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

Part 3 Chapter 2a

tw: sexually suggestive scenes, mentions of parental abuse

"We went over to hide his car in the parking lot. We figured we could hide it with other cars."

Tyler's car. They were going to hide Tyler's car.

It was the day after the Spring Fling, and Justin told them of what happened when Tony drove Tyler away from the dance. With all his guns. Which he had planned to kill people with.

Jessica then said, "But the keys were still in it. Tyler didn't plan on coming back to it..."

Her words left an ominous silence as they all register what she meant. Tyler had planned on dying that night.

Clay spoke up now, "So I drove his car away."

"Jesus." It was Cyrus that spoke now. Him, his sister, and his friends were there.

Actually, a lot of people were there. Clay, Jessica, Justin, Alex, Zach, and Ophelia. They were all at Monet's, around the largest table.

Zach had sat him and Ophelia at the end. He didn't want to even come. Ophelia made him.

"That's balls," Cyrus complimented Clay.

Zach scoffed. "It was fucking stupid."

Ophelia put a hand on his hand, trying to calm down his attitude. It didn't work. He was pissed.

"Going out there, stepping in front of a gun like that, acting like a fucking hero or something."

Zach hadn't approved of Clay talking down Tyler. In fact, Zach had called the cops after specifically being asked not to.

He recalled at the Spring Fling, when everyone heard sirens. Justin had attacked Cyrus, thinking he was the one that did it. Zach wasn't ashamed to say it had really been him. He thought it was the right thing to do. And for a while, Zach couldn't find Ophelia, so it seemed like the only thing to do.

"You called to cops," Clay told Zach. "I passed the cops on my way out. Think about that timing. If I hadn't done something, kids would be dead!"

"Hey," Ophelia said. "Let's lower our voices, okay? And let's all calm down."

Zach didn't seem to get the message. "We don't know that," Zach snapped at Clay. "All you did was give Tyler another chance."

"Exactly," Justin said. They wanted him to have another chance at life.

But that wasn't what Zach meant. "Another chance to do it again."

Justin looked away, upset.

"What if no one stops him next time?" Zach demanded.

Clay tried to say, "We make sure there isn't a next time."

As if he could actually control that.

"That's insane, Clay! He needs serious help," Zach insisted.

Clay just said, "We can get him help. But if we tell anyone what he did, then he's expelled at least, and will probably go to jail, and then be tried as an adult, and be in juvie until he's twenty-one. And then they send him to prison, and then what happens to him?-"

"No," Zach cut him off. He was tired of Clay making him feel bad for trying to do the right thing. "This is bullshit. I'm out. We're out." He nodded to Ophelia.

Ophelia looked down, unsure if she was 'out'.

"Zach-" Jessica tried.

Zach told them, "I won't tell, I won't say anything. But it's just not my job to take care of that psychopath."