Burnouts 2: Without Butterflies

Looking Forward

Scene 1: The Helmsley Hotel

Heather Blakely

"I should move too," Alison said.

She came over to get her pick of the stuff I'm not taking with me. I'm sure some of it may be hers, anyway.

"You can stay in our new house."

"Have you bought it already?"

I nodded. "My dad said you can see the ocean from my room."

"I can't believe you're really going..."

Me neither...

"We're all leaving, I'm just getting my fresh start a little earlier."

"We've been here too long," Alison sighed. "We shouldn't know so much about everyone."

I smirked. "Or remember their old personalities."

"How awful they were," she agreed. "Do you remember that list that went around in middle school with the names of every girl in our grade?"

"When they were just rating us?" I asked in horror. "And the girls who got any number under 7..." no one did anything to stop the taunting if they were fortunate enough not to be the targets.

"Even the 7s were bad. Nick gave Gabrielle a 7 because he's seen 'really pretty girls' and then she dated him a month later."

"Nick was a 5."

"Don't join in," Alison reprimanded.

"Why are 12-year-olds meaner than 17-year-olds?"

"That is debatable," she said, discontented. "My uncle called my dad complaining about this poll my cousin ended up on at school. It was a chart of some sort— nicest lips, nicest legs, best boobs, best butt. It caused a PTA meeting, but she does go to public school."

"Those flyers about the boys felt pretty public school..."

" I think whoever's responsible made them quite professional. Now, Audrey's banners were public school."

"Perhaps this is where we intersect." I shrugged. "Public or private school, we're horribly immature when it comes to bullying the student body."

"I would say the flyers were warning signs...not bullying."

"Jace certainly felt bullied."

"Oh," Alison said, unsympathetic but intrigued.

"Though...his immediate response was that girls aren't that great either."

She scoffed. "And he wonders why people have bad things to say about him."

"He's a work in progress, but we both fell for the good qualities."

"There aren't enough to keep seeing him."

"Which is why we broke up." I nodded. "But, we are going out after school on Thursday." Alison narrowed her eyes in judgment. "It's for a project he roped me in with a school club. I'm a volunteer, apparently."

"You read the flyer. Don't fall for him again."

Scene 2: Orchard Street

Matt Jensen

"Ma!" I yelled out, walking through the beaded curtain.

"Yes?" She answered from where she was.

"You know, Elle, right?"

"Hello, sweetheart." My mom reached out for a hug whether she remembers her or not.

"I told her you'd show her how to do the tarot cards."