How You Remind Me

Scene 1: Addington High Cafeteria

Heather Blakely

"Uh oh, look who it is," Audrey spoke contemptuously to Alison. "Do you have clippers? I'm sure her claws are still out."

"Ha-ha." I sat down in front of them. "I promise I'll be nice."

"That's a start."

"I never meant to be so horrible..."

She shrugged. "I've seen worse."

"I didn't mean what I said about you as a host. I was irritated and taking it out on you."

"You're forgiven."

I sigh at Alison. "And you can date Jace, if he is who you want. I don't care." It's your heart on the line, not mine.

"Thanks...but I don't think we will ever be a serious couple."

"Good call," Audrey jibed.

"He has some decent qualities. If he makes you happy then go for it, I guess."

"I'm going to keep my options open...no more of your ex-boyfriends, though." No more that are available.

But..."Speaking of," I let out a deep breath as my eyes set on my target. "I'll be right back."

Audrey checks for who I was looking at and then gives me a concerned expression. "Where are you going?"

"Heather-" Alison said, warningly.

Elle is standing with her friends, and I recognize one of them from chemistry class.

"Hey," I said to announce myself.

"What?" Elle replied, harshly.

"There is a special exhibition at The Met next weekend. It's mostly exclusive, but," I take a couple of tickets out of my bag, "if you want to go."

"This some kinda joke?" She grabs them from me and passes them behind her.

"No, the exhibit is in the American wing. You can ask around if you don't believe me."

"Do I look like I care about some dumb art museum?"

"No one is really there for the art. It's an excuse to dress up for a night and drink wine and champagne." She looked at me as if she still didn't buy it. "And there's food," I added, but her expression didn't change. "Look, I thought it would be nice to offer. You could make it a date, we won't even have to interact with each other."

"Did he talk to you?" She crossed her arms.

"What do you mean?"

"Did Leo tell you to do this?"

"No."

"So, you just thought you'd try to play nice today, that's it?"

I force a smile onto my face. "Seems so."

"Oh, wow," she smiles as well. "Not interested." Her friends laughed and they walked off scoffing and sneering. "Snob."

Audrey takes my arm and starts to bring me back to the table. "And that is why we don't communicate with these people."

"It doesn't matter. No one can say I didn't try to be nice to her now."

Scene 2: 30th Avenue

Zach Teeling

"So, why can't we just be normal and ask if he has time to talk?" Charlie questioned.

"Because it's Evan. He won't 'just talk' to us anymore."

"I don't think this is going to work. It's too random."

"Why? He's the one who gets paranoid after smoking, not you. And it's your weed, he has to give it back if you ask."

Charlie scoffed. "Hey, Evan, can I have my drugs back? Also, how's your health?"

I nudged him. "Well, don't be weird about it."

"It will be weird."

"'Evan, what's up? Do you still have the weed?' And then ask him how life's been going and see if you can figure out why he was so sketchy at school."

"What if he wasn't sketchy?"

"He was."

"...What if it was because of you?" Charlie said cautiously.

"Why would it be because of me?"

"You said he was showering and carrying around a bunch of clothes and stuff...maybe it's  because he was out all night...with a guy, and he didn't want to tell you and make you sad."

"You're wrong." I shook my head. "He would want to make me sad."

"Does he know we're coming?"

"No, but it's okay. There's no practice today, and his aunt isn't home this early."

We reach his house, and as suspected, there's no car parked outside.

But there is a wooden nightstand on the curb that used to be in Evan's room, and an armchair I remember sitting in a few times. There's a bunch of stuff piled on top of both of them. I grab an old baseball from off of the chair and turn it to look for a scratch.

He wouldn't throw this out. He said it was lucky, his first home run.

"I don't think anyone's home." Charlie hands me the paper that was taped to their door.

Eviction.

The date says they have to be out by next Thursday. "No...they have another week."

"They left already." Charlie looks through the window to see inside. "It's empty."

"So, where's Evan?"

Scene 3: Presbyterian Hospital

Ethan Carey

I sigh when I finally see my mother standing outside of a hospital room. "What's going on?"

"It's his kidney again," she responded.

"Is he okay?"

"The dialysis is no longer working."

I shake my head. "I don't understand."

"All of the recent stress he's been under. He's taken a turn for the worse. He has to have a transplant."

"How soon can he get one?"

"As soon as we find a match."

"We can see if I am, can't we? I'm old enough." I scan the room for a familiar doctor or nurse.

"That's not necessary."

"Yes, it is," I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

"You have different blood types."

"Oh." My eyebrows draw together in confusion. "So, I have a different blood type than both of you?"

"It happens."

"What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry, your father will be fine. We wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"I already have," I muttered.

"He's not going to prison." She huffed. "Neither of you are. Despite what you've done."

She doesn't like to specify what it is that I did. Her side of the family is so conservative that my father has to hide the fact that he smokes cigars and claims the bourbon is for guests.

She "felt faint" when they told her what went on in the club.

"They can't prove all of it."

"We realized that."

"They are going to go for a plea deal, but you shouldn't let him take it. He would win in court— there just isn't enough evidence for the prostitution and-"

Her face twisted with derision. "If only you channeled this knowledge and drive into pursuing law school instead of whores and gamblers."

"Right, I see. That is what's important here."

"Yes, Ethan."

"I'm sorry, but I think dad's kidney is just a bit of a bigger failure than me at the moment."

She gasped...backing away from me as if I were the devil.

"Get a car and go home. He doesn't need to be around you in his condition." She shook her head. "For his sake, I hope he has all his organs replaced before he has to suffer in your presence."

Scene 4: Madison Street

Leo Rylin

I learned from....past relationships...that it's way more important than I originally thought for your girlfriend's parents to like you— so we're super innocent at Elle's house and her mom doesn't worry about what might happen at mine.

"Hey-" Elle pushed me back from kissing her.

"Hm?"

"Where were you last night?"

Shit.

"What?"

"We were all at Jordan's house and you never showed up. I called, and your mom said you weren't home."

"Oh, yeah..." I turn to lay on my back instead of looking at her. "I was with Zach."

"You guys went out?"

"He wanted to pick up some comics. Then I got back and passed out kinda early."

"Oh, okay," she nodded, having no reason not to believe me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing...it's just— nothing." She shrugged. "Something happened today, but it's not a big deal."

"What?"

"Nothing, keep going."

"Are you sure?" It's clear we're both holding back information. But you'd be pissed off for a week if I told you mine.

She moved from under me and sat up to start taking off her clothes. I know she wants to distract me from asking anymore questions, and I'd call her out on it if I hadn't already lied.

Her hands go to take off her skirt. She came straight here from school, uniform and all.

"No, keep it on."

"Just the skirt?" She said, curiously.

"Yeah."

"Why do you like it?" A smirk played across her face. "You weirdo."

"Shut up," I whispered before pressing my lips to her neck.