All This and Nothing

Scene 1: The Helmsley Hotel

Heather Blakely

I could tell he didn't want to go home. He tried to fight me on it but Leo told me he sleeps in his van sometimes...and how awful. Before he could put his jacket on, I handed him blankets and gave him a pillow, and without another complaint, he laid down on the floor and closed his eyes.

"Good morning."

"Yeah, right," Danny grumbled.

"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Anything in particular? They make a fantastic omelet with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and-"

"Don't you have like cereal or something?"

I nodded. "The one with the captain."

"Let me guess...Leo?"

I nodded again and laughed. "My mother nearly had a stroke when she saw it. 'Heather, when did you begin hating yourself?"

Danny chuckled. "Him and Zach love that crap."

"How is Zach?"

He said, "I don't really know..." and the answer seemed to sadden him.

"Last I heard there was some bad boy trouble," I tried to lighten the mood.

"Right, some guy named Oliver is with him now."

"I feel bad for Aaron..."

"Aaron dumped him."

"Oh...because he cheated with Evan."

"The fucking football player?" Danny said in shock. "Typical."

"He was adorable," I vouched.

"Can't trust an athlete."

"I know."

"Leo plays basketball."

"I know." I smiled. "He'd never let me watch him. He said I was a distraction."

"He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of you. His skills are hit or miss depending on the day." Danny rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Any plans today?" I asked.

"School, Rehab, probably dinner with Mitch, and then I don't know, I'll go over to Mandy's or Matt's."

"A lot of M names, no L names?"

"I'll talk to him about it when I see him later." He sounded exhausted at the thought. "What are you gonna do?"

"What can I do?"

"Stop bullshitting each other."

"That's a two-person job."

"And yet no one is working it."

"What makes you an expert? Did you not emotionally betray your last girlfriend?" I reminded him.

"No, I didn't," he argued. "And I'll get her back one day, I just have to get better first."

"You still want her?"

"That's the love of my fucking life. I'll always want her."

"You aren't worried she won't reciprocate?"

He went silent for a breath, but his shift in mood made it feel longer somehow. "...of course I am. I fucked up with her and I could feel it when it happened that she wasn't looking at me the same anymore. She didn't love me...as much. She used to talk about marrying me, you know? Maybe that's what made me think it would take a nuke to break us up. Her wanting a future, babies and shit. What's really fucked is I can't think about that stuff with anyone but her. So if she doesn't want me back...that's it for me. There's no one else."

"...How bleak."

"Yeah," Danny chuckled, solemnly. "Fuck love, huh?"

Scene 2: Addington High Main Hall

Alison Sinclair

"You bitch!" I shouted, piercing through the hallway, gathering momentum and the attention of everyone around me. She looked nervous, it made it even better as I grabbed Audrey and threw her up against the wall.

"Get your hands off me!" She shouted and fought my grasp.

Natalia pulled Audrey away and stepped in front of her as if it was meant to deter me. I continued, "You don't care about what happens to anybody, do you?"

"Certainly not you, tramp," Audrey spat behind the protection of her girlfriend.

"You let Tony get arrested trying to stop you from being the evil bitch you will always be!"

"Ooh, someone's catty."

"Audrey, enough," Natalia said quietly.

"There's no use trying to shut her up, she'll just find some other way to run her mouth."

"Well, here's a tip, it's a lot easier to do when you're not filling it with boys all of the time," she smiled arrogantly.

"How do you fit it into your schedule between occupying your mouth with Natalia and Maisilyn?" I cocked my head. "Or does Maisilyn only go down on you so you can pretend you aren't cheating? I know she loves to do your dirty work," I found her in the crowd we drew and she smirked at me. "Nice work on the smear page, bitch. What have I ever done to you?"

"Alison Sinclair," the dean called. His voice is loud and intimidating but nothing in comparison to us.

"Those pictures were the biggest mistake of my life. Thank you for reminding me that I'll never get past that." My jaw clenched when she simply shrugged a shoulder.

"I think the bigger mistake was assuming tearing down the male student body with your petty PSAs would even the playing field so Tony could try and fail to climb to the top. You're still dating a loser," Audrey rebutted.

"Shut up, Audrey!" Lisa stepped in impulsively before cowering in regret. "...You should both stop."

"Come on, honey, undying loyalty when he didn't even choose you?" Audrey laughed at her. "Please, you're more pathetic than she is. At least Tony knew to date up."

"Lisa told," I crossed my arms. "I never blamed you for anything."

"Don't veer off accountability as if you weren't only trying to save yourself. Say what you want, but I take credit for my work. Let's go, Nati," Audrey reached for Natalia's hand, but she pulled it back. "You can't be listening to her? It's Alison, she's a liar."

Natalia glanced at me...

My face softened empathetically.

"You can feel it when someone's pulling away, can't you?" I asked. I've begged to be loved one too many times. "No matter how much you want to convince yourself it's not true. Look at them."

She eyed Maisilyn, it looked as if she were holding her breath, while Maisilyn—as stoic and unfeeling as ever. She turned to Audrey next and just stared for a moment.

Natalia shook her head. "How could you..."

Audrey gasped as pearls fell from her neck, a few bouncing on the floor while the rest hung from Natalia's hand.

Scene 3: Addington High

Leo Rylin

"Called you last night. No one answered.

"No one was home," Danny replied.

"Everything alright?"

He shrugged. "Dad's in the hospital."

"What happened?"

"Crashed into the house."

My heart dropped, and I waited, watching him and hoping he'd say it was a joke. "Fuck."

"Yeah."

"You stayed with him at the hospital?"

"Are you kidding?"

"You alright?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" He said, rhetorically. "What's been happening with you and all your—shit."

"What shit?"

Danny guffawed.

Sheena walked in front of me and held out my headphones. "I believe these are yours."

"Shit, I thought I lost them."

"Under my bed."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, whatever," she smiled and waved goodbye.

"What shit?" Danny mocked.

"Stop."

"You're telling me to stop?"

"It's not what it looks like."

"Really? Because it looks like you fucking love these rich girls." He shook his head in disappointment.

"She's friends with Heather," I defended.

"No, she's not."

"I met her through Heather."

"Yeah, and now Heather doesn't like her."

"She doesn't?" My eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"

"Do the math," he snarked.

"She told you this?"

"Duh."

"When?"

"Recently."

My jaw clenched and I looked over at him. "Last night?"

He shook his head, "Your birthday."

"That's what you two were hugging about in there?"

"She was sad and I tried to help her. Sue me."

"I want to punch you."

He snickered. "Why?" Danny shrugged with a shit-eating grin. "It's not like you're going with her."

Yeah...maybe that's why I don't like you hugging her.

"I'll catch up with you later. You're my ride home," I said, cutting the conversation short.

I should leave you alone. I never should've stopped leaving you alone. We're two different people, know that? What business did we have getting so attached to each other?

I should leave you alone.

I walk right up to her. "Hey." She smiles...but not really. "Thought we were friends now."

"We are."

"Then why aren't you talking to me?"

"I am."

I shove my hands into my pockets. "I hung out with Sheena last night after I left."

"Good for you." She turns away and starts walking.

"So it's true."

"I don't know what you are referring to."

I grab her arm and pull her back to me. "You're so annoying, you like everyone."

"You like everyone," Heather argued.

"Not her. Not like that."

"You weren't interested in me in the beginning either."

"Yes, yes I was,"

She shrunk back. "You hated me."

"I wished I did, but I couldn't," I admitted. "She's a prissy, trust fund having, lacrosse player fucking, park avenue princess—and shit, she's fucking pretty. I always had a tiny crush on you, it was just easier to ignore before I got to know you."

Heather sealed off some of the space between us

and never tore her eyes away from mine.

"Are you going to get to know her?"

"I already know her. No crush."

"You can do whatever you want," she replied—as if I can't tell how relieved she is to hear Sheena got friend-zoned.

"I know "

"Good."

"Great." I step back. "Having fun with Danny?"

"Hush," she rolled her eyes, "he slept on the floor."

"He slept over?"

"Didn't he tell you?"

"Left out that part." I pressed my lips together.

"The situation with his father hurts him far deeper than he'd like to admit. If I can be there for him too, you should be glad, not angry."

"I know. Thanks for helping out."

"What are friends for?" She smiled and her eyelashes batted and I swear she does it all on purpose to make my brain take a picture of her so that I can never forget that she's so-

"Stealing my best friend," I sighed. "And he's stealing you."

"I'm not someone to be stolen."

"Everything that's pretty gets stolen."

"Don't call me pretty."

"Why not?"

"You know why."

"No. Is that pretty mouth gonna tell me?"

"Goodbye, Leo," she drew out.

"Sheena's not why you don't want to...hang out anymore, right?" She shook her head. "Promise?" I stuck my pinky out.

She resisted smiling as she wrapped her pinky around mine. "I promise. Happy now?"

"Just making sure." I nudged her chin. "It's cute you're jealous, though."

Heather's jaw dropped. "I'm not-"

"Sure, whatever you say, butterfly."

Scene 4: Madison Street (Zach's Apartment)

Zach Teeling

"We should stop doing this," Oliver said, rebuckling his belt.

"Why?"

"We're gonna get complicated," he smirked.

"No, we're not. This is just like...sweatier kissing."

"Sweatier kissing, huh?"

"It might feel a little bit better than kissing."

"A little bit better?" Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"Shut up." I tossed him his shirt.

"Alright, but we should just get up and leave each other afterward."

"Why? That's weird."

"It's smart. Trust me."

"Whatever."

"I'm gonna go." He grabbed the rest of his stuff, "We meet tomorrow on the train, okay? Don't be late."

"So early," I groaned.

"We have to be. You'll see." He unlocked the door and winked at me before leaving.  "Oh...hello," I heard him say from outside the room and I froze.

"Hey," Evan responded.

Crap.

I rushed to redress myself and hide the condom wrapper and make the bed up again. By the time he walked in my shirt was on inside-out, I had balled-up tinfoil in my hand, and the blanket was hanging halfway off the bed. We locked eyes, but he broke contact first. "I'll leave too," I mumbled.

"Don't bother, I'm supposed to work out with some of the guys. I just needed my gym clothes."

"Nice. Is it Riley and Jared? Or does 'the guys' just mean anyone who's a guy that you know?" Evan shot me an annoyed expression. "Sorry. You never invite friends over, so I wondered."

"No one knows I live here."

"You don't want them to?"

"I never knew how long I'd be able to stay. And now that Karlie's my girl and you made sure she can't be in the same room as a guy without people thinking she's hooked up with him, I don't want people knowing that she's anywhere near you."

I sighed, "I'm sorry."

"How's that going?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Grow up," he scolded, "Stop expecting people to fix your shit for you. Are you always going to act like a kid?"

"Fuck off."

Evan scoffed. "Guessing that's a yes then."