Burnouts

Good News and Bad News

Scene 1: Madison Street

Leo Rylin

"Leo, are you home?" I hear along with the sound of the front door closing.

"Mm," I groan and take the pillow from over my head.

"Leo?" My mom says again, this time opening my room door.

"...good morning."

"Good afternoon...boys," she says in surprise as she looks around.

After the party, Danny, Matt, and Zach decided to crash at my place. Mainly because I was the only one sober enough to drive. Oh, and somehow Evan ended up here too. I don't remember him crawling into the back of the van, but he must have. He and Zach are on the floor closest to the window, Danny is on the floor closest to my door, and Matt is in my bed.

"Are you going to work?" I mumble and look up at her through the gleam of sunlight.

"Well, I just got back from the bakery. But, it's my day off from the diner, so...pie for breakfast?"

"Now I'm awake," I sigh happily and finally force myself up, climbing out of bed and over Zach and Evan.

I follow her into the kitchen and sit on the bar stool by the counter.

"It's blueberry-" my mom starts to say until she sees me holding a fork and opening the box. "I'm assuming you're not sharing..."

I shake my head, "not pie." Especially when it's blueberry.

"I'll make everyone else..." She opens the fridge, "eggs." I watch as she takes the carton out, "and then I'll go grocery shopping because all we have...are eggs."

"I can go for you," I say through a mouth full of blueberry filling.

"On foot? On the subway? That's too much-"

"No, Danny will take me."

"Take you where?" I turn and see Danny walking up, stretching and yawning before sitting on the stool next to mine.

"The market, we need to get food."

"You do not have to do that, honey. I can go myself, don't let Leo boss you around," My mom laughs lightly.

"I don't mind, mom. I'm here all the time anyway, and I'm used to him thinking I'm his chauffeur," Danny rolls his eyes at me.

I scoff, "shut up, you're not a good enough driver to be a chauffeur."

"I'll do better, Mr. Blakely, please don't fire me," he teases.

"Oh! Speaking of Blakely, Heather called."

"What? When? Why didn't you come get me-" I start to say but my mom shushes me.

"It was earlier, jellybean. Heather said she didn't need to speak to you. She just wanted to say she's canceling your next tutoring session."

I furrow my eyebrows. "Well, did she say why?"

"No," my mom shrugs before sliding a plate of eggs up to Danny and then turning back around to keep cooking.

"Maybe she's sick," Danny suggests when he sees the confused look on my face.

"Maybe..." I agree. Though, I didn't tell him about Heather drunkenly wanting me. She's not avoiding me now, is she? "I'll be right back," I say under my breath as I grab the phone off its post and carry it into my room. Everyone else is still asleep, so I don't feel too awkward calling her like this. I had her write her number down on my desk in marker, she put her name above it in pretty letters as if I'd forget who wrote it.