Burnouts 2: Without Butterflies

Melt All the Ice

Scene 1: Beekman Theater

Tony Milligan

"Hi, Tony," Lisa smiled brightly as soon as she spotted me.

"Hey." I smiled back and went over to hug her. "Hi, Alison," I said less enthusiastically, and she seemed surprised that I didn't ignore her presence.

"...Hello."

Playfully, I nudged Lisa's arm. "I'm excited to see your movie, future academy award winner."

"I've been told we were too clichè for choosing the film noir genre."

"Can never go wrong with that."

"Let's hope not." She sighed, nervously. "I'm just glad the movie screening was today and not earlier in the week. We wouldn't have had a fighting chance."

"Why?" Alison asked.

"All anyone could talk about were the ratings going around. They would have been passing the sheet throughout the theater and no one would pay attention to the movie."

"Are they done with those now?" I asked, looking at Alison, and she knows exactly why.

"I think everyone ran out of writing space," Lisa responded when Alison avoided eye contact.

"Hm."

"Well, I have to get inside." Lisa leaned in and gave me another hug. "Thank you for coming. You'll tell me what you think of it, won't you?"

"I know it's great," I said, reassuringly.

Alison took Lisa's parting as a cue to leave as well, but I caught her before she could go.

"Alison." She turned around, apprehensively. "Off to make another contribution to the smear campaign?"

"What, are you wearing a wire this time?"

"No, but I saw the chart."

"Didn't you hear? Everyone did."

"Who had the pink pen? The one with the glitter in the ink?"

"Why does it matter?"

"It was used to make the poll...so, it has to belong to someone in your new clique."

"Do you want to borrow it?" She snarked.

"One of you gave Jace a 5, Garret a 2, and me a 10."

"I'll be sure to ask who."

"No need, Brooke and Evelyn wouldn't rate me that highly."

"And I would?"

"You did." I shrugged. "Do you hate me or not, Alison?"

"I never said I hated you."

"Do you like me?"

She rolled her eyes. "You have Sabrina to do that."

"Sabrina and I are friends," I replied and watched as her eyebrows drew together. "She wants to focus on her relationship with God."

Alison scoffed and nodded. "So you're running back to me."

"I didn't run away from you."

"I don't like you," she said, bluntly.

"Okay," I accepted and began to leave her alone.

"I-" she started to speak, but when I faced her again, she lost her will. "Nevermind."

"Would you like to come over this weekend?"

"I would never step foot inside your house," she said, her voice softening and revealing the root of our issues.

"My parents are going to Syracuse. They won't be back until Monday."