Other People's Problems

Scene 1: Madison Street

Leo Rylin

"I got my costume," Elle said.

"Yeah? I'm still working on getting mine."

She sighed. "I told you where to go. You should've just let me get it."

We're going as Fred and Daphne— which was just a step up from Mario and Princess Peach. I haven't bought the costume yet because I feel like I can slack off and put something together myself that's just good enough that people can guess who I am if I'm standing next to Elle.

"I can grab it, if you remind me," my mom offered.

"Are you picking up a costume?"

"Yes, Phil wants to take me to a Halloween party his office is having," she said, excitedly.

"How long are you going to be out?"

"It'd be irresponsible for either of us to drive home late, and we do plan on having a few drinks..."

"So?"

"So we're going to stay in the hotel where the party is being held."

"Wait— but you said you wanted us to give out candy to the kids this year since you weren't working. I thought you were looking forward to it." She wanted to see the children in costumes since she can't dress me anymore.

"I was, but there's always next year, jellybean."

I scoffed.

Yeah, right, next year you'll be working.

"Just let her go," Elle spoke quietly into my ear. "We'll get the place to ourselves for the whole night."

"Fine," I muttered back to her.

"Oh, and Phil wants to cook for us sometime. He even wants you to bring Elle," my mom smiled like this was a good thing.

"Not interested."

"I am," Elle responded. "Is he a good cook?"

"He comes from a line of chefs. You should see how quickly he can cut vegetables."

I shrugged. "Serial killer."

"Let me know what night he chooses. I'll make sure I can get out of work."

"He'd be happy to work around your schedule."

I rolled my eyes and exited the conversation by walking toward my room. "Good ol' Phil making sure chivalry isn't dead."

Elle sighed when she followed after me. "Why don't you want to do this? Is something wrong with him?"

"He's a stranger who wants to be around all of a sudden just because I met him once by accident. I only tried to be nice because she asked me to."

"Your mom?"

"...yeah."

"Then forget about it if you're that against it. I just thought it'd be nice to have dinner together without your friends there."

"Don't we do that?" I asked, and she shook her head, disappointedly. "I'm sorry...we can start."

"Okay," she said, not half as pleased as I thought she'd be.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Elle kept her eyes down. "But, Matt said something weird yesterday."

"That's not news."

"It was what you think about when we have sex."

"...what?"

...He wouldn't.

"What do you think about?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's an easy question-"

"If we're having sex, I'm thinking about sex."

"With who?"

My eyes narrowed. "You. What did Matt say?"

"He said it was a joke."

"What was a joke?"

"It's not important. I just wanted to know."

"Tell me."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"You brought it up."

"I shouldn't have."

"I'm gonna call him," I threatened— getting off of the bed and reaching for the doorknob.

She grabbed my arm to pull me back. "He just said that you think of other things...other people."

I scoffed. "He's full of it."

"Okay," Elle said, staring down at her nails instead of looking at me.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No."

I sighed. "Why didn't you bring this up earlier?"

"Because," she shrugged, slightly. "I knew he was full of it."

Scene 2: Fifth Avenue

Jace Kendal

I listened to the phone ringing on the other side and waited for an answer that didn't seem as though it would come.

"Hello, Jace," Heather's mom picked up.

"Hi, Camille, how are you?"

"I'm well. Heather is out right now, would you like me to give her a message?"

"I—" can't ask her out like this, "could you ask that she call me, please?"

"I'll be sure to tell her."

"Thank you."

"Have a nice night, Jace."

"You too, hopefully, I'll see you soon."

I put the phone back on its post before picking it up to call another number.

Trevor advised against escorting Heather to any functions even if they are school-sanctioned events. He said something about a snowball effect that would result in me being a safety net for her. I wouldn't mind that as long as I still got all of the perks.

"Bailey residence, may I ask who is calling?"

"Harry— it's Jace. Is Trevor in?"

"Hello, Mr. Jace, no he is not. Is there something I can do for you?"

"No...thanks."

I groan and sit down in the chair by my desk. Being sober is putting a dent in my social life. I can be around alcohol but drinking it usually leads me to believe it wouldn't be a bad idea to do other things— like Vicodin.

But of course my sobriety is safe within the confines of a computer. There is nothing about spending my nights in Friends or "Buffy" chat rooms that would make me miss intoxication. No, AOL is one big NA meeting.

I get a private message before I can choose a chatroom to invade.

"Funny seeing you here," Venus typed.

"You added me to your friend list, didn't you?" I replied with a wink.

"...maybe."

"Have you been waiting for me?"

"You wish. I'm fine with our conversations happening by chance."

"It's your lucky day, then. Everyone else is too busy to talk to me," I admitted.

"Busy on a weekday?"

"There's this big event happening at my school soon, people are swarming to get dates and new clothes."

"Halloween dance?"

"Halloween dances are for public schools."

"They do seem fun, though," she said.

"Costumes always are."

"I went to a catholic school that did seasonal dances and avoided most major holidays."

"Sounds exactly like mine, with the exception of the Hallmark holiday."

"All of them?"

I smiled. "Valentine's Day."

"What good is love if it's not profitable?"

"Put that on a card."

"Only to give to you."

"Are you asking me to the valentines dance, Venus? I'm touched."

"Consider it a date."

"I did need one."

"But you're so charming. I assumed people were beating your door down," she teased.

"Congratulations, your sarcasm has been received through the screen."

"I'm not fully being sarcastic."

"Not sure New York would agree with you."

"Hey, I'm in New York too."

"Stalking me?"

"I was going to ask the same thing, creep."

"If we happened to know one another, you probably wouldn't like me."

"Be that as it may, I like you now."

"See you in February then, Venus."

"I'll bring the chocolates."

Scene 3: Madison Street (Zach's Apartment)

Zach Teeling

"Here, your favorite color." Evan handed me a blue Jell-O shot.

"I don't like how jello feels," I complained.

"But there's alcohol in it."

"I'd rather drink it straight." I tried to hand the goo back to him.

"Try it. If you don't like it, then I'll never make you take another one."

My face scrunched at the sight of it. "The whole thing?"

"You want me to finish it off for you?" He laughed.

"Yes."

"Fine, if you're wimping out."

"I am." I squeezed half the plastic cup into my mouth and frowned at the texture on my tongue. "It's like cytoplasm."

"Geek," Evan replied, taking the cup from me and swallowing the rest of my shot with ease.

"Geek," I lightly pushed him for teasing me.

He chuckled and smiled and never took his eyes off me.

"Your lips are blue now."

"They are?" I touched them.

"Only a little," he said. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks," I said, trying to play off the fact that it makes me shy when he compliments me.

"You're welcome," Evan smirked because he knows exactly how it makes feel.

I watched him smugly walk off. It must be nice being the coolest person ever. I'm so glad I know you.

Oliver slid in next to me by the counter. "You flirt more and more the longer he stays here."

"We're not flirting."

"Someone's getting drunk and hooking up tonight."

I laughed to myself. "Shut up."

I hope so.

Charlie walks over and sets down a pitcher full of mystery punch. The mystery is I don't know what's in it anymore.

"Everyone really likes your party," he said, happily.

"Are you refilling drinks?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't invite you here to cater the place."

"I don't mind."

I scoffed. "Go talk to those girls now that you've made sure they're not thirsty."

He looked to where they were on the sofa. "I...can't. Besides, they don't want to talk to me."

"Why not?"

"Because," he said softly, staring at his shoes while he shifted side to side.

I put my arm over his shoulder and guide him toward the couch with me.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" I interrupted. "My friend Charlie here was too shy to tell you he thinks you're all very pretty."

"Thank you," I heard back while the rest just "Aw'd" him like he's a child giving out drawings of scribble.

"Would any of you want to talk to Charlie...maybe over the phone...after...being given a number?" That came out more awkwardly and weird than cool wingman, even Charlie nudged me to try to shut me up.

"I'll give you mine," one of them, responded. "But what are you going to do for it?"

"What do you want me to do?" Charlie stepped up.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Something."

Oh God, I'm so glad I'm not straight. You guys are performing for romance?

"I can— name the capital of every state...or say the ABCs backwards really fast."

"He can dance too," Oliver chimed in to save Charlie from himself. "It's actually impressive."

"Thanks."

"Show me," the girl suggested— and I'm not completely convinced this isn't some ploy to make fun of my friend

"I don't know, I'm nervous..."

"Come on," she pouted.

"We wanna see," her friends added.

"He'll do it-" Oliver said before Charlie could refuse, and then leaned over to talk to me, "don't you have better music? You're killing him."

"I'll see if my sister left anything."

Last time I checked, she forgot her Soul II Soul record and a mixed tape she and her friends would play too loudly when mom wasn't home.

Matter of fact, I think I already stole that.

I skip the detour to Peyton's old room and start to head into mine, instead. No one's allowed in but me, Charlie, Oliver, and,

I thought the worst that could happen was some random people sneaking in and hooking up in my bed. But now I know what's really worse...

I wish this door had been bolted shut or the doorknob fell off so I could never open it again.

I wish I didn't have hands, or eyes, or a heart.

Evan...my Evan. And Karlie. Stupid Karlie.

And then I threw up all over the floor.

Or at least I wanted to. I feel like it.

"Hey..." he said while wiping his mouth of her.

I closed the door back— tried to close the memory out but it'll never stop opening back up.

Evan kissing Karlie.

Evan kissing Karlie on my bed.

Evan in my house, in my room, on my bed kissing Karlie.

No. No. No. No. No.

Confused eyes watched as I left my own party. There's only one person I wouldn't feel pathetic talking to. He'd get it, I know he would.

I ran down the stairs like I had breath to spare and knocked anxiously on the door as if the emergency was life or death and not just me feeling like the world ended when he kissed her.

Can you believe it, Leo? He kissed her.

No one answers the door. But I can't go back to my own apartment.

My back dragged against the wall as I slumped down. I live here now.

"Zachary?" Leo's mom said in confusion at me sitting in front of her door.

"Hi."

"Is everything okay?"

"Leo's not here."

"No, he and Elle left out a while ago."

"Oh." I sighed. "I threw a party."

She looked up the stairs to where you can hear music playing. "Is your mother home?"

"No."

"...well-"

"I want them to go away."

"Who?"

"All of them," I said, exasperated. "I didn't even want to have a party."

"Okay," she responded in a calming tone. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head and then rested it on my knees.

She goes upstairs while I stay curled in a ball like a sad hermit crab.

I hear her and thank god for moms.

"Everyone go home right now or I will call the police and then your parents."

The stampede starts and kids pile out. This has got to be some of their favorite parts of the night— running home together. Oliver and I always liked doing that. Why couldn't I have fallen in love with him, instead? Who said I needed another friend?

I forced myself up when fewer people were coming down. The apartment looks like a tornado hit it and left behind an infinite amount of red solo cups.

A couple of stragglers who didn't get the urgency of the threat are taking their time getting out the door...

Karlie falls behind them, hanging back like she's a friend this doesn't apply to.

"Didn't you hear her?" I glared. "Get out."

She flinched, surprised somehow that I don't like her anymore.

"Zach..." Evan said, offended too.

I scoffed at them both and pushed past him to get to my room, locking the door behind me.