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

Part 4 Chapter 2a

tw: mentions of violence, mentions of rape

a/n: I added the line "you gotta watch that temper, bro" of Montgomery's because that was one his scenes from season one (the one where him and Bryce are practicing baseball after Bryce beat up Clay) that inspired me to write the story in the first place.

"How does it feel to date the hottest football player in school?"

Ophelia shook her head, laughing.

"I'm serious. It must feel good, right?"

"As good as it feels to be dating the hottest girl in school," Ophelia quipped back.

Montgomery laughed.

He threw his arms over her shoulder as they walked into Liberty.

The female hot or not list had been released two weeks ago. It was popular, really popular.

So much so, that a few girls in the sophomore class decided to make their own hot or not list for boys.

Best Hair, Best Smile, Best Body, Best Kisser, Best in Bed. They also went through the sports. Hottest Soccer Player, Hottest Baseball Player, Hottest Basketball Player. And, of course, Hottest Football Player.

Montgomery De La Cruz won Hottest Football Player, and he did not stop talking about.

"Watch out, Ophelia. I think you're gonna be getting some competition soon," he told her, laughing.

Ophelia grew quiet.

Did he really need to say that? Like it wasn't painfully obvious she had plenty of competition already?

Montgomery noticed her silence. He hesitated, wondering if his words set her off. "Hey, you know I'm kidding."

But she didn't think it was a joke.

"You think I don't know others girls like you?" she said, quietly.

She noticed it everyday. Girls thought he was hot before the list came out. They'd never leave him alone now.

"Well, I wasn't kidding about that," he laughed. "Of course they do. But I was kidding when I said you had competition. You don't, O. Those other girls?" He made a fake disgusted look. "Not even half as pretty as you."

Ophelia felt her cheeks warming with a blush at Montgomery's kind words.

"Does it...bother you that I didn't make the hot or not list?" she asked him. "I mean, I'm glad I wasn't on the 'not' part, but..." She bit her lip. "Does it embarrass you?"

"Fuck, no," he told her. "In fact, if you had been, I would've had to beat the fuck out of Alex, because he doesn't need to be checking you out like that."

Ophelia smiled, feeling more comfortable under Montgomery's arm.

"You're friend, Hannah, she got best ass, right?"

"Yeah..." she said, cautiously. "She's really upset about it."

"She's upset because she knows you should've got it." Montgomery suddenly took his arm off her shoulder, and bought it down to lightly grab her ass.

It startled her. She jumped, laughing, and turning around. "Monty-"

While walking backwards, she accidentally back into someone. "Oh!"

Two hands came out to grab her on both sides of the waist.

"Watch out, Tristano. You almost took me out."