teeth together. She said, lower, "You looked me right in the eye two years ago and told me you got in a car accident, and that's how Ophelia broke her nose. You had me go shopping with you to find stuff to make her feel better. I didn't know I was looking for apology gifts because you fucking hit her."

Montgomery kept his eyes on the road, but his anger was rising.

"And that night Hannah talked about her calling and saying you were going to kill her? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"Fuck off, Estella!" he yelled at her. Obviously, he hadn't been thinking anything at all.

"You always told me you were never going to end up like dad!" she shouted, her voice wavering. "How could you do that? Monty, I-I just have to try to pretend it never happened. But it doesn't work. Everyone remembers what you did!"

They neared the house.

"You don't know anything," he told her.

She huffed. "Have you even listened to your tape?"

Montgomery paused for a long moment. "Yeah, I did."

"When?"

"Over the summer, what the fuck does it matter?"

"I don't want you to be like that anymore!" she said. "I just want you to be my big brother again! I want you to get back to how you used to be."

"How do you I haven't always been like that?" he asked her.

Estella grew silent for a moment before saying, "I know you haven't always been like that. Not before. Even when dad-"

"Dad used to beat the fuck out of me," Montgomery snapped at her. "He still fucking does. But when I was younger, and he could literally throw me around, shit was always worse. If he hit me, and I hit him back, he would keep hitting me. But if I didn't hit him back, he would beat me extra hard for being a 'pussy'. I never had a chance of turning out any fucking other way, Estella."

Estella stayed silent as he pulled into their driveway.

Estella slammed the door roughly as she got out.

"Slam my fucking door again and I'll slam your face in it!" he threatened her, before slamming his door shut.

He saw her throw the door open, and then freeze. He heard his voice as he walked up to the door.

"What are you doing home, Papi?"

Montgomery slowed. What was his dad doing home? Normally, he didn't get back until later.

"Go to your room," he heard his father's cruel voice.

Estella glanced back at Montgomery, before hurrying out of sight.

Montgomery walked in completely, closing the door behind him. He saw his father sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a beer.

The sight was normal. But the belt his father held tightly in his hand chilled Montgomery to his core.

"H-Hey dad, what's up?"

The tough guy Montgomery was at school disappeared in an instant. And he felt like a child again, waiting for his father to lash out at him for an unknown reason.

His father just glared daggers at him.

Montgomery, feeling frightened, headed for his room. He stopped dead in his tracks after hearing his voice.

"You some kind of faggot?"

Montgomery froze completely.

He turned around slowly, and gulped. "W-What are you talking about?"

His father just repeated, "Are you a fucking faggot?"

"No!" Montgomery said quickly, "N-No! What the fuck?"

"You think I don't see the shit you look up?" his dad snarled at him. "I went to the phone company, because there were some online shopping charges. I went to see what your whore mother was looking for. I saw those websites you visited. Those faggot porn websites."

Montgomery never visited those kind of sites before. After being caught watching a video of two men by Ophelia, he never clicked on one again. Only threesome videos with women. But after his involvement with Winston...he just wanted to see someone fucking a small guy that looked like him.

But Montgomery denied it. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

His dad was on his feet in an instant.

The chair squeaked loudly as he stood, and Montgomery flinched.

"You like fucking guys? Is that why you used to throw around the little girl you had?"

Montgomery stepped back, closer to his room. "No, dad, I-I never-"

"Do you how fucking embarrassed I am of you?" his father snapped at him. "I was happier just to think you were some fucked up guy that got off hurting girls."

Montgomery shook his head again, "I'm not a fucking faggot."

"Bullshit!"

The voice was loud, and it hurt his ears. His dad's arm shot out, and he hit Montgomery with the belt in his hand. It slapped him across the forearms he threw out to block his face.

"I'd rather fucking kill you then be caught with some fucking fruit for a son!" His father screamed at him. He hit him again, this time part of the belt catching his face.

"Dad, I'm not-"

"That didn't just end up on our history. Normal men don't look up shit like that!"

He hit him several more times. Montgomery ended up falling to the ground.

"I didn't!" Montgomery tried to say. "I didn't! I swear, I-"

"It was me!"

Montgomery froze.

Both men turned to see Estella had come out of her room.

Her eyes were on Montgomery, and she was terrified for him.

Montgomery shook his head, quickly. No, she couldn't lie. Not about this. He didn't know what their father would do to her.

She though he would go easier on her, but Estella didn't understand how angry his father was.

"Estella-" Montgomery tried to say.

Their father caught him off guard, bringing the belt on him again, this time catching his face completely. Montgomery cried out in pain, and cupped his cheek. It felt like it was bleeding.

"Why the fuck would you search that shit up?" her father demanded.

"I'm s-sorry," she told him. "I was just curious."

"You were...curious?" he asked, disgusted. "You wanted to see men fuck each other?"

Estella gulped.

Montgomery tried to stand, but his father brought his foot up and stomped on his abdomen. He doubled over, and stayed on the ground.

Their father walked over to Estella, slowly. She felt herself shaking as he came to her.

He touched her neck lightly with the belt in his hand.

"Did you not fucking hear me?"

"I don't know, I just-I just looked it up," she lied.

She was daddy's little girl. He would go easier on her, right?

Her dad's hand tightened around the belt in his hand. "I thought I told you never to watch those kinds of videos. I thought you weren't going to be a little slut like your mother."

Their father had always been so strict about what she had access to. In fact, she hadn't watched an actual porn video until the year before. And even then, it was light porn, the kind found on YouTube.

"I-I thought if there wasn't women it wouldn't be as bad," she lied. "I mean, it wouldn't be as wrong."

He suddenly pushed her back. She hit the wall behind her. "You don't think that shit's wrong, huh?"

She bit her tongue, worried talking would make him more angry. She hoped he would just go to his room, angry, and that it wouldn't come up again.

"You get off watching that shit?" he asked, crudely. "You touch yourself to it?"

"No," she said, quickly.

He didn't believe her. He pushed her again.

"Let's go to your room," he said, ominously.

She felt frozen. She knew what it meant. He was going to spank her, with the belt. He had done it a few times before. Mostly when she was younger. And only when he was sober and angry.

He didn't seem sober. But he sure as hell seemed angry.

"I'm sorry," she tried to say, "Papi, I won't do it again."

He tossed her down this time. "Get to your fucking room!"

She scurried up, glancing at Montgomery only once.

She went inside, her father following quickly behind her. He slammed the door, locking it.

"W-Wait." Montgomery barely got his voice back.

He grabbed the door handle, and jiggled it.

Nothing happened. He tried again.

"Wait!" he yelled again.

He heard Estella lightly begin to sob. He heard her say something, and then his father's shout was muffled through the door.

He recognized the sound when he finally hit her. The first hit cracked like a whip. Estella's scream tore through the house.

Montgomery saw him spank her before, but only with a hairbrush. Not with a belt.

He was drunk and he was hitting harder than normal. He was hitting as hard as he could. He was disgusted, and infuriated at her.

He hit her again. And again. And again. Her screams turned into ongoing sobs.

Why the fuck did she do that? Why the fuck did she take the fall for him?

Montgomery jiggled the handle again. "Fucking open the door!"

He flinched, hearing another hit. Each one he heard pained him.

He banged on the door, "Leave her alone!"

He wondered if either of them even heard him over the sound of the belt scorching her skin, or the sound of the her loud screaming.

Montgomery couldn't stand it. He couldn't bare it. Especially when he heard her try to call out for him.

"Monty!"

That was too much. He refused to hear anymore.

Montgomery stepped back, and ran at the door. His shoulder throbbed as he hit the door, but he used his football training, and broke the door open.

Estella was bent over the bed, her jeans all the way down at her knees touching the ground. Her underwear must have been taken off too, because he could see her pale skin turned red with lashings, and there was blood seeping from it.

Their father stood just behind her, gripping the belt tightly. Montgomery watched him hit her again. He winced, seeing his father use all his strength to offer another blow.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Montgomery yelled, charging at him. He ran at his father, and tackled him.

"Monty!" Estella sobbed.

Montgomery got on top of his father, and punched him. He caught his jaw, and brought his fists down with all his force. He wanted to hit him twice as hard as he had been hitting Estella. He punched him again. Over and over. And over and over. And over and over.

And his father tried fighting back. He even scratched Montgomery's face. But Montgomery was too frustrated to stop. Not even when his knuckles felt like they were on fire.

His father stopped moving, but Montgomery didn't. Not until the blood from his knuckles matched the blood he had seen on Estella.

Finally, Montgomery fell back, falling off of his father.

He was panting, hard. Estella's sobs still filled the room.

When he looked over, he saw they were shaking her entire body. He hadn't noticed before. But there was blood on her face too.

"Estella..."

What could he say to her? What could he possibly saw to someone who took such a painful punishment for him? Because Montgomery knew if she hadn't spoken up, his father would have went after him worse.

But Montgomery had the chance to fight back. Estella didn't have the strength to.

Montgomery gulped, and scooted closer to where Estella sat on the ground, collapsed, leaning against the bed.

"Estella..." he just said, again.

His eyes moved to his father, who he glared at with unstoppable hatred. He wanted to stab him. He wanted to kill him.

Finally, Estella said, weakly, through tears, "...I can't get my pants back on."

Their father had pulled down her jeans and underwear, so that there was nothing blocking the damage he wanted to inflict on her. She didn't have the strength to pull it back on, especially since it hurt so badly.

Her entire bottom had slashes which broke the skin open. Trying to pull on just her underwear was too much for her to bear.

"Then me help you," he offered her.

He held Estella's hand, helping her sit up and on the bed. She had beige carpet in her room. There was a red blood stain when she got off it.

She sat on the bed, and Montgomery slid up her underwear, and then stood her up, turning his head away as he slid it over her hips.

He did the same with the jeans, telling her lightly, "This'll be harder."

The jeans fit her snug, so she cried out when he had to pull them over her butt. The denim scraped again her, but he was able to get them on. When she buttoned them, he noticed there was now a red spot on the bed as well. He wondered how long until her jeans were stained.

When she turned slightly, he saw that they already were.

"Why would you do that?" he demanded, suddenly. "Why the fuck would you say it was you?"

"I'm sorry," she cried. She looked down. "I thought he'd be easier on me. He said he wanted to kill you, Monty!"

"He always says that! Then he fucks me up and leaves me alone!"

She looked away. "I didn't want him to fuck you up. I don't like seeing him hurt you."

"Estella, why would you say it was you?" he asked her. "What if I wasn't able to get in here and stop him?"

"I love you, Monty," she said, softly. That was all the response she felt the need to give him.

He blinked. "God, fuck. I know. I-I love you too. But...Estella he really hurt you."

"I know," she mumbled. She looked up at him. "What do we do when he wakes up?"

"We won't be here," he told her. He turned and opened her dresser, and started taking clothes out. He tossed them at her. "Start packing."

"Packing?"

"I know a place for us to go," he told her. "It'll be alright. E-Everything will be alright."

Except, everything wasn't going to be alright.

Because neither of them realized that once he left that house, Montgomery would never return to it again.

*****

The front door was shut and locked, quickly.

Ophelia stepped away from it. She knew her mother would be late that night because she was going straight from work to Honor's band rehearsal. But Ophelia still locked the door. She didn't want anyone coming in uninvited. Zach was the only person she was comfortable with at the moment.

"We can stay down here," she told him. "I'll, um, get you something to drink."

"I'm fine." Zach's voice seemed snappy.

There was a frown on his face, Ophelia didn't know what it was from.

She hadn't asked again about him leaving during the assembly. She tried to put it out of her mind.

"Okay," she said. "I'm just going to grab some water."

Zach took a seat on her coach while she went to the kitchen and grabbed a chilled water bottle from the refrigerator.

When she sat back down next to him, she noticed how tense he was.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah." His answer was quick. Too quick.

Ophelia didn't believe it.

"...are you sure?"

She saw the distance in his eyes.

Instead of answering her, he just asked, "Did you talk to Montgomery today?"

Her body froze. A pain shot through her body as she recalled the interaction. How he grabbed her, how he spoke to her, how he managed to do so much damage while hardly touching her.

"I..." She shook her head. "He tried to talk to me, I didn't say anything back."

Ophelia watched his frown deepen.

"Did he touch you at all?"

The emotion on her face turned from a look of nervousness to devastation.

She should have known this would come up. He was on his team. His teammates were there.

"He did. He-He grabbed me." She took a deep breath. "He grabbed my, um..."

"He grabbed your ass?"

"How did you know that?"

"I heard Diego say something about it."

People had been talking about it? She gulped. How many people that weren't there knew about it?

"Did you say anything to him?"

"I-I didn't." She thought back to it. "I didn't know what to do."

"Well, you could've said something," he repeated, his voice raising. "You could've told him you didn't want him touching you."

Ophelia suddenly snapped at him, "He knows I don't want him touching me! Or even being near me! He does it anyway!"

"You never speak up, Ophelia."

"What do you mean?" she shouted at him. "Obviously, I-I didn't want him grabbing my ass!"

"You never speak up," he repeated, seethingly. "Just like when you let Scott kiss you."

Ophelia froze suddenly. "I didn't-That wasn't-Why the fuck are you bringing this up now?"

"Because you obviously just let some guys do whatever the fuck they want with you!"

Ophelia shrank into her seat.

She asked, in a voice barely above a whisper, "Do you think I let Montgomery do whatever he wanted with me on Homecominf night?"

"I know you don't argue with people. And I know that you used to sleep with him to calm him down. Like after he hit you at the Winter Formal. You let him fuck you so he wouldn't do anything else, so did you let him fuck you on Homecoming night?"

Ophelia felt her heart break. "You...You said you understood. When I said I didn't want to cheat on you, I thought that meant you understood."

She watched Zach look away.

"Do you still think it's my fault?"

Zach scoffed. "I didn't say that."

"But do you?"

"What do you want me to say, Ophelia? All I know is you fucked him. And they you didn't tell me until you got pregnant!"

"I didn't fuck him," Ophelia suddenly cried out.

"Why was he here?" Zach asked her.

"He-He saw me walking home from the hospital. He walked me home-"

"Did you invite him in?"

Yes. She did. She knew all along it was because she invited him.

"I kicked him out," she told him. "He found the spare key, he knew where it was."

"You invited him in!" Zach said to her. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm sorry!" she said. She heard her voice crack. "You think I don't regret it? You think it doesn't eat me alive every fucking day?"

Zach looked away. "I'm not saying you don't regret it."

"But you think it's my fault," she said, heartbroken. "Just admit it. Just fucking admit it."

"I don't know!" He told her. "I don't even know what happened!"

"You haven't asked!" she told him. "You don't want to know!"

Zach said, "You're right. I don't."

Ophelia cried, "Why?"

"Because I don't want to hear that you wanted him!" he yelled suddenly. "I don't want to hear that it was a mistake, and you regret it! I don't want it to have happened!"

"...I don't want it to have happened either."

Zach gulped. "And now you're pregnant, and I can't even be excited or anything. Because it's probably his. It's probably Montgomery's. And no, I'm not going to be mad at the-the baby. But I'm mad, Ophelia. I'm mad."

Ophelia took a deep breath. "You think I'm not mad, Zach? You don't think I'm fucking infuriated? At the whole fucking world?"

Zach fell back further on the couch. "Why did he walk you home, Ophelia?"

She took a deep breath. "I was scared. People on the street were talking to me, and-and he came out of nowhere. And he just said he'd help me home and he just seemed to kind. And I hadn't seen him like that in so long. I though maybe all the anger management was helping, maybe he was getting better, like before."

"Like back when you were in love with him?"

Ophelia winced. "I didn't like leaving things how they were. I ran away when I went to Hillcrest. I thought if he walked me home, and we were civil, I wouldn't be so-so devastated over how things ended between us. And not just our relationship, just how everything ended."

"And why did you invite him in?"

"Just to talk," she told him, pathetically. "Just to see how things were, how Estella was."

"You wanted to talk to him while I was in the hospital?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Zach cleared his throat. "And what happened next?"

"He...He told me he still loved me."

Zach stiffened.

"And I said I didn't feel the same way. I loved you. And-And he started being really mean, so I slapped him. But-But he just kept getting more and more mad, s-so h-he...h-he grab-bed me and-and kissed-d me."

Zach shuffled in his seat.

"And he was grabbing me so hard, but-but I pushed him off and told him I would call the cops. I-I thought he left but he just went outside and..." Ophelia took a deep breath. "I thought that was it."

Zach sat up more. "Did you kiss him back?"

"No!" Ophelia shouted, offended he even asked. "I didn't kiss him back!" Although, she had, in a way. Because she thought he would hurt her more if she didn't. But she didn't feel comfortable admitting that to Zach yet.

"Sorry," Zach grunted. His mind forced him to then ask, "So...what led to..."

Ophelia scoffed. "I don't know, Zach. I don't fucking know what happened in his mind for him to want to-" She stopped herself. "I went upstairs, because I wanted to change, so I could go see you and-"

Ophelia remembered telling this story to Tyler. It seemed so much easier then.

"I locked the door, and I went upstairs, and he found the spare key and he slammed the door, and I-I heard it so I tried to...I tried to hide." She felt herself beginning to shake.

She noticed Zach tone had changed as he inched towards her.

"He came upstairs, and I told him to leave, but, he didn't. And he was yelling at me and-and I don't know what led to it! I don't know why he felt that way! How the fuck could he want to do that when I was so fucking-"

She cut herself off covering her hands with her face, trying to control herself. Trying not to break down.

"He was just stronger than me!" she yelled into her hands, too ashamed to show her face. "He was stronger! And I couldn't stop him! And I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Zach!"

She felt like she was having a panic attack. She brought her hands away from her face, to look at Zach when she said, "I never meant to-"

She stopped when she saw his expression. He was bent over, with his head in his hands like she had them. But he was sobbing. He was sobbing, and it was becoming louder and louder.

Ophelia thought he had been upset with her, so she said again, "I'm sorry."

Zach sat up, and uncovered his face, but held one sleeve near his eyes, because the tears were becoming so rapid.

"What did he do?" Zach asked, through an almost inaudible voice. Sobs still racking his body. "What do you mean he was stronger, Ophelia?"

The answer was so clear to him, but he needed confirmation. Or else he would drive himself in sane.

But she couldn't do such confirmation. Because that word that Justin had been using, she couldn't.

"H-He-He held me on the b-bed, and covered my mouth, and-and tore my shorts down-"

She stopped, because she couldn't speak anymore over his crying.

He shed more tears in that moment than when he broke his leg on Homecoming night. Because right there, sitting in the couch, he was in the most pain ever felt.

"I'm sorry." It was him to apologize this time. "I'm so sorry."

Ophelia just shook her head. "You didn't know."

"But you fucking told me you didn't mean to cheat," he said, his sons dying down but not disappearing. "I should've fucking known."

"No one knew," she told him.

"This whole time," he gasped. "The whole time you were at Liberty, every time he talked to he, he had-"

He formed fists. "Every time he talked about you, he had fucking done that."

"I should've told you," Ophelia said. "The pregnancy would've have been so hard to admit if-"

"I should've known!" he said. "The first fucking day we went back, you-you could barely step inside!"

"You wouldn't have just known," she tried to assure him. "No one would have. Fucking Ani couldn't have guessed it. I didn't want anyone to."

"Why?" he asked her. "Why not even tell the police?"

"I couldn't stand it," she told him. "Not another trial. Not being another fucking witness. Not more fucking blogs writing about, talking about how I just happen to keep getting involved with the same guy!"

"He fucking raped you!"

Ophelia flinched, and went silent.

"Montgomery raped you! And he's acting like everything's normal! He's still acting like a fucking asshole! And-And he still acts like he has feelings for you! He's a fucking monster!"

"I know-"

"I hate him!" Zach yelled. "I fucking hate him! I want him dead!"

"I hate him too," Ophelia told him.

"I want to kill him!" Zach told her. "I want to fucking kill him!"

She gulped.

Zach got silent for a moment. "And if you want me to, I will."

She frowned. "What?"

"I'll kill him. If you tell me to."

"What's gotten into you?" she asked him. His face gained an emotion she had never seen before. "I don't want you to kill him, I want this to go away! But it never will! And I didn't want anyone to know, but with this fucking case, it's going to get dragged out, and everyone will!"

Zach gulped. "You just don't want anyone to know?"

"No!" she told him. She reached over and grabbed his hand. "We'll be out of town next year for college. If I don't tell anyone, it would've gone away. But with a trial...it's going to get out, I know it will!"

"No one will know unless you tell them," he told her, surely.

"But, the police just started going over alibis again and-"

"Is that what would make you the happiest?" Zach asked her. "The very best outcome for you? Would be this case being closed, and no one finding out?"

"Yeah," she breathed. "But that won't happen, not unless Clay..."

She trails off, as Zach gets his crutches and stands to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

Did he want to go already?

"I'll do whatever you want me to," he told her. "I'm so fucking sorry for everything, Ophelia. I'm sorry I didn't know, I'm-I'm sorry I was such an asshole. But if this is what will make you the happiest, I'll do this for you."

"Do what, where are you going?"

"To the police station."

"W-What? No! Why?"

Zach gulped.

"I killed Bryce, Ophelia. I'm going to tell them. Then this'll all be over. No one will have to know about Montgomery."