~To start off, this is the only thing I’ve written so far that I would even consider writing a part 2 for, if requested enough. This is a sad one lol. It also has a lot of Jeff in it. Thank you again for all of your support. Requests are open!!❤️~
Everyone was staring at you. You were the talk of the school. No matter what group, everyone knew what had happened to you. What had happened to your whole family. Everyone knew that you hadn’t been to school in almost a month. If it weren’t for your needing to be there for attendance, you probably would have stayed gone longer. Well, your parents were a factor too. You were heart broken and sad and confused. Everything imaginable. Your brother was dead. Jeff Atkins was dead.
You remembered that night like it was yesterday. You’d been at the same party as him. In fact, you were completely blasted. Your boyfriend, Montgomery De La Cruz was taking care of you as you blubbered about random things. Jeff had said he’d like to drop you off to your guys’ house while he was out on the beer run that he’d been asked to do. You’d refused, even after Jeff and Monty both persisted that you do so. So Jeff took off into the night. Little did you know, your drunken refusal would be your last interaction with your brother. And a mere hour and a half later you’d get a very frantic call from your mother. You, still out of it, were not comprehending the seriousness of the situation, forcing Monty to take your phone and work out what your mother was talking about. His teammate, and one of his best friends, had been in a fatal car accident. Without a word to anyone, he’d leapt up, throwing you over his shoulder, knowing he didn’t have time for your antics, and ran out to his car.
Five minutes later, you understood. No amount of drugs and alcohol could have ever kept you from noticing the body bag, and your mother hiding her face in your Father’s chest in sheer horror. Nothing was going to take away the fact that your brother was in the body bag, that he was dead. You remembered screaming at the top of your lungs, eventually trying to run over to the paramedics that were tending to Jeff’s body. Monty stopped you, turning you back around and pulling you into him. You could feel his heart pounding. You kept demanding things, as if they could be done or changed. ‘Give him CPR’ you’d bellowed. ‘Wake him up.’
Monty refused to leave your side after that. His baseball coach had given him four games off without any grief. He felt the loss of Jeff too. Monty said he wanted to wait until you could handle yourself before he tried to go back to normal.
Your parents didn’t say anything when you refused the idea of Monty leaving your bed at night. In fact, Monty had spent every night with your emotionally drained body since the accident.
No one saw it coming, Montgomery caring about someone so much. Jeff had been suspicious of his motives when he’d first asked about you. But there was no mistaking the way his eyes lit up when he saw you in the stands at their games. Or the way he’d talk to himself, as though he was practicing what he was going to say to you. He liked you. And your lack of reluctance towards him scared not only Jeff, but your friends as well. He was, well he was a 'fuck boy’. It surprised everyone even more when he gave you a 'ring on a string’ for your six month anniversary, when the first I love you’s were said.
“Montgomery said he wished he could have walked you to class, Y/N.” Hannah’s voice shook you out of your daze. You nodded, she was right.
“I told him, baseball’s his future. If coach wants him to practice, he needs to.” You spoke in a hushed tone. A sharp contrast to your normally spunky, louder voice. But this was the voice you’d grown accustomed to. There was no reason to be so cheery or chirpy.
“You look nice in your dress.” Hannah continued. She was another person who’s sympathy you’d been receptive of. She seemed genuine, not nosy. You didn’t care what Monty had to say about how she 'got around’. She was a good person.
“Monty bought it for me last week.” You said. You could feel her wide smile on you.
“He takes good care of you, yeah?” She asked. You couldn’t help but smile, you liked the honest answer you were able to give.
“Yeah. I used to take care of him too.” Hannah stopped in the middle of the hallway, and turned you so you had to look at her.
“After everything, I’m sure he’s aware it’s his time to be caring for you, Y/N.” you nodded, not in the mood to wallow in your self pity aloud.
“See your knight in shining armor?” Hannah nudged you, gesturing for you to look forward. You looked up and saw Monty with his friend group. It was good to see him with them. He’d kind of wiped them out of his life to take care of you.
That didn’t stop him from perking up when he saw you walking down the hall. He smiled as he walked towards you. Hannah unlinked arms with you, as if her shift was over. There was a pregnant silence between Monty’s friends and Hannah. God, they were all judging her. And it clearly was making her uncomfortable.
“I’ll see you in gym, Y/N.” Hannah rubbed your shoulder softly before beginning to walk away.
“Stay?” You asked simply. Looking into her eyes. She paused, thinking about it for a moment.
“No, I think you’re in good hands now.” She smiled gently before walking away and out of the hallway.
“I don’t get why you like her so much.” Monty pulled you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you.
“She’s a good person, Montgomery. You all are so mean sometimes.” You whispered.
“Hey Y/N, Monty just doesn’t want her influence around.” Marcus spoke up. You hadn’t seen him since Jeff’s funeral. He hadn’t said much to you. Then again, you two hadn’t ever said much to one another.
“Hey so we’re all gonna workout at the country club later today, you down?” Marcus asked Monty. Your boyfriend traced small circles on your back as you took in the group of people, arms crossed over your chest.
“Dinner with her family tonight, sorry.” Monty said in return. That hadn’t been officially planned, but he did have dinner with you and your parents most nights.
“You haven’t worked out with us in forever, man. It’s the only day that I can get all of you into the club at once.” Bryce continued to try and convince your boyfriend.
“My girl comes first, sorry.” Monty thought that was the end of the conversation
“She can come. You just said how she’s gained all this depression weight and it’s getting to be a problem and-” Bryce was going to talk further, but Monty lunged at him, making him fall to the ground before he could.
“If anything about her EVER leaves your mouth again I swear to God I’ll kill you.” He growled. You pulled Monty off of Bryce, tears already slipping down your cheeks.
“She just lost her damn brother, Jesus.” Jessica, who had been standing by her boyfriend, Justin had rushed to your side out of protectiveness.
“That’s not how it was I just-” you couldn’t even let him finish his excuse.
“Did those words leave your mouth?” You didn’t even look up at him. Jessica has wrapped her arms around you. The hall had gotten quieter. This had officially been made a scene after Monty lunged at Bryce.
“Look princess it didn’t-”
“Answer the question! Did you say my weight was a problem? Yes or No?” Your voice was raised and louder than it had been in a month.
“Yes, but it was just-” you shook your head, laughing to yourself.
“That’s all I needed to know. But, let me relieve you of this said problem.” You pulled your hair to one side. You unhooked the necklace you wore. The necklace that hadn’t left your neck in almost four months. His little promise 'ring on a string’ anniversary gift. When he wouldn’t take it back, you handed it to Zach.
“Make sure he takes this. It’s his decision what he wants to do with it. Maybe he was who every girl in this school warned me he was all along.” You said, turning in the other direction. Jessica followed you, wanting to show you support. Monty tried to walk after you. You had no idea what he was frantically saying. All you knew was that Jessica was yelling at him to get away and that you now felt officially alone in this world.
