Burnouts 2: Without Butterflies

To the Crossroads

Scene 1: 74th Street

Ethan Carey

"I am an enemy of the state as far as my family is concerned. Isn't that punishment enough?" I argued.

"Community service is hardly a punishment," Kevin, the lawyer, replied.

He made sure nothing with my name on it was ever viable pieces of evidence.

"You're right, this is practically a carnival."

"Don't you want to help your father? It is your crime."

"I'd rather pick up trash on the highway."

The issue with my father's kidney keeping him indisposed and the technicalities of my being the guilty party is leading me to have to take accountability and serve my time.

To children...

"This is Ethan," he announced.

"Hi, Ethan," three boys responded.

"I thought mentorship programs only forced one kid on you. What, am I teaching the class?" I whispered harshly.

"Help them with their homework and answer their questions with optimism, not pessimism. I'll be handling the busy work with your guardians and will be back in an hour."

"Is it true what you did?" One of them asked, his name tag read 'Corey.' "You worked at a strip club?"

Optimism, you say?

"It was more than that...but yes," I said, slyly.

"What was it like?"

"I don't think I should be telling you this...so use your imagination."

''Daryl' gasped, "Did you get to date them?"

"I did date one, actually."

"Just one?" His excitement diminished.

I narrowed my eyes. "You shouldn't have relations with employees."

"Do you get a lot of girls?" The last one, 'Eric,' asked. I deemed him the quiet kid which would subsequently be my favorite to deal with.

"I do pretty well for myself."

"How?"

I chuckled. "Are you trying to get girlfriends?"

"There are no girls at our school. Their school is across from us and we only get to talk to them before and after the bell rings," Corey explained their unfortunate circumstances.

"He has a crush on Christina Emmy, so he doesn't talk to her at all," Daryl teased.

"Shut up, she's an 8th grader."

"Oh, no," I said, sarcastically.

"She wouldn't make a 7th grader her boyfriend."

"It doesn't matter what grade you're in. The key is to act older than you are, hell, act older than she is. Women are more attracted to how you conduct yourself than they are to your face, height, or even age."

"So, we should act like someone else?" My good friend, Eric, inquired.

"Don't try to emanate some actor you saw in a movie or a musician who's putting on a front. Be a mature version of yourself or she'll see right through you," I warned.

"Okay," he replied, and I watched him slowly copy my demeanor.

Interesting.

"I see a potential business deal here..."