Burnouts 2: Without Butterflies

All This and Nothing

Scene 1: The Helmsley Hotel

Heather Blakely

I could tell he didn't want to go home. He tried to fight me on it but Leo told me he sleeps in his van sometimes...and how awful. Before he could put his jacket on, I handed him blankets and gave him a pillow, and without another complaint, he laid down on the floor and closed his eyes.

"Good morning."

"Yeah, right," Danny grumbled.

"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Anything in particular? They make a fantastic omelet with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and-"

"Don't you have like cereal or something?"

I nodded. "The one with the captain."

"Let me guess...Leo?"

I nodded again and laughed. "My mother nearly had a stroke when she saw it. 'Heather, when did you begin hating yourself?"

Danny chuckled. "Him and Zach love that crap."

"How is Zach?"

He said, "I don't really know..." and the answer seemed to sadden him.

"Last I heard there was some bad boy trouble," I tried to lighten the mood.

"Right, some guy named Oliver is with him now."

"I feel bad for Aaron..."

"Aaron dumped him."

"Oh...because he cheated with Evan."

"The fucking football player?" Danny said in shock. "Typical."

"He was adorable," I vouched.

"Can't trust an athlete."

"I know."

"Leo plays basketball."

"I know." I smiled. "He'd never let me watch him. He said I was a distraction."

"He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of you. His skills are hit or miss depending on the day." Danny rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Any plans today?" I asked.

"School, Rehab, probably dinner with Mitch, and then I don't know, I'll go over to Mandy's or Matt's."

"A lot of M names, no L names?"

"I'll talk to him about it when I see him later." He sounded exhausted at the thought. "What are you gonna do?"

"What can I do?"

"Stop bullshitting each other."

"That's a two-person job."

"And yet no one is working it."

"What makes you an expert? Did you not emotionally betray your last girlfriend?" I reminded him.

"No, I didn't," he argued. "And I'll get her back one day, I just have to get better first."

"You still want her?"

"That's the love of my fucking life. I'll always want her."

"You aren't worried she won't reciprocate?"

He went silent for a breath, but his shift in mood made it feel longer somehow. "...of course I am. I fucked up with her and I could feel it when it happened that she wasn't looking at me the same anymore. She didn't love me...as much. She used to talk about marrying me, you know? Maybe that's what made me think it would take a nuke to break us up. Her wanting a future, babies and shit. What's really fucked is I can't think about that stuff with anyone but her. So if she doesn't want me back...that's it for me. There's no one else."