Burnouts 2: Without Butterflies

If You Want Blood

Scene 1: Addington High Main Hall

Heather Blakely

"Yo," Leo called out to get my attention. "Heather."

"Hi," I said, a smile mere seconds away.

"What's your problem?" He scowled at me, and no smiles ever came.

"Excuse me?" I scowled back.

"Elle told me what you and your asshole friends did to her."

"Who is Elle?"

"My girlfriend."

"Hm, not ringing any bells. Good luck with that, though." I waved 'goodbye' and began walking.

"Leave her alone. You're pulling the same shit you pulled last year with me, huh? Not feeding the pigeons?"

"God, I've never even spoken to that girl," I huffed in frustration.

"Oh, so, what? You let Audrey do your dirty work like that makes you the bigger person?"

"What Audrey does or doesn't do is not my problem. It sounds like it's yours." And I have no interest in being the bigger person.

"That's fucked up, Heather. I'm not going to let you bully her the rest of the fucking school year. You don't even know her. What, are you jealous?"

I laughed in his face. "Get ahold of yourself."

"Then stop being a bitch."

Oh.

"See, I wasn't planning to, but now that you've mentioned it..." I look up in thought. "No." He scoffed and shook his head as if he expected a different response. "Call me a bitch again, and it won't be Elle you'll have to worry about."

He glared but held back any parting remarks when I turned away.

I hate him so much. He should've done everyone a favor and just switched schools. It's not as if he ever liked it here.

I walk into the nearest restroom and see a couple of girls by the sink, they look like sophomores at the most. I clear my throat and they turn to me.

"Get out."

The girls hesitate, pausing to see if I'm being serious before ultimately deciding to grab their stuff and leave. No one likes confrontation.

When the restroom empties, and I'm alone, I go stand in front of the mirror and take my lipgloss out of my purse.

Staring attentively at my reflection, I start applying it— carefully swiping the color over my bottom lip and then the top as tears slowly run down my face.

Scene 2: Central Park

Trevor Bailey

"No more paydays after this. It better be done now." I hand Charles an envelope of cash.

"It should be. I just hope your dad doesn't kill the poor boy."

"I haven't known him to resort to murder...yet." I sighed, "Besides, I gave him enough money to disappear after the chat with my father."

"Do you really think he's going to believe the jilted lover story?"

"I'm counting on it."

I've framed a bellboy. I had no choice, there had to be a face to the crime, and I couldn't let it be mine.

The bellboy is a convenient stand-in. Why is there no security footage of Vivian meeting another man in the hotel? The bellboy deleted it. How did Vivian meet him? He works here, he's a bellboy. How did the tape get to my father? He easily found a way. I mean, you live where he works. He's a bellboy.