tw: mentions of parental abuse, mentions of sexual assault

a/n: random note but sometimes I just be watching TikTok and the songs remind me of this story 😭 like that song 'A Line Without a Hook' be randomly reminding me of Ophelia and Montgomery. And that song 'Me and My Husband' kind of reminds me of Ophelia and Zach at this point of the story 😭

Montgomery was crying. Not just crying. Sobbing. Ophelia was holding onto him, hugging him tightly.

"He was just here," Montgomery cried into Ophelia's shoulder. "He was just fucking here!"

Ophelia patted his hair, and hugged him tighter. She sniffed, and tried to hold back her own tears. It didn't work. They escaped her eyes. "I know, baby. I know."

They were at Jessica's house. The party had disapated downstairs.

As soon as everyone heard the news.

Jeff Atkins had gotten into a car accident. He was rushed to the hospital. He was dead by the time the ambulance arrived.

Clay Jensen had found him, and the word spread quickly as people began leaving the party, and passing by the incident.

When the news got to Jessica's house, it hit everyone like a heart attack.

Ophelia had been drunk out of her mind that night. But the news sober her faster than she thought possible.

Then again, the drunken state helped her stay numb. It didn't do the same for Montgomery. He was obviously in unimaginable pain.

Ophelia had taken Montgomery upstairs, because she saw how drastically the news affected him. She wanted him out of everyone's view before he exploded.

Ophelia tried to swallow her own cries. The news devasted her, but she knew it was a thousand times worse for Montgomery. She needed to be there for him.

She brought him upstairs because she knew he wouldn't be able to hold himself together in front of everyone. And if he cried in front of his classmates, she knew the next day he would only cause them pain and torment in order to erase the weak image of himself from their minds.

He clutched the shirt she was wearing, and his hold on her nearly lifted her off her feet. She stood on the tips of her toes, so that his head could rest completely on her shoulder.

Someone began jiggling the handle of the door.

"Monty?"

Montgomery straightened up immediately, and began wiping his eyes.

"Hey, hey," Ophelia said quickly, "It's alright. I'm gonna go send them away."

She could tell he was trying to hide his grief already.

He nodded. "Thank you." His voice so deep.

She led him to the bed of one of Jessica's guest rooms, where he collapsed.

Ophelia opened the door quickly, stepping outside before the person could glance in.

It was Scott Reed at the door.

He looked just like Montgomery. His eyes were so red they were almost shut.

"Shit, hey," he said to her. "Um, I -I want to talk to Monty."

Ophelia bit her lip. She shook her head. "Not right now."

The boy scoffed. "What? Let me talk to him."

Ophelia knew Montgomery didn't want anyone to see him like this.

"He can't see people now," she tried to explain.

Scott suddenly glared at her. He shouted, angrily, "Our fucking friend is dead! Let me see him!"

Ophelia winced, but held her ground. "No."

Scott moved passed her and tried to grab the doorknob to the room. Ophelia threw her body in front of it.

"Stop it!" Ophelia snapped at him. "He wants to be alone."

His whole face was red. Now, Ophelia couldn't tell if it was from grief or anger.

"You didn't even fucking ask him!" He yelled at her. Ophelia pressed herself as far into the door as possible. Scott banged on the wall. "Monty!"

"What's going on?"

They both turned to see Bryce walking up to them. His shirt was untucked, and his hair was messy.

Scott took a deep breath. "I just want to check on Monty. She's not fucking letting me in."

He tried to go again for the door, and Ophelia physically pushed him away. "Stop it!"

"Scotty, leave her alone!" Bryce told him. "Jesus Christ. Jeff's at the hospital. We should be there."

"He's not at the hospital!" Scott yelled. He tugged at his hair. "He's dead, he's fucking dead! Clay said they-"

"We don't know that for sure," Bryce insisted.

But Ophelia did. Bryce didn't trust Clay's word. But Ophelia did. And Montgomery obviously did.

"Go get in my car, I'm heading over," Bryce told him.

Scott banged on the wall, "Monty!"

"Leave him alone!" Ophelia snapped at him. She wiped her eyes.

Bryce came up to Scott. "Let's go, now. Before it's too late."

Ophelia knew it already was.

Scott took a shaky breath, and stormed away.

Bryce turned to Ophelia. He touched her back. "Go take care of Monty, alright?"

Ophelia bit her lip, and nodded. She turned back to open the door, and didn't notice how Bryce's touch slipped down her back, and grazed her butt.

Ophelia was drunk, and she barely felt his touch. All she could feel was sadness, and the need to comfort Montgomery.

Ophelia thought Jeff's death was the only terrible thing that happened that night.

She didn't know about what happened to Jessica, who laid unconscious two rooms over. And she didn't know what almost happened to her downstairs.

Ophelia reentered the room. Montgomery stood up, and she practically ran to him.

He hugged her, gripping her so tightly she felt herself becoming more sober than ever. They fell back onto the bed.

"How could this fucking happen?" Montgomery sobbed into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm so, so sorry, Monty."

Montgomery didn't think he would have been able to get through Jeff's death without Ophelia. At least, he wouldn't have been able to get past it as fast as he did. She was there for him, in ways he had never imagined. She was patient, and empathetic, in ways he never thought someone would be willing to be for him.

Jeff's death was hard.

Bryce's was harder.

But Ophelia couldn't be there for him after Bryce died. And Montgomery didn't know how he would get through it alone.

He didn't think he'd have to go through another death alone. He thought he'd have Ophelia,

always. Unless it was Ophelia that died. But he figured he wouldn't live long after that anyways.

Montgomery sat at his table in the morning, eating cereal alone. He winced, as he heard the muffled voices of his parents in their room turn into shouting voices.

His mother paid his father's bail the night before, and brought him home.

He had been yelling at her ever since.

Montgomery glanced at Estella's door, and he was glad to see it was still closed. Hopefully, she would lock it in case their father came storming out in a rage.

And he did, several moments later. His mother close behind him.

"Fuck you!" his mother screamed at his father. "Go to work and die, you pieces of shit!" His mother's English wasn't great, so her insults came out choppy.

His father turned around, and slammed his hands into her, pushing her harshly. "Go back to the motel, you fucking whore!"

Montgomery tried to shrink into his chair. He looked down at the bowl in front of him, trying not to seem noticeable at all. He should've just gone to school early. He didn't have money for breakfast, but he would have been better off at school. Montgomery normally went to school as soon as he woke up. That morning he felt weak, and grief-ridden, and he could hardly find any energy. He should've pushed through it.

His father rushed into the kitchen and grabbed his work lunchbox, and opened the fridge, shoving random articles of food into it.

Montgomery's mother screamed, "They fuck me better than you could ever!"

His father slammed the fridge door shut, so hard it shook. He ran up on her, and pushed her again, this time so hard she fell.

"Because fucking's all you're good for, you worthless slut!"

"I fucking hate-"

She was cut off, because suddenly, his father raised his lunchbox in the air, and swung it down, slamming it into his mother's face.

Montgomery flinched, and pushed his chair back, standing to his feet immediately.

"I don't give a fuck how you feel!" his father screamed.

His mother covered her face, only for him to swing the lunchbox back down at her.

"You live in my fucking house! I'll do whatever I fucking please with you!"

His mother screamed when, this time, his father dropped the lunchbox, and used his fists to strike her.

Montgomery heard Estella begin to cry in her room. Her mother's screams becoming too much for her to bare.

Montgomery took a deep breath, before running over and pushing his father away from his mom.

"Don't-"

Montgomery couldn't finish, because his father brutally backhanded him.

"Fuck!" Montgomery turned away.

"Shut the fuck up!" his father shouted at him. "And don't you even think about calling the fucking police again! I'll put a goddamn hold in your head!"

Montgomery kept his eyes off his father.

"You're both fucking worthless!" his father shouted at them.

His father picked up his lunch box, and left out the door for work, slamming the door behind him.

Montgomery stayed still for a moment, until he heard Estella come out of her room.

"Mami?" she called, softly.

Their mother was weeping in the floor. Estella kneeled by her.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

Montgomery didn't spend time coddling her. Instead, he leaned down and grabbed his mother's arms, forcing her to stand to her feet.

She pulled out of Montgomery's grip abruptly, and suddenly slapped him.

Estella gasped. But Montgomery didn't flinched.

"Don't you ever get in our arguments again!" his mother snapped at him. "It's not your fucking busines, and your father is going to be ten times worse when he gets home!"

Montgomery bit his tongue.

Estella stared at her brother, upset at her mother's reaction.

"Mami, he was just trying to-"

"You either!" she screamed at Estella. "You stay in your fucking room!"

"Fuck you!" Montgomery yelled now, coming forward and standing in front of Estella, almost guarding her. "Go back to the fucking motel like he told you to if you're so fucking scared of him."

His mother slapped him again, and Estella cried out. "Stop it!"

"You're the reason he's like this!" she hissed. "You called the cops. On your father. Your own father."

"We didn't!" Estella tried to say. "It was someone else!"

"Bullshit!" Their mother screamed. She stepped towards Estella, and Montgomery suddenly grabbed his mother's arms, and pushed her away strongly.

"Go pass out in the fucking bedroom," Montgomery snapped at her. "And next time I'll let dad do whatever the fuck he wants with you."

His mother began yelling at him in Spanish, knowing that Estella couldn't understand as much as she could. Estella was never forced to learn the demeaning Spanish words that were shouted at Montgomery for years, even since he was able to understand language.

"Worthless!" she shouted, again.

She was high on something, Montgomery could tell by her slurred voice.

Montgomery turned his back on her, only for him to feel her throw something at him. He ignored it, and went in his room, and slammed the door.

He tore off his pajamas and got dressed as quickly as possible. He threw on the t-shirt he wore the day before, because it was the closest thing he could find. Then he grabbed his keys and backpack.

He left his room, and headed for the door.

Estella was calming down her mother. She glanced at Montgomery when he came out. She rushed to him before he left.

"Don't be mad," she tried to say. "She's on those pills again. You know how she gets."

Montgomery scoffed. "I know."

Estella gulped. "She's just angry. It's not like she doesn't, you know..."

His sister didn't even say it.

Montgomery scoffed. He asked, "Love me?"

Estella bit her lip.

Montgomery looked at his mother. He really looked at her, for a long time.

"Do you love me, mom?"

Montgomery left for school after minutes of silence.

Zach and Ophelia were in Zach's car in the school parking lot. She was extremely grateful that he installed extra tint on his windows, because they sure got their use out of it.

They were making out in his car. It felt weird to be kissing at school again, but at the same time it thrilled her. Ophelia was leaned over the center console of his car kissing him.

He was gripping her hair, pulling her head as close as possible.

Ophelia pulled, away, smiling. "Wait, Wait, Wait. I don't want to get you tired out before practice."

Zach shook his head, smiling. "I'm not doing anything anyways. Just standing there. I don't need to be energetic."

Ophelia glanced down at his knee. She bit her lip. "Does it hurt at all?"

"Nah, they give me plenty of pain meds for it," he told her.

Ophelia touched his thigh and sighed. "God, it looked so painful when it happened. And...your scream. God, I'll never be able to forget it."

Zach wouldn't either.

"I'm fine now," he assured her. "Especially with you. And especially after yesterday."

Ophelia blushed and looked away.

The day before had been amazing for both of them. Zach had gone down on Ophelia and it felt really, really good. It was the first time she finished from something like that, and it felt so amazing that Ophelia kept exciting herself thinking about him doing that to her again.

Zach felt the same way. He wanted to please her again. And at the same time, he couldn't wait for her to touch him like that again. The way Montgomery used to brag about how good she was didn't even compare to what she actually did to him.

If Zach felt like his mind always drifted to sex before, there was no way he would be able to get the image of Ophelia with her mouth around him out of his mind.

Blowjobs were quicker, and more subtle, so even here in his car he couldn't help but imagine himself pulling his pants lower, and her going down on him right then and there.

"Yesterday was really nice," she agreed. She smiled. "Maybe my mom'll be out again tonight. We can...mess around some more."

"Shit," Zach mumbled with a smile, "I'd love that."

He reached over and kissed her again, only for them to pull apart when someone hit the window of the car.

Ophelia flinched. It was Diego and Holden. They were smiling. Diego laughed and yelled, "Get it, Zachy!"

Holden make fake jerking off motions near his mouth, while Diego let out fake moans.

Ophelia shrunk into her seat, embarrassed.

"What are they doing?" she asked as they kept laughing while walking into the school building.

Zach hesitated. "Just being fucking annoying."

Ophelia crossed her arms, feeling suddenly exposed. "Why were they acting like...that? Like, those motions." Like they knew what happened the night before.

"I don't know," Zach tried to say. Now, he was ready to get to practice.

He pushed his door open.

Ophelia looked sad, watching him hurry out. She got out of the car and helped him stand.

"Thank you," he said.

As she closed the door behind him, locking it, Justin came up to them. And he looked angry.

"Did you guys hear what happened?" he spat. His tone was so upset. So upset she thought Zach had done something wrong, and that Justin was mad at him. Until he continued, "What they fucking did?"

Ophelia and Zach shared a look.

"What happened, Justin?"

"They arrested Clay!"

Ophelia's mouth dropped open, shocked. Zach seemed just as surprised.

"Clay? I thought they arrested Tony?"

Ophelia looked at Zach, bewildered. "W-When did they arrest Tony?"

"Shit, I meant to tell you yesterday," Zach cursed. But instead they did...other things.

"Tony was released this morning," Justin told her. "He's still a person of interest but...Clay? Fucking Clay? Fuck!"

Ophelia stepped forward quickly. "It's okay, they're probably going through everyone. They arrested me, remember?"

Justin was still frowning, angry beyond belief.

"It's bullshit, fucking bullshit!" Justin cursed.

Zach told him, "Calm down, Justin. I'm sure he'll get out soon."

Justin scoffed. "You're not helping!" He turned and rushed into the school building.

"Practice is the other way!" Zach called.

Ophelia sighed. "I'll go get him, okay?"

Zach groaned. "What the fuck were they thinking arrested Clay Jensen?"

Ophelia blinked. "What the fuck were you thinking not telling me Tony was arrested?"

Zach shrugged. "I barely found out yesterday. I meant to tell you, it just slipped my mind."

Ophelia scoffed. "Sure."

Zach frowned. "I didn't purposefully not tell you."

Ophelia couldn't help but say, "It wouldn't be the first time you did that."

Zach looked away, still frowning. He snapped, "That's not the same thing at all."

"How?" she asked, "How can I know you didn't keep that to yourself to...protect me or something?"

Zach clenched his jaw. "Don't act like that. I fucking forgot, okay?"

"How could you forget something like Tony getting arrested?!"

"Because! We started..." Zach stopped, and sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? It really slipped my mind."

"Tony's important to me," Ophelia told him. "That kind of information is important to me."

"I told you I was sorry!" Zach snapped at her.

Ophelia suddenly flinched, and stepped away from him.

"I got a text message yesterday about it," Zach told her. "But I knew he didn't do it, I wasn't worried."

"I'd be," Ophelia spoke, lowly. She spoke softer now. Him snapping at her took away her loud voice.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he repeated.

Ophelia felt sad. They were so happy two minutes ago, and she felt guilty, knowing she blew up on him for no reason, and that things would be tense for a while.

"I'm going to go find Justin," she mumbled.

She turned, and Zach reached out and grabbed her. "Wait-"

"Don't!" she shouted, pulling her hand away. He didn't understand how badly he scared her in that moment.

He pulled away. "Shit, I wasn't meaning to-"

"I'm leaving," she repeated. "Just-Just go to practice. I'll make sure Justin gets there too."

"Ophelia," Zach tried.

But Ophelia had already entered the school. She found Justin shoving papers into his locker, furiously.

"Justin, come on, think about this. There's no way Clay could have actually hurt Bryce," she told him.

Justin slammed his locker shut. "Are your stupid? Obviously he didn't fucking hurt Bryce! They're arresting him for the fucking show!"

Ophelia flinched back. And she felt defeated, and she felt like everyone was suddenly being mean to her, and she didn't know why.

Ophelia sighed. "Okay. I'm sorry."

She turned away from him.

Justin felt bad for blowing up in her, so he grabbed her to try to say, "Wait, I didn't mean to-"

"Stop it!" she screamed, pulling away. Justin stumbled back, surprised. Ophelia pulled her jacket tighter around her body, like a security blanket. "Don't just grab me, why does everyone just grab me?"

Justin opened his mouth, but didn't have chance to say anything before Ophelia yelled, "Why do boys just think they can just do whatever they want to me?"

Justin fell silent.

Ophelia took a deep breath. She looked over to see a freshmen at their locker, staring. He clearly heard her blow up. Ophelia's face turned red, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she said, awkwardly. She crossed her arms. "I'll-I'll see you in first period."

Justin stepped in front of her. "No, wait. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she told him. "You were right. I'm stupid, obviously Clay shouldn't have been arrested."

Justin frowned. "You're not stupid. You're the one that's right. They-They did have reason to arrest him. But that doesn't mean he did it."

Ophelia dared asking, "What reason did they have?"

Justin sighed, "Don't tell him I told you. But last year, after the trial, and after Bryce got off with a few months...Clay went to his house. With a gun."

Ophelia gasped. "A gun?"

She must have spoken too loud, because he shushed her. "It-It was a mistake. He pointed it at Bryce to scare him. We left, and never went back."

"Oh my god, and they know about that?"

Justin groaned. "They got some fucking security tape or something. I don't know."

Ophelia put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, god..."

"Yeah," he breathed. "It's fucked. We're fucked."

She crossed her arms again. "Your mom's a lawyer, I'm sure things will work out."

Justin' face softened. "Yeah...my mom's a lawyer."

He fumbled with the straps of his backpack and stepped closer towards her. "Hey, I'm sorry for grabbing you, and-and for snapping at you."

Ophelia looked away, embarrassed. "No, you-you were fine. I'm sorry for getting worked up."

Justin scoffed. "I wasn't fine. I was mean. And you shouldn't let people be mean to you. Honestly, you should've slapped me."

Ophelia lightly laughed, "Well, there's still time for that."

Justin didn't feel as humorous. He stared down at her, nothing but seriousness on his face. "Why did you say that boys do whatever they want with you?"

Ophelia suddenly regretted her words. Embarrassed, she said, "I don't know. I-I was just ranting."

"Was it because of Monty?" Justin asked. "Or is it someone else? Has Zach been doing stuff you?"

Ophelia stepped away and frowned. "Justin, you know Zach."

"Yeah, I do," Justin told her. "And I've been there, in all his fights."

Ophelia defended him quickly, "He doesn't get in fights. He's-He's never the antagonizer. He doesn't throw the first punch."

Justin asked, "Well, you aren't in the locker rooms, Ophelia. Not when Monty starts mouthing off."

Ophelia tried, "But that's just Montgomery."

"What about Scott?" Justin suddenly brought up. "He hit Scott."

Ophelia blinked. "Scott deserved it."

"He was just standing there-"

"He kissed me!" Ophelia snapped. "He kissed me on the night of his graduation party, and I didn't want him to. I didn't tell him to, he just did. Because it was something he wanted to do, and he was acting like every fucking boy at this school. I thought he was different and better, but he wasn't. He's just as bad as the boys that hold you dow-" Ophelia stopped, covering her mouth with her hand, and having to gulp down the emotion that rose in her throat. She blinked, her eyes becoming hot and wet.

Justin stood there, silent.

Finally, Ophelia took a few deep breaths. She put her hands in her pockets, burying them as deep as possible.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Why are you trying to convince me Zach's become an aggressor?" And why was it working?

Justin sighed. He looked down at his feet. "I'm just asking questions, okay? Because I didn't last time."

Ophelia felt bad suddenly. She was snapping angry, becoming angry at everyone.

"That's in the past," she assured him. "I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff with Zach."

Justin just nodded. "Of course." He bit his lip, "But if anything did happen. You could tell me. I'll believe you."

Ophelia nodded. "Thank you."

Justin looked ahead. "Fucking Ani's coming. Come on."

Ophelia turned and saw Ani making her way towards them. When she turned back, Justin was already walking away.

"Justin!" Ani called after him, brushing right by Ophelia.

Justin turned around and groaned. "What?"

"What do you mean what? Clay's at the police station."

Justin said, "Like I told Ophelia, it's not something to stress over." Yet, he seemed completely stressed.

"Was he out late on Homecoming night?" Ani questioned him.

Ophelia stepped up. "Wouldn't you know? You two question everyone but won't ask each other?"

Ani seemed angry at her time.

Justin sighed. "He came home at, like, 1:30."

She pushed, "Where was he before that, do you know? Any ideas?"

Justin just said, "He wasn't killing Bryce." He nodded at Ophelia. "Come on."

Ophelia didn't know where they were going, but she followed him as he began walking down the hallway. Ani did too.

She countered, "How do you know?"

Justin suddenly snapped at her, "Because that's not who he is."

"Oh, but he's the guy that brings a gun to Bryce's house?" she retorted. "The guy you have to talk out of using it?"

Ophelia frowned. How did Ani know that? Did everyone know but her? Was she out of the loop again?

Justin spun around quickly, and stopped in his tracks. "One night. He was that guy one night. And every other night he's the guy who will drop everything to have your back."

Ani insisted, "If he was that guy one time, he could've been once more."

Justin scoffed. "Do you really think he could do it? Do you believe that? Or are you trying to do anything to deflect the fact that you fucked Bryce?"

Ophelia's mouth dropped open, and her eyes flew between Justin and Ani. She waited for one of them to say it was a lie, but neither of them did.

Ani stepped back, surprised at his outburst. "W-What? What give you the idea that I-"

"I don't have secrets from Clay," Justin snapped. "Do you?"

Ani suddenly glared at him. "If he wasn't with you that night, then where were you?"

Justin scoffed. "I was with Zach, and Ophelia."

Ani said like she knew for certain, "They weren't even with each other. For all we know Ophelia was with Montgomery."

Ophelia felt herself growing hot with humiliation as Ani carelessly called her out as thought she wasn't even there.

Justin walked right up to her, getting into her face and saying, "You know what, Ani? Fuck off."

Ani winced, but kept her glare.

Justin turned away from Ani. "Come on, O." He started walking again.

Ophelia chased after him. "W-What the fuck was that? About Bryce and Ani? F-F-" She couldn't even say it. "Like, being together?"

"Fucking!" Justin scowled, "They were fucking!"

They neared the classroom.

Ophelia shook her head. "Wait, you need to go to practice."

He groaned. "I fucking hate morning practice. And they don't need me."

"Please?" she asked. "I told Zach I'd try to get you there."

He rolled his eyes. "It's so fucking boring."

Ophelia bit her lip. "I'll write your notes in class if you go."

Justin shook his head. "I don't take notes anyway."

"That's not good..." she sighed. "Please, Justin? I think it'd help you take your mind off things."

Justin sighed. "Fuck. Fine. I'll go."

Ophelia walked with him. "Thank you."

"I know where the gym is," he told her, noticing her besides him.

"But I know how often you skip out on things."

They neared the locker room entrance. It was loud in there. Boys were yelling.

Ophelia winced at the language they were using, and she stayed a step away from the door.

Justin turned to say, "Maybe later we can-"

"Justin! We heard the news!" It was the player, Taylor that came and jumped on his back.

He flinched, and pushed him off.

"What?" Justin snapped.

Diego appeared at the locker room door. He was shirtless, with just shorts on. Ophelia looked away, not wanting to be glancing at his body.

"The news that you're getting your dick wet by the feminist icon Jessica Davis," Diego laughed.

Ophelia frowned, and looked at Justin immediately. "What is he talking about?"

What the fuck was anyone talking about? How many people were fucking sleeping together? She couldn't keep track.

Ophelia wondered if that's how other students thought of her, always switching boys.

"It means Davis is cracking down on sports and going down on Foley," Diego joked.

Taylor came closer to Ophelia. He reached out and touched the necklace she wore. His fingers trailed the chain, and she was worried he was going to rip it off. It was the same necklace that had just been fixed.

"Speaking of going down," Taylor laughed, his fingers touched the skin of her neck. "Your throat still hurting?"

Ophelia froze, suddenly terrified. Because his hand was near her neck, and his callous skin scratched hers. And she realized if he wanted to hurt her, he could. If he wanted to just put his hand around her throat, he could. If he wanted to rip her necklace off, he could.

If he wanted to pull her into the locker room at that very moment, and assault her, he could. She couldn't stop him. She wasn't strong enough.

His friend, Diego, was so much larger than Justin, and he could hold him back.

And suddenly, Ophelia imagined being forced into the locker room, and multiple boys wanting to assault her. Montgomery assaulting her.

Ophelia wasn't just terrified in that moment, she was now devastated. She had accepted the fact she had no real control over what happened to her, and was only living in the mercy of the evil men around her.

Justin shoved Taylor away from her. "Dont fucking touch her."

Taylor stepped back, laughing. "Relax, Justin. She's not gonna suck your dick for defending her." Taylor winked at Ophelia. "Or would you?"

Ophelia glanced at Justin. She breathed, "I need to go."

She turned around, and started walking away. And she could feel Taylor watching her leave, staring at her, staring at her ass. And she wanted to disappear. So she went to the restroom. Her old comfort place. And she chose an empty stall, and sat down.

Ophelia put her head in her hands, and fought back her sudden nausea. She thought she was going to cry, but no tears came.

Just silence. She sat in the silence. And she just wished her and Justin had just sat down in their first period. Their supervised, safe classroom.

Back in the locker room, the football team exploded with voice when Justin walked in completely. They were whooping, and boys were faking thrusting motions.

"The fucks going on, guys?" Justin asked. Did everyone know about him and Jessica?

He figured they did, since Charlie came up to him and said, "I just have to say, with respect to everybody, you're my fucking hero. Jessica Davis is scary as shit but...she's so hot."

Charlie figured he wasn't lying. He did think Jessica was hot.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" How the fuck did they know?

Montgomery came up to Justin suddenly. "Justy, you've been holding out on us." Justin winced as he hit him on the shoulder. "Turns out the reason she wants to shut down guys' sports is so you'll have more time to bone her."

"What?"

"Davis looks like the kind of girl that needs to be in control," the player, Holden said.

Diego smiled. "That sounds pretty hot, though."

Taylor came up, "Nah, man. I like the small ones. The submissive ones."

"I'm sure you do, pedo," Holden laughed.

Taylor smacked him playfully.

Montgomery joked, "Its because his dick only looks big if the girl has small hands."

"Ooooh!" said a few boys in unison.

"I know you're not talking," Taylor shot back, "Seeing as you got a dick smaller than an Asian man's." He referenced the day before, where Zach called himself bigger than Montgomery.

Justin rolled his eyes.

Diego laughed again and said, "That's why he hadn't had a girlfriend since breaking up with the only Asian girl in our grade."

Montgomery smacked him, and laughed, saying, "I know the guy who lost his virginity Junior year isn't talking."

Holden said, "Zach and Justin were hiding their kinky women."

"Yeah," Taylor laughed, "At least Zach gives us details."

Justin frowned, wondering what he meant.

"Alright, let's go, boys! We should already be on the field!" The coach called from the front of the locker room.

The football team began hustling out.

Montgomery winked at Justin, and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Justy. I understand. Fucking your ex is another level."

Charlie looked back, to where Zach sat putting his knee brace back on, hoping he didn't hear.

Justin just shook his head as they left too.

Justin found Zach, and threw his locker open, stressed.

He figured Zach knew too, and that he disapproved. So he said, "I don't want to hear it, Zach."

Zach just asked him, "You love her, right?"

Justin paused. He nodded.

Zach told him, "So, don't listen to what anybody else says. Just take care of her."

Zach knew how it felt to finally have the girl of his dreams. He hoped it worked out for the both of them.

Justin nodded. "Yeah, of course. I will."

Zach finished putting his knee brace on, and stood, grabbing his crutches. "So...the cops. They don't think Clay actually had anything to do with Bryce, do they?"

"I don't know," Justin admitted. "But they know he hated Bryce." Justin groaned, slamming his locker. "Dude, how the fuck did everybody fine out? About me and Jess?"

Zach sighed, "Who knows, man? No ones secrets are safe these days."

Justin debated asking his next question, but Zach's far off look pushed him to it.

"Like, all the shit you kept from Ophelia?"

Zach frowned. "I don't-I never meant to keep stuff from her." But was that true, or was that what he was trying to convince himself?

"What about Scott? And how he wasn't the one to turn in her assault statement?" Justin brought up. "Did you guys ever talk about that?"

Had they? Barely. And then he brushed it off. But he didn't want to talk about it. It was a stupid mistake he wished he hadn't made.

"We did," Zach told him. "She's over it."

Justin told him, "But I talked to Scott at the funeral, after you guys left. He didn't say anything about it."

Zach admitted, "I asked her not to say anything about it to him."

Justin just scoffed, and looked away. He shook his head. "Makes sense."

Zach frowned. "What does that mean?"

Justin asked, "Do you let her talk to you, Zach? Do you ask her what's wrong? Or do you just ask her not to talk about it?"

Zach was angry now. "Of course I talk to my fucking girlfriend."

Justin told him, "Zach, somethings off with her. I mean, ever since she came back to Hillcrest, something been different." Actually, ever since homecoming. But no one was able to put that together yet. "Like, one minute she's angry, and then the next she's fucking terrified of everyone."

"She doesn't have to be scared," Zach tried to say. "Not with me."

Justin asked suddenly, "Have you been talking about her? In the locker room?"

Zach hesitated. "Did she say something about this morning?"

"This morning? What happened?"

So maybe the boys said sowmthing to Justin? Zach wasn't sure. "Nothing, some boys were being crude."

Justin scoffed. "Yeah? Taylor and Diego were being crude. Taylor was fucking harassing her, asking if her throat hurt and shit."

Zach became angered, "He what?"

"Have you said shit about her?" Justin asked.

Zach hesitated. "Not really."

He barely said anything, right?

"Well, you're fucked up if you do," Justin told him, sternly. "Because you're one of the only people she trusts, and it'd be fucked up to let her down."

Zach felt attacked, and didn't want to be there any longer. "I'll see you on the field," Zach told him, leaving Justin to get changed.

Justin looked down at his bag. He grabbed his can of shaving cream, which was empty. On the inside, was a bottle of pills. Justin hesitated, but felt his nerves getting too hard to handle. He took two pills, and closed the bottle, putting it back in the shaving cream can.

He closed his bag, and got dressed, heading out to the field.

He didn't notice Montgomery had been watching him, having been standing in the coach's office, grabbing another playbook.

He had heard Zach and Justin's conversation, and seen what Justin took.

Montgomery smiled. Because now he had leverage on Zach, and Justin.

"How are thing with you and Zach?" Marisa asked.

Ophelia and Marisa stood in the line for school lunch. Zach was sitting at the table, saving their spots. Ophelia insisted he stayed seated because of his knee. She would his order, which was basically ten cereal cups.

"They're good," Ophelia said.

Why did everyone keep asking that?

Was Ophelia acting like something was wrong? She'd feel guilty if she did.

Marisa looked like she had something in her mind.

"How's you and Paul?" Ophelia asked, wondering if that's what she really wanted to vent about.

Marisa smiled thinking about him. "We're great. Amazing, actually. I'm meeting his parents next weekend."

"Oh, wow!" Ophelia said, excited. "Oh, they'll love you, they're so nice."

Marisa's smile faltered. "You've met them?"

"Yeah, back when I cheered," Ophelia told her. "Paul introduced me."

"Oh," Marisa said, with a tinge of jealously.

Marisa suddenly wondered if it was true that Paul had a crush on Ophelia before he found out she had a boyfriend. It would make sense. Everyone seemed to fall for Ophelia. Marisa couldn't compete with someone like her. Marisa suddenly wondered if Paul thought Ophelia was prettier. He probably did. Marisa wondered if it bothered him that she was prettier.

"I'm sorry, I can't relate to how you feel," Ophelia apologized. "I can't give any advice. I've always known Zach's parents." And Montgomery never wanted her to know his.

"It's okay," Marisa told her. She had to worry about what they thought. But she was sure every parent liked Ophelia.

Marisa spotted Zach in the back of the lunchroom, and suddenly remembered why she brought him up.

"Hey, um, I was in the library the other day. Zach and his friends were there-"

Ophelia cut her off by saying, "His team. They're not all his friends. God, they're so horrible. They've been so rude to me today."

Ophelia was speaking lowly because there was another athlete a few people behind them.

"Rude how?"

Ophelia sighed. "I don't know...sexual? God, fucking Montgomery was probably saying stuff again." She crossed her arms, now upset.

Marisa but her lip. "Um, actually, Ophelia-"

Marisa stopped talking when Estella suddenly walked up to them. She looked nervous, and she was gripping her bag strap tightly, with both hands.

"Hey, Ophelia," Estella began nervously.

Ophelia didn't know what to say, so she just breathed, "Hi..."

Ophelia was confused, and glad Estella was speaking to her. She thought she hated her now.

Estella gulped. "Um, my dad came home the other night. My mom paid his bail, I guess."

Ophelia's face fell. "Oh..."

"Y-Yeah," Estella said. "And, I, um...I guess I wanted to say sorry, for being so rude to you. It turns out things...weren't as bad as I thought they'd be with him gone."

In fact, Estella was surprised, because with her father gone for multiple days, she found herself never having to fear her home. But when she came back from school one day, to find her father sitting on their couch, she realized the fear returned already.

"It's okay," Ophelia told her quickly. "You weren't rude." But she had hurt Ophelia's feeling, and made her sad.

"The back of the line is that way!" the sophomore athlete behind them suddenly hollered. He jeered his thumb in the other direction.

Ophelia flinched. Estella turned and said, "Oh, um, I'm not getting food."

"Then get out of the line," the boy just repeated, rudely.

Marisa scoffed. "She's just standing."

Estella nodded, and scoffed too, mimicking Marisa's confident tone by saying, "I'm just standing."

The boy rolled his eyes. His voice was obviously angry when he said, "You can stand behind me then."

He tried go move in front of them. Marisa pushed him back. "The fuck are you doing?"

"Get out of my way," he snapped. Even though he was younger than two of them, he stood towered over them.

Ophelia whispered, "Marisa, just let him go in front of us."

"No!" Marisa insisted. "He doesn't get to cut because he's an asshole."

The boy just laughed, "What a fucking bitch."

Ophelia frowned. "Just leave us alone-"

She's was cut off by Estella's sudden loud, "Don't call her that!"

He looked at Estella just to say, "Yeah? Well, you're a little bitch too."

Estella gasped, seemingly surprised.

"Hey!" Ophelia snapped, now feeling their anger.

"Fuck you!" Marisa yelled at him.

"Watch your mouth, slut," the boy said.

Ophelia stepped forward, "You can't just-"

The boy pushed Ophelia out of his face.

"Monty!" Estella yelled out loudly. "Monty!"

Across the cafeteria, Montgomery sat with friends. Although, he wouldn't have mind being somewhere else. They were teasing about the fact he was wearing the same clothes as the day before, and the fact that he was wearing only a tshirt in the cold of November. Montgomery was freezing, and he wouldn't grabbed a jacket if he had time that morning.

But he rushed out of the house. For obvious reason.

"Monty!"

Montgomery's head whipped around suddenly, after hearing his sister's voice.

"Monty!"

He spotted her in the lunch line. Next to...Ophelia? And that bitch Marisa. And then he saw a sophomore football player, yelling at them.

He stood immediately.

Diego looked over and saw too. He reached out to try to stop Montgomery. "Woah, woah! Leave the kid alone! He's a starter for JV."

Montgomery pulled away from him. Not listening, and not caring.

Montgomery walked briskly to the lunch line. The sophomore hesitated, suddenly nervous, when he realized Estella was calling for the one and only Montgomery De La Cruz.

"The fuck's going on?" Montgomery asked.

Montgomery's loud voice drew more attention. Now, heads turned. Zach finally noticed the commotion. He stood quickly, grabbing his crutches and making his way over.

"Nothing, man," the guys tried to say, now scared. "Just a misunderstanding." He told Marisa, "I'll step back, okay?"

"What kind of misundertsnai?" Montgomery demanded to know.

"He called me a bitch," Estella told her brother.

The boy's face turned white.

"What's going on?" Zach asked, coming up to them. Diego caught up too and said, "Monty, leave him alone."

Ophelia stepped out of line to grab Zach's arm, and moved to hide behind him.

Montgomery just scoffed. "You called my little sister a bitch?"

The boy stuttered, "I-I j-just-"

"And he pushed Ophelia," Estella added on.

Zach clenched his fists. "What?"

"I barely-"

Montgomery pulled his fist back, and punched the boy straight in the middle of his face, hitting his nose. Blood poured out immediately, and Ophelia heard a crack.

She gasped, and went further behind Zach.

The lunchroom erupted in volume as everyone watched, and brought their phones out to record. But Montgomery was done. With the one punch, the boy fell.

"Monty!" Diego shouted, "Coach is gonna be fucking pissed!"

"I don't give a fuck," Montgomery snapped. He spit on the boy, and kicked him slightly. "Fuck you!"

Diego grabbed him by the collar to pull him away.

Estella moved forward and kicked him also, much softer. "Yeah, fuck you!"

Montgomery and Estella left. Left left.

They left the school, seeing no point in staying just to be suspended. Because they would be suspended the next day.

But at least they would have a few hours of piece before their father came home.

Ophelia had a really, really bad day.

No one wanted to just leave her alone. And apparently Ani had slept with Bryce. Ophelia didn't know if she believed it. She certainly didn't want to.

A boy's nose was broken in front of her, and she figured it was her fault, because she didn't let the boy just cut in front of them, and she just let Estella

call out for Montgomery.

Jessica and Justin were back together. She didn't think that was bad. She thought they were good together, despite their past. But Ophelia was saddened Justin never told her.

Ophelia figured she was closer to Justin, but maybe not. Maybe he wasn't as interested in being her friend, and just going along with it because he felt sorry for her.

And Zach got in trouble because of the fight. Apparently he "sat back and watched it happen". Ophelia felt terrible.

By the end of the day she was exhausted. She just wanted to go to sleep and start over the next day.

But there was one more blow from the day, that she received at ten o'clock that night.

It was in a form of a text message. One that Ophelia was unsure how it was sent, because she didn't know this person had her new number.

'Hey, can we meet up?'

Ophelia frowned.

She typed back, 'Who is this?'

She waited. And when the response came, she felt herself gasp.

'It's Winston. I've got something for ya 😉'