Ophelia felt a harsh slap on her backside. She gasped, letting out a scream. She turned, shocked, only to find her boyfriend standing behind her with a smug smile.
"Hey, babe. You ready to go home?"
Montgomery brought his car keys into her eyeline.
"What the hell? That hurt!"
Montgomery stepped closer to her, grinning widely. "I'm sorry, do you want me to kiss it better?"
Ophelia tried to ignore the feeling that smile gave her. Or the way his baseball jacket clung to his muscles. The jacket was unzipped, showing off his white t-shirt that was drenched in sweat from the PE class he just came from, which pressed against his body even more.
She stepped away from him. Instead saying, "Ew. You're sweaty and gross."
A smirk appeared on his face. "Wanna help me wash off?"
She laughed at him. "As if, Monty. You smell so bad you're lucky if I get in the same car as you."
"You won't be laughing when you smell just as bad."
Before she could ask him what he meant by that, he embraced her in a tight hug. Ophelia screamed. The sweat on his skin pressed against her.
"Ew! Ew, stop!" she screamed. Although, her words were lost in her own laughter.
"How about a kiss now?" he laughed.
"Monty!" She wasn't even able to say anything, laughter had taken over her entire body.
His lips found her neck. Her body shivered as he kissed her on her sensitive skin.
She looked up. And that's when she saw Hannah.
Hannah was walking their way, but hadn't seen them yet.
Ophelia elbowed Montgomery. "Let me go!"
He took his hands away quickly, confused. "Wha-"
Ophelia ducked down as fast as she could. She was completely hidden behind a car.
"The fuck-"
Ophelia grabbed Montgomery's jacket, tugging on it.
"Come down!" she told him.
Confused, he ducked behind the car.
"What the fuck, Ophelia?"
"Tell me when Hannah's gone" she instructed.
Montgomery snuck a glance through the windows of the car. "Hannah Baker?"
Ophelia only nodded.
"Why are you hiding from her?" His expression turned hard. "Did she do something to you? I'll fuck her up. You know I will."
"No, no, no" she cut him off quickly, "I don't want her to find out you're my boyfriend yet."
This seemed to upset him even more. "Are you embarrassed by me now?"
She scoffed. "Monty, why would you think that?"
"What else am I supposed to think?" he demanded, his voice raising.
"Shh!"
She checked again. Hannah was gone. She stood now, Montgomery hot on her tail.
"Is she trying to set you up with someone? And you're actually letting her?" He spoke with anger.
She rolled her eyes at his jealous behavior.
"Monty, Hannah's been trying to guess my boyfriend for the past two weeks now."
His face now scrunched in confusion. "Why?"
"It's just a game we have. She has to figure out who you are."
He still looked beyond confused. She added, "It's good bonding."
"Girls are so fucking weird."
She shrugged her shoulders. "Can't say you're any different, Mr. I-get-in-fights-over-pizza."
"You know it was my piece. Marcus took it off my fucking plate."
"Okay" she said, unconvinced.
Montgomery looked in the direction Hannah was in. "She hasn't guessed me yet? Really?"
Ophelia laughed, "I guess you don't seem the romantic type."
"Who has she guessed?"
Ophelia's face fell, and she began thinking of ways to change the subject. She could feel Hannah laughing at her in the back of her head.
His fist pounded on the door. The banging was as loud and as fast as his heartbeat. He didn't stop until she answered.
Ophelia pulled the door back, confused as to why someone was trying to knock her door down at almost ten o'clock at night. She was ever more confused to find Zach Dempsey.
"Zach?"
He had been so out of focus from the one beer he had drunken, that her voice seemed to be the only crystal clear thing in the world. It sounded so smooth to him, that he almost forgot why he was there. But her annoyed, "Hello?", snapped him right back into place.
He cleared his throat, trying to come up with what to say in response. Even though he wasn't really responding, just simply explaining himself.
"Is-Is Montgomery here?"
Her eyebrows formed an angry expression, but her voice spoke a calm one.
"Monty and I broke up, remember?" She strained herself. "Did he say otherwise?"
"No. Well, he did. He said you guys were taking a break" he tried to explain. His gaze shifted towards the street, watching for that familiar jeep.
Ophelia laughed half heartedly. "We're not taking a break. We're done. Permanently."
Zach nodded his head quickly. "I get that. I do. Especially after he-"
He stopped himself, realizing that was probably the last thing she wanted to hear that moment. The somber expression on his face only seemed to prove his point.
"Look" he tried again, "Montgomery said he was on his way over here, so I just came over to make sure nothing bad happened."
Her eyes widened. "Why is he coming here?"
"To...talk? I dunno." He rubbed his arms, the cold wind reminding him he left his jacket back at Bryce's place. "Can I please come inside?"
Ophelia stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. "Look, I think you should go."
He desperately searched for a reason she would let him stay. "Are your parents still awake? Our sisters are friends, and I think they wanted to talk to me about arranging another play date."
"I know they're friends, Zach" she told him, "but my parents aren't even home right now."
His eyes widened. "You're here alone?"
"No, my sister's upstairs. She's trying to sleep, so if you don't mind..." She gestured to his car.
He told her, "I can't go now. I need to stay in case Montgomery comes."
Her face softened. "I don't...He probably won't come. He knows he's unwelcome."
Zach doubted she really had that much faith in his sense of judgement.
"He's had a few drinks" he confessed to her, "If he comes over angry..."
Her shoulders slouched, and her expression was more worried. She pushed open the door behind her, and took a step inside.
"You can come in" she told him, "but only for a little bit. Just to see if he comes by."
He nodded. "Of course."
He took a quick step, stumbling into the house. He accidentally kicked the wall.
"Shh!" Ophelia hushed him, "Honor is sleeping."
She walked in front of him, leading him to the living room. Her house had white walls, and they were empty. Unlike his, which were filled with photographs. He could have sworn the last time he was at her house, during her last birthday party, she had more up.
"Where did your pictures go?" he asked. It wasn't until after he said it that he realized he probably shouldn't have been so blatant about it.
She didn't loose pace. Simply, she said, "I didn't like them up anymore."
He tried to remember what was in the photos. There were pictures of her, obviously. As well as her parents, and her younger sister, Honor. But other people were there too. Wasn't he in one? He couldn't remember. The beer he had must have been kicking in more.
That meant Montgomery's two beers were kicking in more too. Why was that dumbass driving? Why was he driving?
"I shouldn't have drove" he said blatantly, again.
Ophelia let out a single laugh. "You got that right."
Finally, in what seemed like forever to Zach, they reached the living room. He fell onto her couch before she could say "make yourself at home".
She sighed, watching his nearly passed out figure. "I'll get you some water."
"Thanks" he mumbled.
She brought him a glass of ice water, setting it down at the table in front of him. But by the time she got back to him, he was already asleep, snoring loudly.
She sighed, plopping herself down on the seat next to him. Looking at him, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. He was such a lightweight. Then again, so was she. The difference was Ophelia hardly drank alcohol, while Zach drank it all the time, but was never able to keep it down.
She was startled by one loud, bang from her front porch. Louder than the ones Zach delivered only moments ago. She looked back at Zach, he was still asleep. Loud knocking came for the second time that night. Only this time, the banging was louder. Angrier.
"Ophelia!"
Her name was screamed from outside, and it carried through her house.
More banging. She heard metal clanking, like someone was turning her doorknob back and forth vigorously.
"Fucking come here! Ophelia!"
She looked back at Zach. He hadn't moved from his spot. She bet even the neighbors awoke from the yelling, yet he stayed perfectly still.
So much for protection...
Fearing her sister would wake, Ophelia rushed to the door. She hesitated before opening. She peeked though the peep hole. Montgomery stood with his head against the door, blocking most of her view.
"Ophelia!"
His voice vibrated the door. She could feel his muffled yells against her hands.
"Go away!" she tried.
His head perked up after hearing her voice. He jiggled the door handle more.
"Open the-the fucking door!" he slurred.
She gulped. In a rush of adrenaline, she threw the door open. Montgomery stood with a half-drunken beer in his hand. The stench of alcohol protruded off him. His eyes were glazed over.
"Ophelia..." he whispered.
He reached out to stroke her face, but she pulled her head back. She stepped out and closed the door behind her.
"You need to go" she demanded.
"Ophelia, please...please just talk to me..."
"I said go!"
She was surprised to hear him sniff, and wipe his nose, like he had been crying. Montgomery didn't cry. Not in front of her.
"I just want to talk to you" he said, speaking in a cracked voice. Emotion was spilling from him.
"We have nothing to talk about-"
"We do! We fucking do!"
She took a step forward, putting her hand on his chest to calm him down. But as soon as she made contact with him, he pulled her into a tight hug. She gasped, unable to bring herself out of it.
"I'm sorry" he told her. His voice was cracking now. "I'm so fucking sorry. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Montgomery, you need to let go-"
He pulled back from her. Taking a stumbled step away. She was surprised at how obedient he was to her command.
Then she saw it. The tear streaming out of his left eye, and the pools of water hanging under both of them. He really was crying. She couldn't believe it.
"What can I do to make things better?" he asked. "Just tell me what the fuck you want me to do."
"You can't do anything" she told him, shaking her head, "You can't undo what you did."
"I did it for you!" he cried.
She took a step back. "Monty..."
"I don't regret it" he confessed. His words were slurred and blotchy. His voice was cracking. "She hurt you, Ophelia. She hurt you."
Ophelia felt a sharp pang in her chest. She couldn't bare to think of Hannah, not right now.
"Don't, Monty. Just don't."
"She fucking hurt you! I would do it all over again if I could! What she did to you-to us-how could you be on her side?"
"Because she was my friend!" Ophelia screamed at him. "And what you did will never be okay."
He scoffed, "Your friend?"
"Yes, Montgomery. She was my best friend." Ophelia was trying to keep herself together, but she could tell she was already falling apart. Especially as she heard the cracks in her weak voice.
"She was my best friend" she cried, "And I made a mistake. We made a mistake. And she killed herself because of it. Because of me!"
"You don't know that's why!" he shouted.
Ophelia shook her head, turning away. "I wish I didn't. I really wish I didn't."
Ophelia opened the door. Montgomery caught her by the arm before she stepped inside.
"Please don't leave me" he begged. He sounded so...vulnerable.
"Montgomery-"
"I love you" he told her, "I love you so fucking much. You can't just...You can't just..."
He was slurring in speech so bad he couldn't even finish his sentence.
"You should call someone to come get you" she told him. "You're lucky you made it here in one piece."
She stepped inside.
"Ophelia, please. Fucking listen to me..."
But she didn't want to listen. She couldn't. She shut the door behind her before he could say anything else.
She had been staring at the ground. Partly in sorrow, and partly in shame. Looking up, she found Zach standing in front of her.
She didn't know when he had gotten there. She prayed he hadn't heard any of that, but she knew deep down that he probably had.
She wiped away a stray tear, embarrassed.
Zach took a deep breath before clearing his throat. "Ophelia?"
She gave him her attention.
"I...I need to tell you something. About Montgomery...and about the night of Jessica's party."
She waited, tentatively.