Burnouts

Almost Always With You

Scene 1: Addington High Library

Heather Blakely

"Hello."

"Alison?" I say in surprise when I look away from the papers in my hand and see her standing at my table.

"What are you doing?" She invites herself to sit in the chair next to mine.

"Finishing up this poetry thing I had to do," I say casually and try to tuck the papers away where she can't see them.

"Oh," she says with calm excitement, "can I read it?"

"Um," I start to shake my head, "no."

"...you're still mad at me?" Alison says sadly.

"No, not at all, I promise. It's just...personal. I don't even like it, really. I think I'll rewrite it...something better."

"If it's personal then it probably doesn't get any better."

I give her a small, unconvinced smile. "So, what'd you come here for?"

She takes a deep breath and begins picking at her nails, "I need someone to talk to...and I don't feel like I have that with anyone...but I had that with you, before everything."

"What's wrong?"

"Do you ever think it's not worth it? Loving someone else?"

I laugh a bit to lighten the mood, "Alison Sinclair, aren't you the epitome of every romance movie ever made?"

"I want to be, but none of that is real. Married couples lying and sleeping with other people, that's real."

"...did something happen with your mom and dad?"

"No...well, yes, but that's not what I want to talk to you about," she sighs. "What Trevor did to me was awful, and I should hate him..."

"But you don't," I nod in understanding.

"I know it's what I'm supposed to do. I tried— I don't want to be pathetic, that's what Audrey would call me...and everyone else who knows."

"Ali," I say empathetically, "you're not pathetic. It's okay to want him, you don't lose feelings for someone overnight."

"That's why you gave Jace a second chance?"

"Well..." I sigh, "I don't know why I did that...I guess, I wanted to be in love with Jace because that felt normal...almost required."

"When did you realize you didn't love him anymore?"

"It wasn't him I was thinking about."

"Someone else?" Ali smirked.

"Not exactly...but the idea of being with someone else didn't seem so bad."

"I was infatuated with Ethan...but I really liked Trevor."

"You should tell him," I shrug.

"I don't know..."

"If you forgive him then that's between you and Trevor. It shouldn't matter what other people think," I reassure her, "No one should be ashamed of who they have feelings for."

Alison reaches over and wraps her arms around me. "I've missed you so much," she squeezes me tighter and I laugh in her embrace. "Let me walk you to class."

"Yeah, okay," I agree to her suggestion.

She stands up first and waits for me to gather all my things before following her out.