Burnouts

To Care or Not to Care

Scene 1: Addington High

Heather Blakely

"Leo." He looks at me but doesn't say anything, so I keep speaking. "Hello."

"Hey."

I hold out a box for him to take. "This is everything I have of yours."

It helps...cleansing myself of him, it's how you move on. Though, having this in my locker all day— I was tempted to change my mind and keep so much of it.

"What?" He asked.

"The things you left...or I kept."

"I don't want any of that shit," Leo glared and turned to walk away.

I scoffed, "It's your stuff." He ignored me and kept walking. "You're mad at me? As if this isn't your fault?"

"Fuck that, no it's not."

"You chose not to be with me."

"Stop putting it all on me!" Leo said frustratedly. "It isn't like that."

"Really? Because that is exactly how it looks."

"Then stop looking at it that way. What I had to do was important," he argued.

"I'm glad something is to you. Not me, not our anniversary, but something." I huffed and dropped the box on the ground, leaving it as I went back inside the school.

Storming in with my arms crossed attracts the attention of the few people who are still in the halls, Audrey and Alison included. I needed the moral support.

"What's wrong?" Alison rushes over.

"I hate him."

"Of course. What'd you expect?" Audrey sighed.

I looked outside to where he was and saw Matt pick up the box and bring it to the car.

"I thought it would go back to how it was before we knew each other, when I didn't care whether or not he showed up to school each day."

"That's what the summer is for," Alison said with hope.

"'No, the summer will be me worrying for two months that he might not show up in September," I argued. "God, he's so stupid."

"Are you about to cry?" Audrey asked, worriedly.

"No..."

"Come on." She grabs my hand and pulls me down the hall into the nearest restroom. It'll stay relatively empty— almost everyone left as soon as the bell rang. It's the last day of school. "Never let him see you cry," Audrey said sternly.

"You sound like my mom."

"Camille is a genius. I wish she was my mother." Audrey dabs under my eyes with a tissue.

"I'm not convinced she isn't. We must have been switched at birth."

"No, hon. You're all Camille Blakely. Why do you think your skin is so nice?"

"Thank you."

"Who hasn't shed a few tears over a dumb boy?" She looked over at Alison for agreement.

"I invented it, it's all I ever do."

I laugh to myself and then stare down at the tissue in my hand. "I'm just so mad at him for even getting us here. We talked like we'd be together forever, and he literally threw that away in a matter of seconds."

"No one ever has forever, right?"

"All the Leos and Heathers were supposed to have forever."

She tilted her head, confused by the sentiment.