A Beneficial Friendship {Montgomery De La Cruz}

Two

I walked into the party arms linked with Jessica. My number one plan for the night was to get drunk. I usually liked to be in control of myself but I didn't want to tonight. I didn't like the sense of emptiness that I was feeling and I liked even less not understanding why I was feeling this way. I wasn't in love with him for fucks sake, so what did it matter? Maybe I had formed some sort of territorial entitlement over Monty and hadn't realized it until he was gone. I did lose my virginity to him and I had been his main hookup for three years now.  Jessica drug me through the house while she searched for Justin. Lucky for me, we found him in the kitchen so I was able to grab myself a beer. "What's up, Evie?" Justin said while giving me a half hug after greeting Jess with a ton of obnoxious kisses. "Oh ya know, the usual. Getting fucked up." I responded after returning the hug. "Evie getting shit faced? I've been waiting to see that for years." He joked, drawing the attention of some of the other guys in the kitchen. "You don't do that though, Eve. Is everything alright?" Zach asked while walking over to us. He was always one of the more caring ones in our group of friends. I gave him the best smile I could muster, followed by a thumbs up. I took a few gulps of my beer and muttered that I was going outside to smoke once the conversation took a turn away from the topic of me drinking. As soon as I inhaled my cigarette I heard a mock gag behind me. I turned around and was met with the joking eyes of Hannah. "Oh shut up, you know we all smoke when we're drinking every once and awhile." I said with a small smile while she made her way towards me. "I know, I know. Just trying to lighten your mood. You've seen off all day." She said with a concerned look on her face while taking a seat next to me. "I'm fine. I don't understand why everyone thinks there's something wrong with me." I muttered unconvincingly. She gave me a look and I knew that I was caught. She knew I was upset about something and wasn't gonna stop bugging me until I caved and told her. "Fine. Maybe it's possible that Monty said something to me last night that kinda got under my skin." I said with a shrug of my shoulders. Maybe it wasn't the full truth, but it was a start. She started laughing but quickly apologized whenever I gave her a dirty look. "I'm sorry, it's just, when have you ever cared what Monty has to say?" She spoke up after a second of silence. "It was just that what he said was hurtful but also true." "Well... what did he say?" She asked. I chugged the rest of my beer and tossed it in the trash next to us. I shifted in my seat a little bit and took a deep breath. I didn't want to have to repeat it but I was the one who brought it up. "He pretty much said that no guys have feelings for me and only use me for my looks because I'm a bitch. I mean, that's basically the slow and skinny of it." I mumbled. It was more embarrassing telling someone he said that to me than when he actually said it to me. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Eve, you're great. You're beautiful, smart, talented, a great friend, and a good person. You're the only person who intimidates Montgomery and he tries to play it off that you're just crazy and a bitch. Who cares what he has to say? And at the end of the day, you and I both know that he would be lost without you. He relies on you for a lot and you made him what he is today." I knew that she was right but I couldn't help but to feel like he was too. Monty wanted me in his life still, that much was clear, but what if other guys hated me and have told him as much? "I created the monster that is Montgomery De La Cruz and now it's back firing on me." I chuckled under my breath. "You created a sexy monster though, I'll give you that much." She laughed, causing me to break out into my own fit of giggles. After a minute, I grabbed her by her arm and drug her inside, ready to join the party.

After socializing with everyone for awhile I made my way back into the kitchen and made another mix drink. I decided after this one I was going to switch back to beer. I allowed the Jack and coke mixture to warm my throat and insides as I took a couple of big gulps. I looked around and saw Jessica and Sherri dancing in the middle of the living room, along with some other cheerleaders on our squad and some guys. I smiled at the sight and decided to join them after chugging down the rest of my drink. I made my way over to my friends and and we all have each other bright smiles and squeeled at soon as I reached them. We all danced and laughed to the beat of the rap music playing over the speakers. The bass beating so hard the floors were shaking under our feet. As I held my friends' hands, swayed my hips to music, and laughed with pure joy; I wondered why I had even been sad earlier. Sure, things were different in my life now since I didn't have my usual friend with benefits, which had become more of a comfort thing for me than anything, but I did still have my best friends'. I also knew that if I called Monty randomly  even if it was in the middle of the night, that he would be there for me. We'd been close for too long and had only become closer as the years went on. He was a good friend and I couldn't blame him for deciding to be with someone he had real feelings for. I was actually really proud of him for being in his first relationship and calling things off with me because that meant that he was going to be loyal. Maybe it was me coming to my senses, maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe a combination of both but I decided that I was going  to cut Monty a break and stop acting weird towards him. The decision had barely been made in my mind whenever I saw him for the first time since I'd arrived at the party. He looked handsome. He had a plain black v neck t shirt on and over that, one of his signature flannels. His skinny jeans fit just  right and his clothes were tight enough that I could make out his muscles flexing underneath them. His hair was in its usual perfected style and I knew that if I got close enough, I would be able to see the specks of green in his light brown eyes and the mess of freckles that were delicately placed on his cheeks and his nose. For someone who was always so angry and tough and honestly a huge bully, he had a very innocent and cute looking face. Typically this night would end with Monty and I hooking up and probably going home together too but I knew that tonight, I would be flying solo. Sherri was standing next to him and she looked genuinely happy as she gently leaned into his chest. A strange feeling I had never felt before washed through me but I quickly pushed it aside, not wanting to admit what I was pretty sure it was. I still could t take my eyes off of him no matter how hard I tried. I watched him from across the room. He had a soft smile toying at the ends of his lips while he looked down at her and played with her hair. She made him happy in a way I never could. His usually hard features were soft and caring; he looked beautiful and peaceful. I felt slightly empty ever since he told me that our little deal was off. I didn't even remember a time anymore that he wasn't my go to guy. Whether for a hook up or just someone to talk to. I had to let him go though. I was just his old friend Evie now, nothing more. We locked eyes from across the room and after a moment he mouthed the words that I knew were coming. "Are we good?" I sent a nod and a soft smile his way, earning the same in return. I turned and walked off, feeling something shift in me. Montgomery De La Cruz had left a mark on my heart.