Burnouts 2: Without Butterflies

Friends and Friends of Lovers

Scene 1: Johnny's Grill

Leo Rylin

"Stop staring," I said as AJ unsubtly gave his undivided attention to people who didn't want it.

"Look at her," AJ shook his head and smirked.

Cherry and AJ broke up a couple weeks ago and now she's on a date with another guy. Whenever she even glances at him, she rolls her eyes or glowers. I know the feeling.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Matt asked.

"I'm not doing anything."

"That's your girl with somebody else and you want a front-row seat for it?"

"You said it yourself. She's my girl."

Cherry and her date got up from the table and AJ smiled knowing they had to pass us to get to the exit.

"Hey, Cher," he said as she walked by, and she gave him the deadliest glare I've ever seen.

"Shit," I winced.

"We'll get back together. She loves me."

"I can tell."

"That dude is not her type. Boring little clean-cut prick won't last a week before she's calling me."

"Why don't you just call her and apologize?"

"How'd that work for you?" AJ raised an eyebrow. And I raised my middle finger. "Well, I'm heading out. Hit me up if you do something later."

I shake my head as he walks out, waving to us.

"I hope Cherry isn't dumb enough to get back with him."

Matt chuckled. "She chased you for a year, so what do you think?"

"I think I was better than him at least."

"Hey," Zach sat down beside me with a tray of burgers and fries for the table.

"No boyfriend? Or Oliver or whatever."

"Not tonight."

He said they're just friends, and I get the being friends part, but I don't think you can say "just" when I walked in on them making out a couple times.

And this friend is kinda different from the guys Zach usually brings around. I don't really like him.

"Is Elle coming?" Matt said.

"Nah, she's with Claudia."

"She could've come too."

"She doesn't know anyone. When we hang out, she feels like a third wheel," I explained. "Besides, I've been with them enough this week."

Claudia's the best friend who's more like a sister to Elle, and I guess they were inseparable or something before me, so she tags along a lot to keep up the bond.

"Tired of being one of the girls?" Zach teased.

"It's cool that her friends like me, but I don't want to be around them all the time."

"You think she likes to be around yours all the time?" Matt laughed to himself, knowing the answer already.

"Probably not. You guys can be really fucking gross." They'll have a whole conversation about the dirtiest thing they can think of. But I prefer that to listening to Elle and Claudia and whoever else go on about guys they like or girls they know and who did what and 'how insane is that?'

"We're dialed down around them. It's never even my best stuff."

"Your toned-down stuff is still bad. You get stoned and start a whole conversation about boobs."