Scene 1: Addington High Library

Heather Blakely

"Welcome to your college readiness seminar," the woman greeted whoever entered the room.

These used to be strictly voluntary until administration realized that only a few people would show up and even less would attend each day of it.

"How lovely, getting ready for another institution that will give you another certificate for shoveling money into their mouths for another four years," Trevor said.

"Four? Most of us are going for eight."

"What a waste of youth."

"Still waiting for your daddy to die so you won't have to attend college?" I teased.

"That is the plan, gorgeous." He winked.

"I will pass around a clipboard for you to write down your first choice of schools." She handed it to the person at the end of our table.

"Let me guess, Yale?" Trevor asked me. "Women love Yale."

"I am moving to the west coast, so..."

"Moving? Why didn't I know?"

"I haven't told anyone yet."

"When do you go?"

"3 months."

"And you'll stay there? Forever?"

"Forever is a long time, no promises."

"Aren't you going to miss me?" He said, offendedly.

"You all can come to visit when you're tired of the snow."

"But the Ivies are an East coast award show. Don't tell me you did volunteer work, after-school activities, kept your grades up just to go to a community college in Oregon."

"I won't come back here specifically."

"Dartmouth and Brown aren't too close."

I shrugged. "I am considering Stanford."

"Audrey would projectile vomit hearing you say that."

"So, she won't hear."

"Speaking of being violently ill," Trevor sets his eyes on Danny who comes in visibly sluggish and flops down onto a chair. "What is this, the return of the living dead?"

"He looks better than he did yesterday..."

"Do you think it's meth, heroin, or crack?"

"What?" My eyes widened.

"He's a drug addict. Always has been. I just wonder what's his poison."

"I don't think-" I shake my head in denial before taking another look at him. "He wasn't..." not before, at least.

"I would put money on him killing himself before graduation."

Scene 2: Pinkie's Diner

Matt Jensen

"You any good on guitar?" Ned asked.

"I'm alright."

"Battle of the bands. We need another guitarist."

"I can't play and sing at the same time. It messes me up," Frankie admitted.

"What's your band name?"

"The Devil's Prostate," he smirked.

"No."

"Mickey's Kiddie Table," Ned replied.

"Mickey?" I questioned.

"Mouse."

"No."

"Deep Fried Fingers," Frankie said excitedly.

"What...is wrong with you?" Leo shook his head and laughed.

"Snipped Foreskin?"

Jordan sighed. "Are there no rules against this shit?"

"Male Menopause," Frankie shouted.

"Sour Milk," Ned suggested before I could reject Frankie's.

"Yeah, okay."

"That one you're cool with?" AJ scoffed.

"I don't want to be the guitarist in Mickey's Kiddie Table."

He shrugged. "I'd listen to Devil's Prostate."

"When is the battle of the bands?"

"January," Ned handed me the folded flyer in his pocket.

"Holy fuck, what if you get signed to a label?" AJ asked after reading over my shoulder and seeing the prizes.

"Change our name to sell-outs," Ned and Frankie laughed while looking at each other.

"Get famous, get on hard drugs, get a couple STDs and then die before I turn 30," Frankie added.

"Morbid piece of shit," AJ snickered.

"New band name," Ned jokingly cheered.

"You guys coming to Ange's birthday dinner?" Jordan asked.

I scrunched my eyebrows. "She's having a dinner?"

"We're always throwing parties so she's sick of it."

"When is it?" Leo said.

"Saturday."

"I don't know. We've got something," he motioned between him and Elle. "We might come by later though."

"We don't have anything Saturday?" She replied.

"We're going to the Met."

"No, we are not. I told you."

"Elle," he sighed.

"What? I'm not going."

"You don't like museums?" AJ chuckled.

"She's probably been enough. We all have, right? All those field trips," I said in her defense.

"Heather wants him to go," she argued.

"She wants you to go," Leo corrected. "She's sorry

"She never said that."

"She just gave you these tickets because she's not sorry," he rolled his eyes.

"You go."

"I'm not going without you."

"You're not going for me either." Elle stood up and climbed over the seat of the booth. Leo let out a deep breath as she walked off but knew he had to go after her.

She didn't get out of the door before he caught up and pulled her away from it.

"Man, they've got to have 'high maintenance' stamped on their foreheads for Leo to want to bang 'em," AJ commented.

But it's not Elle's fault...

"Stop trying to be friends with her," I heard her say. They're standing in the pathway to the restrooms, it's not that close, but if I focus...

"That's not what I'm doing," he responded, frustratedly.

She just doesn't know yet that Leo's this really amicable guy. He's always been. I get her, though, it's annoying sometimes, but you get used to it.

"I'm not comfortable with it."

"I'm not trying to be her friend. This is to keep you from fighting and getting detention and getting ganged up on. I just want you to be cool." He grabbed her body and pushed up on her. "I just want you."

See...

he's a good guy.

Scene 3: Outside of Chester High

Zach Teeling

"You want to go on a road trip this weekend?" Oliver asked.

"Where?"

"New Canaan. Lucas is driving."

"Wait why?"

"They're trying to get this drummer in their band, but he lives in Connecticut, so they're heading down there to play with him."

"What're you going to do?"

"I've never been, but I bet I can find something. You have to come and keep me safe."

"Yeah, okay. Let me ask my mom."

"Tell her my dad's taking us to an amusement park or something," he suggested.

"I don't wanna lie."

"Want me to?"

"I'll call you," I said, distractedly, my eyes latching onto Evan walking by, and my legs turning to follow him.

Oliver grabs my arm. "Zachary Maria Teeling."

"Stop renaming me."

"I thought we were done with jockstraps."

"It's not like that. I'll tell you later," I spoke, hurriedly and rushed off before I could lose sight of Evan.

I stayed a few feet back the entire duration and hid behind someone else whenever I got the chance. I treaded lightly so he never had a reason to turn around and catch me without an excuse as to why I'm near him or anywhere in his neighborhood.

Though, we're clearly not going toward his house.

Evan stops at the rundown car his aunt let him have when he got his license. Sometimes it doesn't even start...which is probably why it's randomly sitting in front of Benny's Pizza Palace.

He opened the passenger side and threw his backpack on the seat before shutting the door and going to the restaurant.

When I moved closer, I saw a blanket across the back seat and a balled-up sweatshirt where a pillow would be.

You're sleeping in this car...

And sitting at a table without getting any food first. What if he doesn't have any money...

What if he's hungry?

I know we've got our problems, but that doesn't stop me from being worried. And it definitely doesn't stop me from following him in.

His back is facing the door, so he doesn't see me until I sit across from him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, and I take out his lucky baseball and set it on the table. Evan grabs it, but I can see him tense when he realizes what it is. "Where'd you get this?"

"Your house...your old house."

"Who said you could drop by like that?"

"I wanted to talk."

"For what?" Evan scowled.

"Where do you live now?"

"None of your business."

"Okay...if I wanted to send you a letter— where would I send it?"

He scoffed. "Can you shut up?"

"If you don't have a place-"

"I do, go bother someone else!" Evan gets up to leave, taking his keys out of his pocket in the process. But— I make sure we both walk out of that door.

"It's going to get cold soon," I yelled to him as he headed to the car. "My mom's already taking out the big coats," I said to him like it made a difference. "I have two." Evan stopped at his door and looked at me. "And a sleeping bag...and some pillows...and blankets."

"I don't need your help."

"We can find somewhere to park the car-"

"No."

"You can stay in my room with me or in the living room. My mom took my sister's room when she moved out, so, there's not actually a free space, but I'm good at sharing-"

He unlocked the driver's side. "I have a place."

"Well...you know...if you get cold."

Scene 4: Madison Street

Leo Rylin

"Mom, I'm home," I said aloud as I came in.

"Come here for a minute."

"Uh oh." I walk over to the kitchen where she's mixing whatever goes into deviled eggs. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. How was your day?"

I take a finished one off of the tray.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah...how was yours?"

"Slow because of the rain." She pauses before nosily asking: "Was that a couple's quarrel at the diner?"

"It was— stupid. We fixed it."

"I heard Heather's name...I believe."

"...Yeah."

"I didn't know you were speaking again."

"We're...okay." I shrugged.

"Oh, that's nice," she said in a heightened tone.

"...What?"

"Nothing..." she continued, still sounding like she knows more than I do about myself. "How does Elle feel about it?"

"She's...okay."

"Didn't seem like it."

"Mom," I huff.

"Well, you do have to take Elle into consideration when becoming close with someone you previously dated."

"I did. There was a problem and now there isn't anymore. I'm trying to keep it that way."

"I hate to see you learn things the hard way, jellybean."

"I thought you liked Heather."

"I do."

"You like Elle better?" I asked.

"Do you?"

Silence fills the room and my eyes narrow.

"This is why I stopped talking to you about stuff."

"Yes, I'm sure it had nothing to do with you doing things you didn't want me to know about."

I shook my head. "You're an instigator, you know that?"

"Don't be melodramatic."

"She invited me and my new girlfriend to this thing at the Met because everything is okay now."

"Fun. Say hi to Heather for me."

"No."