We Can't Go On Together

Scene 1: Addington High

Leo Rylin

"What makes you think centrals would show up to battle of the bands in Brooklyn?" I ask Ned as I sort through the flyers he gave me.

"I don't know. Field trip? Experimenting. Pissing off their parents. I don't care, I just want to pack the place."

"Alright," I shrugged, "let's do it. I'll take this side." He nodded and headed to another wall of lockers to slip flyers into.

I hope his band does win.

It's like Addington versus Chester with the exception of Matt being on our side. And even though I don't have any pride in this place, there's this feeling of loyalty when it comes to those outside of it.

"I been eating a lot of junk food like sweets and shit. Apparently, my brain craves dopamine. I wanted a milkshake all day," I hear Danny talking somewhere else.

I didn't think he was still here. Our lockers are in the same place—pretty much every burnout's locker is in the same place, and I don't really see him when school ends if I don't ask for a ride in advance.

"Ooh, that sounds good. We should get them."

Heather?

I quickly moved to a corner where they wouldn't be able to see me but I can wait to confirm that I must be mixing her voice up, as crazy as that sounds...

Danny walks down the hall and to the main doors...with Heather on his side. They might as well be holding hands.

She fucking...

She hates Danny.

Danny hates her.

Why are they...

"Bro," Ned comes back over to me, "someone spelled Wednesday wrong on here-"

"Sh," I hushed him and pointed to why I'm being quiet.

They walked out the doors without detecting me...obviously too focused on each other...and getting into the van with each other...and doing whatever they're doing...with each other.

"They're probably not doing anything bad. Danny wouldn't—she wouldn't..." Ned sighed exasperatedly, "I doubt they're fucking."

"Why would you say that?"

"It'd be like next level betrayal."

"Yeah, no shit, so what made you think about them doing that?"

"I mean, it's what goes through your head when you see people sneaking around."

It is.

But get that out of my head...

"They didn't look...like they were into each other, right?"

"I—uh, I don't know her but I'm guessing she's always smiling at people like that..."

"Yeah, kinda."

"The only thing suspicious is Danny, then...because since when does he go anywhere with her...alone?" Ned asked, and I just shrugged. "Go see what's up:"

"No. I don't care."

"Pfft. Okay."

Scene 2: Oliver's Apartment

Zach Teeling

"Can I just say it's hilarious that you're the mean girl and not me?"

"No," I complained.

"You're going to have to enroll in acting classes with me if you don't want Evan to hate you."

"I thought it was going to be you who ended up kissing him. I was prepared to just...kill you. I didn't know what to do about Karlie."

"Putting her on the wall of fame wasn't the answer."

"She was already up there."

"Not in huge red letters with a caption."

"Details." I waved him off. "Besides, it's easy for you to say that. You could probably have anyone you wanted."

"I know." He nodded. "You can too."

"Obviously not."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Do you really want Evan?"

"It's always been Evan."

"It took you being with Aaron for him to get serious about you, and it took him being with Karlie for you to get serious about him. How about you both date other people and find out whether or not you want each other at all? It sounds like habit to me..." I didn't hear much of what he said after he put that idea out. Jealousy makes so much happen. It makes and breaks for us constantly..."I can't believe Karlie hasn't put a nanny cam in your room to make sure you and Evan aren't touching each other when the lights are off."

"Date me," I proposed.

"No."

"Date me."

"No."

"Date me."

He sighed. "Fine."

"Yeah?"

"No."

Someone knocked twice on the door before opening it immediately...that usually means they've walked in on something they didn't want to see before—or they don't expect to walk in on anything.

"Ollie, going to the market. Do you need anything?"

"Lucas ate my ice cream again."

"Okay, I'll buy extra." She went to close the door but stopped when she saw me in bed. "How are you today, Zach?"

"I'm good, Mrs. Reid."

"That's great. Staying for dinner?"

"No, I have to get back home."

"Well, it was nice seeing you." She waved and closed herself out of the room.

"Do you ever think me hanging out with you the way we do makes them think you might be..."

"They know."

"But—you get all...plain so they don't suspect anything."

"It's not so they don't think I'm gay, Zach. It's so they think I'm boring which means the same thing as responsible..."

"Which means trusting you.."

"Which means no curfew and no going through my room or listening in on my phone calls..."

"No questions."

"Nope."

"I think my sister knows I'm gay."

Oliver turned his head so I could see the sincerity he felt.

He didn't say anything but he crawled under the covers with me like this conversation needed the comfort of each other's body heat.

"Are you scared?"

"It's fine...I just don't want to talk about it with her or my mom, especially not now."

"It won't exactly be easy after, either. You can never really gauge how they'll respond."

"Yeah..." we never had a family discussion on the possibility of anyone being anything but straight. "I'll just come here and live with you then."

"I have to be a part of the adopt-a-gay program too?"

"You have to keep me. I'm your problem."

"You are," he accepted.

Oliver taught me how close you can become with someone when you're not afraid to be close. And that it doesn't have to turn into anything serious...he's the first guy I've kissed without getting all...intense and infatuated with.

But no one knows that...so why not just...

His lips are parted slightly...and mine fit right between them. Kissing him is like practicing an instrument you're eager to learn how to play. It's fun and that's all.

I pull back slightly, making sure it was his choice to kiss me back. And he takes the bait, switching positions so that he is on top of me.

See, you like it.

"Date me," I mumbled.

Oliver chuckled. "Kissing means nothing."

"He knows it means something to me."

Scene 3: The Helmsley Hotel

Heather Blakely

"Hello?" I said worriedly when the elevator opened to a pitch-black penthouse.

The lights come on and the faces startle me along with a camera flash. "Surprise!"

"Oh, my god," I put my hand over my heart and tried to catch my breath. "What is this?"

"Your Au Revoir party," Audrey replied.

"Did you think we'd let you go that easily?" Trevor smiled.

"How sweet," I crooned as they gathered around and wrapped me in their arms—a group hug from people who don't often hug to show they care.

"For old time's sake." Ethan squeezed tightly.

"It won't be forever. I'll be back."

"We know, now go get changed into your pajamas," Trevor urged me toward the staircase.

"A slumber party?

"Why not? We're all physically repulsed by each other now," he said before eyeing Audrey "...For the most part."

Jace trailed behind me up the steps. He's been sentimental lately. A combination of my moving away and everyone graduating.

"Whose idea was this?" I asked.

"Audrey's, but I helped."

"Thank you."

He nodded, turning around in my room as if this was his first time in here and he was comparing it to how he imagined it would look.

"We wanted to show you how much you mean to us. Nothing will be the same without you," he said, edging closer to me.

"I'll be here in spirit."

He shook his head. "I wish that was enough."

His hands encompass my lower back pulling me toward him until I have the warmth of his lips. It has been a year since we last kissed.

And 5 months since I last kissed Leo.

That's all I feel. The time.

"Hey..." I keep my eyes on the fabric of his shirt so he isn't compelled to try again, "we shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"I'm leaving."

"Nothing can make you stay?" He asked, wondering why he wasn't enough.

"I'm sorry."

"So am I."

He let himself out and closed the door so I could undress.

It's the desire to hold on when everything is changing...it isn't the desire to have me. This entire celebration is so that we can all pretend for a night that we're not about to be adults in the real world with responsibilities and expectations to make something of ourselves.

A welcomed fantasy...

I slip on a short, satin nightgown and a robe—the sound of them down there laughing and chattering makes me rush as if I'll miss something important.

Though, when I get to the stairs, I see Trevor on his knees begging Audrey while she sits with her arms crossed.

"Should I go back up?" I said, jokingly.

"Heather, would you please tell him that you are not willing to brand yourself with his name?"

"Excuse me?"

"I suggested a few quaint tattoos of each other's initials," Trevor shrugged like it was a nonchalant request. "Something to remember us by."

"Tattoos?"

"Yes—say you get mine, Audrey gets yours, I get Audrey's and so on."

"Absolutely not, Trevor."

"We could settle for old-fashioned ink rubbing."

I shook my head and grabbed a sharpie from the mail organizer. "You can have a marker and that's it."

"Come here." He wore a devilish expression. "I'm putting my name in a heart," he stated, placing my leg across his lap so he could write 'T.B." on my thigh.

Lisa takes another picture and when I tilt my head, curiously, she shrugged. "They're for you to keep."

"Let's play a game. I know a very interesting one I've been dying to try on our little group," Trevor announced. "We sit in a circle and whisper a question into another's ear and they answer it out loud honestly. Then, we flip a coin. Heads you tell us the question, tails you don't."

"What's the fun in this?"

"My dear, Audrey, I could ask you anything."

We looked around at each other, picturing the reactions to our secrets.

"Why are the girls all scared?" Ethan said, deviously.

"I'll start us off." Trevor leaned over and whispered into Ethan's ear.

"Heather, obviously," Ethan responded and they both chuckled.

"Obviously," Trevor said, throwing a quarter into the air until it comes flipping down with the presidential coat of arms facing up. "Sorry, doll, maybe next time." He smirked at me while I pretended not to care that my name was mentioned.

Audrey smiled and made a dramatic scene in the fact that it was her turn and she was whispering to Lisa.

"Tony," Lisa answered.

"You didn't even have to think," Audrey teased, eager to see how the coin lands. As soon as we see Washington, she gasps and locks eyes with Alison, "The question was out of all of the guys—who would you want to kiss?"

"What?" Alison asked. "Why Tony?"

"No reason, I was just," Lisa shook her head and let out a nervous laugh, spluttering a defense after catching Tony's gaze. "I wasn't saying...it's not that-"

"Come on, Ali, it was hypothetical," I tried to diffuse the situation.

"Heather...do you know something?" Audrey spoke cunningly. "Why'd she choose Tony?"

"You knew?" Alison looked at me as if I were a traitor.

"I was under the impression that you didn't like Tony. Lisa is harmless."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lisa furrowed her eyebrows.

"You're not a threat." I sighed when I saw she took offense to it. "Not like that."

"Let's move on, friendships still intact," Trevor amusedly stated, "Good for you, Anthony."

"Let's get you into the game, shall we?" Ethan whispered to me before blocking his mouth with his hand and asking a real question.

"Yes," I answered aloud, and he handed me the quarter to flip. I wasn't worried, the question was innocent enough.

Yet, he smirked when it landed on heads. "Have you ever lied to get out of a date?" Ethan told the group.

"With me?" Jace questioned, his mind probably racing with all the rejections.

"No...well, yes, kind of."

"The ball?"

"No, I didn't lie then."

"You ended up with that guy again."

"Because Lisa canceled on me, and you had a date."

Trevor coughed, "With a computer."

"She's real."

"...Venus is a computer?" I said, almost in fear of the answer.

"Pathetic," Ethan sighed.

"I'm inclined to agree," Trevor commented. "And from the sounds of it, she does too."

"She's a girl I talk to on the computer, she's not the computer itself. We haven't met in person yet because we're taking it slow."

"Silence, you sad sad man," Ethan arrogantly laughed with Trevor. "It's hard when you can't date incestuously within the group, isn't it?"

Jace stared at him without giving a response. He's annoyed, I know that look, but he won't voice it. "You tell me."

"It's not his turn," Trevor argued, but Jace was already whispering something to him.

Ethan scoffed. "I'm not answering that."

"You have to. Everyone else is playing by the rules."

"Audrey," he said, firmly. And when the coin became airborne, he put his hands together in prayer. "God, if you're there..."

Heads.

Jace smiled. "Alison or Audrey?"

"What?" Trevor said, more shocked than anyone else.

"We have our moments," Ethan defended.

"No, you don't."

"Are you jealous?"

"Audrey," Trevor looked at her for backup.

"I wouldn't call the rare times I don't want to slap you 'moments,' but whatever gets you through the day," she explained.

"Good," Ethan smirked, "and keep in mind I like being slapped."

"Remind me to buy you repellant, AJ," Trevor glared.

"No need to purchase anything just bottle up your pheromones," Ethan mocked. "They've done the job so far."

"Heather," Trevor said, "me or Ethan?"

Ethan laughed. "Why don't you ask Audrey? We all know it's her opinion that you want."

"And I already know it." He pointed to me. "Now Heather."

"Is neither an answer choice?"

"Tsk, tsk. I asked for honesty."

"...You," I reluctantly admitted.

"Ladies, one night with anyone here, Ethan picked Heather. Heather chose me. Case closed."

"If Heather really had a choice..." Jace said, alluding to the idea that he would be chosen.

Tony shook his head. "We know who she'd pick."

Scene 4: Madison Street

Leo Rylin

"What are you doing for your birthday?" Matt wondered.

"I don't know it's on a Tuesday."

"We can share a birthday. I have enough to get you a cake this time," Zach offered.

"What do you want to do?"

"We can get pizza and hit up the arcade."

"And the comic book store," I chuckled at what sounded like Zach's ideal day.

"And a record store for you...a different one."

"Definitely a different one."

"You don't want a real party?" Jordan asked.

"No" "No."

"Lame."

"Yeah, we'll be lame then."

"It won't be lame. We can get milkshakes at Johnny's after," Zach added.

Milkshakes.

Heather's got a thing for anything peppermint. I would tease her about it because it's so weird...but Danny likes mint chocolate chip and now I'm thinking about how they might be sharing a-

"Do...do you guys know if Danny hangs out with Heather?"

"Like friends?" Amanda cocked an eyebrow.

"I guess." I hope. If it has to be something, let it be that.

"No?" Jordan said, and I saw the confusion on all of their faces...except for Matt who kept his head down.

"What?" I asked. "Spill."

"I don't know anything."

"Then tell me what you think you don't know."

He sighed and looked to be weighing his options before accepting defeat..."When Danny didn't have a ride, I picked him up from your school one day and he was out back talking to Heather...he said not to tell you, so now I'm a narc."

"What were they talking about?"

"They stopped when I got there."

"When was this?"

"A while ago," he said, guiltily. "But...yesterday he called me from some random number and I heard a girl in the back. Sounded a little like Heather but I could be wrong, you know?"

"Do you remember the last part of the number?" If it's Heather's I'll know.

"No."

"Just ask Danny," Amanda suggested.

"I'm good."

"You're going to drive yourself nuts if you don't ask."

"It's not a big deal."

A door shuts outside, and from the way it creaked before it slammed shut, I knew it was Danny's van.

Mandy watched while he approached the door. "I'll ask-"

"Amanda, no," I said as he was walking in.

The room went silent and everyone stared at him except for me.

"What's up with you two?" He scoffed.

"Where you been?" I asked.

"Nowhere."

"I looked for you after school."

"I went home."

"By yourself?"

"No shit. Who else would I go with? All you dickheads are right here." Nice. You're lying. "What?" He asked when I finally looked at him.

"Nothing."