Wrong Enough to Feel Right

Scene 1: Addington High

Heather Blakely

My father sighed and checked his watch. "I had to push back two meetings for this."

"This is about our daughter, William."

"And I am sure she has done nothing wrong."

"Well, be here to tell them that."

"Am I not here?"

"Oh, your eager presence is greatly appreciated," she glared.

"Thank you for waiting," the receptionist interrupted. "The headmistress will see you now."

Oh, no...here we go.

My parents walked ahead of me into the office, growing more agitated at the sight of a police chief in the corner. Headmistress Sanderson smiled from her desk, and they took a seat on their respective sides leaving the chair in the middle empty for me.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Blakely. It is lovely to see you again despite such unsavory circumstances."

"Yes, I find accusatory statements made against my daughter to be unsavory as well," my mother answered.

"We at Addington do not mean to accuse Heather of anything but rather get to the bottom of a situation that has been plaguing many students and their families over the past few months."

"Then, let's not waste time with niceties."

"Good morning, Heather."

"Good morning, headmistress Sanderson," I said with my head low.

"Are you aware of the slanderous imagery that spread through our school the morning of October 2nd?"

"Yes."

"Can you explain your tardiness to your second-period class?"

"Excuse me, what is the relevance?" My mother clasped her hands.

"We were able to narrow down the time of opportunity and it was somewhere between the duration of 10-11:15 when everyone should have been in their second blocks."

"Where were you, darling?"

"I wasn't in school...I had left to meet a friend."

"Who?"

"Leo..."

"Leonardo Rylin?" The headmistress questioned as she wrote his name down.

"Yes."

"What do you mean you left?" My father scowled.

"We were outside...in a van...talking."

"You do know it is an offense to leave school without permission?" Headmistress Sanderson asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"What were you doing in a van? Whose van?" He continued.

"Leo's friend has a van."

Headmistress Sanderson cleared her throat."25 minutes late because of a...conversation, Miss Blakely?

"A little more than a conversation..."

"Dear God." My mother's hand fell dramatically to her forehead.

"What exactly were you doing in that van, Heather?" My father pressed.

"We were...he...was....teaching me how to drive."

"If you want to learn, I will hire someone to teach you. No more skipping class and certainly not with that boy."

"Okay, I understand," I said, quietly.

He knows. He'd prefer to stay in denial, but he knows. He suspected Jace but Leo was a lot less subtle—anyone with a brain could tell that we were having sex.

"Are we done here?" My mother crossed her arms.

"We will need to speak with Leonardo to corroborate this information."

"And you will punish him for pulling my daughter away from her studies."

"I will go over suitable punishments after our discussion. It will most likely be detention if the only offense is leaving school grounds without permission."

"Thank you, headmistress."

My father stood and walked toward the door. He'd argue that I don't deserve detention, but clearly this time he believes I do. The offense in his mind is Leo. Again.

"I hope you all have a nice rest of your day. I will be in contact."

I tried to offer her one last compelling smile, but my mother practically dragged me out of her office with my father's silent encouragement.

"Heather, I am livid," she announced. "Since when are you and that boy back together?"

"We're not together."

"Have you learned nothing?"

My eyes rolled. "I have to get to class."

"Heather, I do not want to hear you're running off anymore with Leonardo or anyone else," my father said, sternly.

I huffed and threw out my arms. "It wasn't how it sounded."

"It better not have been."

Scene 2: Chester High Cafeteria

Zach Teeling

"It doesn't need a romance," I argued.

"Yes it does," Charlie replied, continuing to draw.

"No, it doesn't."

"Every great story has a romance. Besides, all superheroes have to have a girlfriend," he stopped to glance at me, "...or boyfriend-"

"Thanks." I rolled my eyes.

"So they have something to fight for."

"Well, at least put her in something other than a bikini."

He shrugged a shoulder. "It's titanium."

"I hope she leaves him for the bad guy. He's cooler."

"What are you two doing?" Karlie asked as she sat across from us.

"Making a comic," Charlie answered.

"Can I be in it?"

"Sure. You can be her sidekick."

Evan comes up to the table and smiles at me and Charlie out of politeness before leaning down to kiss Karlie.

Don't react.

But you couldn't just sit next to her like a normal person? What's the point of making a scene if you're not going anywhere?

"Hey," he said directly to her, only waving at us afterward.

I know you've seen her today, a "hello" kiss was unnecessary. You wanted everyone to see like we don't know you're already dating her.

"What are you drawing?" Evan asked Charlie.

"A comic. We already talked about it and no one feels like talking about it again," I answered.

"Alright..."

"Miss me?" Oliver said after sneaking up behind me.

"Yeah." I hooked my hand around his neck and closed the space between our lips.

"You are something else," Oliver shook his head and sighed at me before taking in all the gawking. "Well, don't stare."

I put my arm around him. "We're together now."

"We-" He widened his eyes in shock, but I gave him a pleading look so he knew not to blow my cover, "We've tied the knot."

"That's great," Karlie clapped. "Congratulations. I always wondered why you two weren't dating when you're both gay."

My face scrunched. "Is that all you think it takes?"

"You hang out a lot..." she added.

"So?"

"He's cute and you're cute. Why wouldn't you?"

"Because that's not the only things that matter. That would be stupid."

"Which is clearly why we were just friends," he spoke directly to me. "But things change, apparently."

"The heart wants what it wants."

"It usually wants athletes, but I'm everyone's type."

"And they just happened to be athletes," I defended. "Aaron was an ex-athlete."

"Now he's your ex-boyfriend."

"I needed to make room for you." I gave him a squeeze.

"He's in love with me," Oliver said to the table. "Tell them all the things you're always saying you love about me."

I shook my head but smiled. "They don't want to hear that."

"Sure they do."

"I don't mind," Charlie said.

"Thanks, Charlie." I glowered at him...though all four of them waited willingly for my Shakespeare sonnet. "I love that he...is so...funny."

"Oh, I can really tell a joke, can't I?"

"Mhm. He'll also do anything for his friends, especially me."

"We're more than friends," he said with a devious smile. "Babe—tell them what you said about me being so sexy you can't keep your tongue in your mouth."

"You just did, so-"

"Yeah, but it sounds better coming from you."

"Oliver, babe, shut up."

"He loves when I just sit and look pretty. Makes me feel like a housewife in the 50s."

"I'm the only one here who isn't dating anyone." Charlie shook his head in disappointment.

"Are you? Are you the only one here who isn't dating anyone?" Oliver asked while facing me.

I pat Charlie's back. "Cheryl likes you."

"But Cheryl's kinda weird."

"So are you."

"I figured you'd end up with Karlie," Oliver stated and everyone's attention went to him. "You know how girls go through that stage after being played by the cool guy where they date the less cool, but really nice and gentle guy who won't be able to break their heart—but you got with Evan,"

"And good fucking luck with that," I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Evan said.

"Just saying."

He shook his head in annoyance with me before focusing back on his girlfriend. Girlfriend. I'll never get used to that. "Do you want anything?"

"No," Karlie said, innocently, and he pretended not to be angry as he left the table.

Scene 3: Fifth Avenue

Jace Kendal

Trevor leans over my shoulder. "Still talking to your e-lover?"

"Her name is Venus."

He curls his lip. "Is it though?"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about your own absentee dating life?"

"I am emotionally invested in my best friend and sexually on pause. The last woman I let on this ride left with a souvenir."

"Condoms: an innovative invention."

"I wouldn't mind a new friend," he said in thought.

"What's stopping you?"

"I fear I'm fertile."

"You're not a woman, Trevor." I rolled my eyes.  "And it may not even be yours. You could have the worst sperm known to man."

"No, that doesn't sound like me."

I chuckle at the message on my computer screen that refers to Trevor as a warning people give to girls 15 and up.

"She knows you," I told him.

"What?"

"Look."

His eyes focus in on the screen. "Everyone in Manhattan knows of me. She's in Manhattan, then?"

"I guess so..." my face begins to warm in excitement. She mentioned Catholic school so I casually type out a message about Sarafine.

"You weren't aware?"

When we both said New York, I thought maybe she was in the suburbs or else we would have known each other.

I shrugged. "We try not to be too specific. After all, strangers on the internet."

"And yet that little fact wasn't enough to make you stop talking."

"I like having someone to talk to."

"I'm not good enough?"

"It's not the same. I can tell her things and not worry about anyone else I know hearing it."

"Things such as?" He asked but I smirked and ignored him. "Here I thought we had a special relationship."

"Here I thought your ideal relationship was between multiple people."

"Touché."

"I don't think I could do that." When I find someone, I only want to be with them for the most part. Everyone has a person they're meant for...not persons.

Trevor crossed his arms. "Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater."

"Heather wasn't my person."

"Oh, so you aren't dumb? Could've fooled me," he teased.

"There's love there."

"The love we have or..."

"No, because if you asked, I wouldn't have sex with you."

He stared blankly at me, still with his arms crossed. "...liar, liar, pants on fire."

I chuckled and brought my attention back to the keyboard. "Be quiet."

"Heather won't ask, and neither will she," he said, pointing to the computer.

"Audrey won't ask," I snarked.

"...Well, you don't have to be mean."

"I could get Heather before you could get Audrey," I reiterated.

Trevor guffawed. "I would have to wait for her to be single and I'd still be able to get Audrey faster than you could get currently single Heather."

"Don't make me knock you off of your high horse, Trevor."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Sarafine Francis is having their annual dance where they let the boys in from St. James to teach the girls the facts of life."

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Catholics."

"Venus told me that it gets out of control pretty fast considering they spend most of the school year trying to get good grades rather than a good lay."

"These are over-the-clothes kind of girls, Jace," he explained as if I didn't know.

He and Ethan both assume they're better than me with women because I end up chasing one girl rather than one million.

I raised my eyebrow. "Afraid your usual appeal will be a disadvantage?"

"And you think your lack of appeal is better?" He scoffed. "Challenge accepted. So much for love."

"This is a one-night thing between the two of us."

"Good, don't tell anyone who would disapprove."

"Every woman we care about," I clarified.

"Exactly."

Scene 4: Madison Street

Leo Rylin

"Hey," I said, nervously.

"Hi," Elle responded.

"How you been?"

"Fine."

"Cool." I nodded. "Still hate me?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah," she pushed past me into the apartment, "you've said that."

"It'd be cool if we could be cool when you're ready."

"Fuck you."

"Yeah...you've said that."

"This doesn't need to be a talking thing," she added, throwing everything I've gathered of hers into a backpack. "Where's the bowl I gave you?"

My eyebrows drew together. "Huh?"

"I brought you lunch at your job. You kept the bowl. It's my mom's, give it back."

"Right." I pace through the kitchen until I find the bowl she's talking about. "Here you go."

She looked around for anything she might have missed. "That's all, I think."

"You can call if you remember something else, or I'll bring it to you if I find anything."

"Yeah, whatever's fine," she said as she headed back toward the front door.

"I'm sorry..."

"You fucking should be."

"I'm not proud of how that all went down. It's 100% my fault. I was the worst guy for you and you deserve better than me," I admitted. "It was fun for a second, though."

"Of course that's what you think," she scoffed. "I was fun."

"I don't mean it like that."

"How am I supposed to take it when you-"

The phone ringing interrupted her anger.

I threw my head back and sighed. "Hold on...it could be my mom."

Elle crossed her arms but remained in place signaling that it was okay to answer it.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hi, Leo," Heather spoke, and my heart dropped...or raced or something like that.

"Hey..." I turned away from Elle.

"Is this a bad time?"

"Uh-" I looked back and saw the door closing behind her. "No. What's up, butterfly?"

"Did everything go okay? How much trouble did you get into?"

"Detention, you?"

"Detention."

I laughed, "You told them I was giving you a driving lesson?"

"You didn't have to face my father in that room."

"I told them I was fucking you. You didn't give me the new story."

"Well, no one believed we were driving, but my dad needed to hear it."

"Yeah, Sanderson wasn't even a little surprised when I gave her the details."

"Details," Heather said in horror.

"Had to let her know you weren't risking detention for nothing."

"Leo, what did you say?"

I smirked as I spoke. "Just that we lost track of time because you like it slow."

"This is mortifying," Heather groaned.

"I tried to make that 'if the van's rocking' joke, and my mom hit me."

"Oh, no," she whined. "Isabel."

"She knew we did stuff when we were together. One fake hookup won't hurt."

"...I owe you. I mean it."

"It's no big deal. I know if you did that shit with the flyers there would have been something about me on the walls, so you're clean."

"Oh, they would have all been about you."

"I bet," I chuckled. "But, I know how you can pay me back if you want to clear your debt now."

"How?"

"I've been trying to write an essay for a week, but I don't get this book."

"What book?"

"The textbook."

"Sounds complicated." I could hear her smiling. "I'll see what I can do."

"Tomorrow after school?"

"Sure, where?"

"You wanna come over?"

"Okay."

"Yeah? We can just chill at the library if it makes you more comfortable."

"I don't mind being in your apartment...unless it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, not at all. You're always-" I fidgeted nervously, "you can come over whenever you want."

Heather laughed, lightly. "Tomorrow it is then."