You Make Me Complete(ly Miserable)

Scene 1: The Helmsley Hotel

Leo Rylin

"How early did you have to wake up to get here before school?" Heather asked, pulling me by my hands into her place.

"Don't worry about it," I smirked.

"I'm sorry, I would have suggested after, but I'm sure you have big plans."

"Why?" I challenged, even though I knew she knew.

"Oh, no reason in particular. Something about today feels special," she said, nonchalantly, still holding onto me as we went up to her bedroom.

"It's not."

"It is."

"Nah." I shrugged, standing in front of her bed now.

"Happy birthday!" Heather jumped on me, pushing me down on the mattress. Something about the way she smells makes me want to bury my face in her skin.

"Thank you, butterfly."

"You're all grown up."

"Tell my mom that."

"Whatever she said is probably right," Heather teased. I jokingly rolled my eyes in response, but I'm really distracted. It's not that you're on top of me, it's that you used to be all the time and that was just us. I have so many memories of you smiling at me from up there. Deja vu has never been this good before... "Oh, I'm sorry," Heather apologizes after seeing my eyes glued to how our bodies fit together. She started to climb off of me, but I held her up.

"Fuck it. Our clothes are on."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I know this is where you're most comfortable." I put my hands on her waist and she smiled.

She kept smiling but I saw her start to get shy. "I'm sorry for being crazy yesterday..."

"Don't apologize to me."

"Accept my apology," she leaned forward.

"No," my lips brushed across hers. "I don't accept it," I said lowly, kissing her teasingly. "What are you going to do, huh?"

Heather hummed with our lips pressed together like I said something pleasure-inducing. Her tongue slid into my mouth and I could feel her legs squeezing tighter around me. Oh, Heather.

I pushed on her thigh so her body would move back out of the danger zone. If she kept rubbing against me, I wouldn't exactly be able to hide my enjoyment.

She kissed me harder and I let out an arrogant chuckle when her teeth took my lip between them. You're trying so many ways to tell me.

I kept up, going her pace and no further—though her pace was fast enough. She sighs blissfully without pulling away and I'm tempted to do the same. What can I say, I still like teasing her. My shirt gets pulled into her grasp, the nostalgia of it makes me more receptive...for a while, I'm willing to ignore that she's grinding on me again...and that liking it is a slippery slope. She puts her hand under the hem and slowly drags it up my chest—I stop her there. The second clothes come off, we lose this.

Not too much skin-to-skin, butterfly.

"Nothing," she sighs again—this time in frustration as she lays next to me.

"Hey," I nudged her,"...I didn't open your present yet."

"No?"

"I wanted to do it with you on my birthday. I'm guessing you didn't think you'd see me today."

"Times have changed."

"Quickly."

She smiled and clasped her hands together. "Let's see what I got you."

I nodded and reached over the side of the bed for my backpack. I didn't want to fuck up the gift bag she got me so I cushioned it with a jacket and made sure not to squish it on the train.

"Here it is," I said as I took it out and she nodded for me to go through the tissue paper. The first thing I grabbed was wrapped, I could tell it was a CD. I like that she tries to bond with me through music so much. "Holy shit," I said as I tore the wrapping paper off of what showed part of a signature. "Holy fucking shit. What'd you do?" My sentences came out breathlessly while I read Billy Corgan's name and "To Leo," in his handwriting.

"You know how much I love writing letters."

"He saw it?"

"It can't surprise you that I have a bit of reach."

"This is sick," I let out a stunned breath. "Thank you."

"Do you swear you like it? You didn't have higher hopes, did you?"

"Are you kidding? This is awesome. I thought you said you grabbed something on the way."

"I stopped by and grabbed this on the way." She pulled the discman out of the gift bag. "I had to plan for that."

"When?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

"You were thinking about me?" I smirked, and she rolled her eyes to hide the hint of embarrassment. "I'm sorry I gave it back."

"Jerk."

I chuckled because part of her meant it. "Yeah, I know, butterfly."

"I forgive you."

"You like giving gifts," I point out.

"If it's meaningful it shows how much you care," she answered.

"You like getting gifts?"

"Doesn't everybody?"

"Did I get you enough when we were going out?"

She smiled. "Yes, you got me enough."

"Okay." I smiled too as she leaned in for another kiss.

Out of fear of her thinking I'm obsessed or something, I can't tell her how much I missed kissing. It made me kinda happy knowing that whenever she knew we were going to see each other, she was just waiting for it to be time to be kissed.

"I have to get dressed or we'll be late," Heather pulled herself away.

"Wouldn't want that to happen," I said sarcastically, further relaxing on her bed. I missed this too. I miss sleepovers but I can't cross that line with you...

"I can also get you tickets to a show," Heather speaks from where she's hidden in the bathroom. "You know, they're touring right now."

"I do know, and I know when they'll be here, and I know how much it costs and since I work now, I'll get them myself. Don't spend any more money on me."

"You're no fun," she replies, and I can picture the little pout on her face.

"That's what they tell me," I joked. I don't even want to think about how much it costs to get a letter to a rockstar who gets to play Madison Square Garden.

"Do you want breakfast?" I look up from the CD and Heather is definitely messing with me right now. "I can order or we can stop," she said casually as if she wasn't stripped down to her panties and just holding a shirt up to cover her chest.

"Stopping somewhere's cool," I said as nonchalantly as possible—like I didn't even notice and I feel nothing at all from this.

"Anywhere in mind?"

"No."

"I'll choose," Heather shrugged and walked back into the bathroom.

"Jesus," I chuckled and shook my head.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing, butterfly."

Scene 2: Madison St. (Zach's Apartment)

Zach Teeling

"I made toast," I offered.

"I'm not hungry," Evan mumbled.

"My mom bought us new gloves to wear."

"Okay."

"Yeah, we should try not to get sick because if one of us catches something, both of us will have it in no time," I laughed, but the silence around us made it even more awkward, "since we're in the same room and stuff..."

"I can find somewhere else."

"Don't. Don't punish yourself for something I did. Please..."

"Whatever," he sighed.

Someone knocked on the door and I thanked God because this animosity between us is enough to make me spew.

Evan opened it and Oliver waved while standing next to Karlie.

"Look who I found on my way in," he said.

"Hey, Oliver," Evan nodded at him but welcomed Karlie in a little warmer. "Hey, babe."

Ouch.

He scoops her up and kisses her like he invented the act.

I deserve it...I guess.

Oliver noticed the lump in my throat and the sweet sound of my body dissolving into a pool of tears. "Let's give them a run for their money," he whispered, and I let him kiss me in front of them.

He put both of his hands on my face and gave me more tongue than a kid with a jawbreaker. Sometimes I think he likes me more than he says—but that's how he makes every guy feel.

The door shuts behind us and I push myself off of him.

"Thanks for trying...but he knows "

"That you love him?"

"What I did to Karlie."

Oliver cringes in sympathy. "He's going to get over it," he said.  "That's why he didn't tell her."

"He's never going to want me again."

"Maybe that's for the best." He shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better, he only liked her after she cut her hair and stopped shopping at Delia's. I think that says something."

"It doesn't matter why he likes her. He does...so fine," I look down at the ground in case my eyes get a little watery. It happens when I get too frustrated.

"Zach..." Oliver sighed and put his hand on my back. I turned around quickly and put my lips on his again, and then both of his hands were on my back.

Never any hesitation, I can count on you

We never have before, but wouldn't it be great to...

I lead him over to the couch before falling on top of him.

"This is what you need right now?" He asked as I was unbuttoning his pants but he made no effort to stop me.

"Who cares what I need? It's what I want."

Scene 3: Sant Abroeus

Tony Milligan

I'm not naive. I know there is no possibility that she invited me here for a good reason. "Hi, Audrey," I sighed, nervously.

"You may sit."

"Listen, I'm sorry about any trouble that was caused by-"

She forcefully slams a paper on the table in front of me. "Break up with her or these go up all over the city."

It's Alison, prettiest girl in the world, innocently posing for a picture without realizing how much of a target beauty is.

She tells everyone she's over it but I know it's only because talking about it makes her cry.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I grumbled.

"You two. End it."

"She can sue you."

"Prove I made it. Prove I distributed it. Let me save you the time, you won't and you can't."

I scoffed. "She's your friend."

She shrugged with an evil smile. "I have more."

"No." I shook my head. "I won't break up with her."

"You heard him," Audrey said, slightly glancing over her shoulder.

A boy behind her stood up, his smile was gross and conniving...it took me a second to realize that was because he was holding all of the copies.

"Come on, this isn't right." I stood in his path to the door.

"She already paid me."

"I'll give you more."

He looked behind him at Audrey who wore an expression that showed she wasn't one to be betrayed. He chuckled and shook his head. "Nah."

"Hand them over."

"Yeah, okay,"

The boy lunged at me but I was prepared enough not to let him bring me to the ground. We held onto each other, neither willing to give, but I pushed his body into the table next to us and watched as some of the flyers dropped from his hand.

"Anthony!" My dad seethed.

I reached down and quickly gathered each one as Audrey's friend tried to do the same.

"Get up from there. What are you thinking?" He continued without making too big of a scene.

His hand grabbed my shoulder and I shrugged it off, "Stop."

He tried to yank me by the arm. "Get up."

"Stop!" I shouted and fought to pull away. "Get off of me."

I watched his eyes dart around the room at all the witnesses. He pointed sternly, "I will see you in the car."

Usually that look in his eye makes me so nauseous I can only breathe through deep breaths or else I'll throw up.

But when I saw that the boy was no longer in the cafe, anger filled the space where fear would be.

"He got away because of you!" I yelled as I walked out of the door.

"What the hell are you doing embarrassing me in front of everyone?" He slapped the back of my head. "I could have had friends or coworkers in there, you idiot." He closed his fist and I shielded my face as he swung. It always makes him mad when I cover myself.

As if I'm not mad he's hitting me.

As if this isn't embarrassing me too.

As if you didn't just stop me from helping my girlfriend.

Fuck you.

I pushed him back and swung at him this time. I heard the impact before he lost his balance and ended up on the ground...and I knew that if I let him stand back up, he'd hit me again—so I hit him instead. Over and over and over. Something broke in me. I didn't realize I was crying until I watched my tears fall into the blood on his face—but I still didn't stop, not until they grabbed me off of him.

I would have fought them too had I been able to breathe. And when my sight cleared up, I was glad I didn't granted they were police officers.

I'm being yelled at and handcuffed but my father being peeled off of the pavement is too distracting for me to care.

"You moron." Audrey crossed her arms and scoffed. "You've really done it this time. Always trying to save the damsel."

Her minion left with less than half the stack but it's enough to do damage with. Alison will be humiliated, and it'll ruin everything she's done to change how people see her this year.

"I love her," I mumbled, still in the zombie-like trance I was detained in. "Please don't do it. She's already going through so much." Her mom hasn't even reached out since she left...she can barely talk to her dad.

I might be sick. Nothing hurt a second ago but I feel it all now. My hands are sore and there's a gash from where my knuckle hit his tooth.

The police officers lifted me from the ground and started leading me to the back of the squad car. I turned my head to look for my father but he was talking to another cop. I caught Audrey's eye and smiled at me, she's scarier when she's happy.

"Love won't fix it. Look where it got you."

Scene 4: Jordan's House

Heather Blakely

"That's nice. You get that from the shop on Prince?" A guy asked, referring to my bracelet.

"Canal," I lied. Leo told me to never let anyone know who isn't aware already that I have a trust fund.

"It looks dope for a fake."

"Thank you."

"This is real." He lifts his shirt and shows me the gold loop going through his belly button. "I found it and took it to my guy so he could tell me how much it was worth. $250 alone. I'm saving it."

"Is that an earring?"

"Yeah. Took some getting used to."

"I'm sure."

"Heather?" Leo questioned and then gave a look to the guy with his shirt raised. "How'd you know about this?"

"Danny invited me. He knows we're friends."

"Right."

"...Did you not want me here?"

"Stop thinking that." He sighed. "I would've invited you myself if I thought you wanted to be a part of any of this."

"It's your birthday."

"Yeah, but we're not a couple so it's less fun for you. I won't even kiss you here."

"I don't need to be kissed."

"Well, I don't really know that guy so stay away before he tries anything," Leo said, eyeing the earring boy.

"He was nice."

"Mhm," he looked at him disapprovingly. "What're you drinking?" Leo asked, taking my cup and a sip.

"Jordan made it."

"Want another?"

"You're the one who is supposed to be getting drunk," I challenged him.

He raised an eyebrow at me before downing the entire cup.

"I'll get another."

"Don't bother, I'll have you drink that one too," I said slyly and closed in a few inches of space between us.

It was almost perfect. He was about to smile, but something stole it from me.

"Sheena!"

"Birthday boy." Her eyes soaked him in like he was the last boy on earth. "Look who's old enough now."

"I've always been old enough."

"Said everyone who's ever been jailbait."

What the hell?

"Sheena?" My eyes must be deceiving me..,

"Hey, Heather."

"She went to Chester last year, did you know?" Leo asked.

"I didn't."

"It made her cool."

"Then maybe you should go," she teased him.

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Shut up. I'm glad you could make it."

"With gifts," she added.

"You didn't have to. Half these dickheads got me nothing," he said, accepting it with awe and warmth.

"Which makes mine even better. You'll love it."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Leo said as he brought her in for a hug. Suddenly, I've changed my mind about not needing to be kissed. "I'll be back, okay?" He said...

To me.

And left...

With her.

"Okay..." Something about standing here while he's walking off with Sheena makes me feel gross inside.

The reason I shouldn't have come to this party is because I'm only used to being here when I'm with you. This is your world and I was a guest, your plus one...but it was never your intention to bring me to this.

I could see them from the window.

He's flirting with her,

And he doesn't even care that I'm here to see it.

He doesn't care.

Your rules were for good reason...

It would have hurt a lot less if I didn't have expectations.

What am I even doing here?

I walked into the house...and it stung that he didn't notice as I passed the kitchen. It's not like I tried to get your attention but God there was a time where you'd call for me everywhere if you didn't know exactly where I was and that I was safe.

I pushed through the crowd of people gathered here for him. I don't know most of them, so much has changed. Quickly.

"What's wrong?" Danny pulled me out of the herd.

We make eye contact and I let out a defeated sigh. "If I talk about it, I may start to cry and I'll hate myself for it."

He took my arm and pulled me into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us.

"Go ahead."

"One second." I sat down on the bed and took a few deep breaths to keep the tears in. I could feel his eyes taking in the ridiculous state of me and it added shame to everything else that was wrong. "I'm sorry," I let out a small laugh to ease the tension, "my feelings are really hurt."

"Just cry."

"He wouldn't cry over me," I said, and the floodgates opened.

"What are you guys doing?" Danny sighed and walked across the room to hand me a box of tissues.

"I don't know," I admitted. "We're friends with some of the benefits, and I knew it was a bad idea but it's worse than I thought."

"Obviousfuckingly."

"I expected him to think of me how he used to. But, he doesn't like me anymore. Not the way he did."

"Not true."

"You can't say that. You're not him, and you don't know how this feels."

"You love someone who you think doesn't give a fuck about you. I don't know how that feels?"

"I'm so dumb for believing he-" I shook my head instead of finishing the sentence, taking a deep breath and hoping the tears would absorb into my skin. "What did you do?"

"Got over it."

"Oh, no," I whined. If that were possible, I wouldn't be at his stupid birthday party.

"You don't have to. If he got over you, I'd know by now, and you would too."

"You should be pleased. Something tells me the next girl he's with will be more likable to you." Sheena is just so cool.

"Doubt it." Danny shrugged. "Look how long it took me to like you."

"That's so sweet," I sniffled and dried my face.

"When you dropped him, I was glad I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore. You know, before I realized he started to sit in the back of the van so no one would see if he was crying or not," he shoved his hands into his pockets. "You're both shit at telling each other when one of you is getting hurt."

"I'm perfectly okay."

"He told me what happened after that end-of-the-year party the centrals threw," Danny stated. "He said he thought you wanted him back and then you pulled the rug. It hurt more the second time."

"I didn't plan any of that."

"Since we were out on break, I didn't see him for two weeks. He wouldn't answer the phone and he begged his mom not to let anyone in. When she finally had enough, she sent me in there. He looked dead. For a second, I thought he might've bit it."

"Are you trying to make me feel bad for being upset right now?"

"No. I'm just thinking that if he found a way to talk to you then, you would've given him the time of day."

"You're trying to convince me to talk to Leo," I realized.

"That's the one."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Really? You feel better?"

"Yes. I just needed to breathe."

"You're either together or you're not. You know that, right?"

"I do." I nodded. "He's lovely when it's just us. This morning was amazing..." Remembering the bliss makes me feel that much dumber because how dare I assume you felt as happy as I did. "I didn't need all of the other stuff before, I don't know what's changed."

"Knowing what it's like to have a boyfriend instead of a fuck buddy."

"I know he's not trying to hurt my feelings..."

"No. He'd flip if he knew I didn't come get him when you started crying,"

"Could you do me a favor and not tell him?"

"Yeah, I got you."

I dabbed the tissue under my eyes before stopping for a moment and glancing at the nightstand Danny grabbed them from. "What were these originally used for?"

"It's better if you don't know."

"Oh." I put the tissue down. "Ew."

"Do you want like...a hug or something?"

"You don't have to hug me."

He put his arms out and gestured me over to him. The thought alone brought more tears to my eyes and I had to keep myself from sniffling in his embrace.

I'm glad it's Danny, pity from Leo would be the tipping point right now.

"I'm so embarrassed."

"You're crying over my best friend and I'm consoling you. This is embarrassing for me."

The door opened. Leo stood there without words and without movement.

Danny and I pulled apart from each other at the same time.

"I'm going home. I don't feel well," I tell him.

"Want me to take you?" Leo offered.

I shook my head. "Have fun. Happy birthday."