#allyns

-truck honks at the cabbie- -general chatter- -Carter sighs as he blows out smoke- -Val slams the door to her house- Val: Aargh! FUCK! Carter: Val? Carter: -to himself- Wh-- Why is she so angry? Carter: Hey, yo, Val! Wait up! ... Val? -to himself- How the fuck is she that fast? Lane: Argh! Why won’t he text me back? ...Jerk. Carter: Hey. Carter: You good, kid? Lane: Oh. You, again. Carter: -laughs- Yeah. Me again.

--

Carter: --Just call me. Or text, whatever. I don’t sleep much, anyway. Lane: ...Okay. Thanks, Carter. Carter: Anytime, kid. Val: Carter! Carter: Shit--Val. Don’t scare me like that. Val: What are you doing with Olive’s little brother? Carter: Kid looked like he could use a friend. So I gave him my number. Val: Seriously? Carter: Yeah. Seriously. Val: You’re not gonna, like, mess with him, right? Carter: Jesus, Val! No, the kid seems to get enough shit as it is. I’m not gonna ‘mess with him,’ jeez. Val: Okay, sorry. I’m sorry. Lane’s not had it... easy. I’m a little protective of him, too. That’s cool of you, Carter. Carter: It’s fine. What’s up with you, though? You normally go for a run in a blind rage? Val: I do not have--’blind rage!’ Val: --I just know they’re keeping something from me. I overheard something about them ‘telling me soon’ right before Emmy left for Breitchester. And Olive’s never been a good liar. I spent the entire summer--alone. And I com ehome to the people I love most, and they keeping something from me. I don’t get it. So, I’m a little angry. And now I’m worried about Emmy-- Carter: She hasn’t been texting me back. Val: Um. Right. You don’t know. Emmy got--lost in the woods this weekend-- Carter: What?! Val: Her dad found her, don’t worry! But now no one can get ahold of her. Carter: Jesus christ. Val: Yeah. Carter: You mind if I smoke? This is a lot to hear. Val: I mean, yes, but is that going to stop you, Cancer Stick? Carter: Oof, cold, Val. ‘Cancer Stick?’ Is that my name now? Val: It will be if you keep smoking those damn things in my vicinity. Carter: Ooh, ‘vicinity,’ big word. Val: Shut the fuck up. You suck. Val: Summer sucks. Carter: Yep. You can say that again.

--

Carter: So, wait, he just... stopped texting you? Lane: Yes! Am I wrong? That’s shitty, right? Carter: No, dude, you’re not wrong, that’s incredibly shitty. Lane: It’s making me feel like all of this was in my head. Like I imagined it or something. And, yeah, maybe it wasn’t a good idea, but I never claimed it was a good idea! I just--  -sighs-  I just want my friend back. Carter: Kid. Hey. You have nothing to be guilty about. Your friend is being a jerk. And it doesn’t sound like it was in your head. It sounds like it was 3AM and you were both hurting. Which... may be why he’s not texting you. But that isn’t an excuse to be shitty. -Val breathes steadily with her run- Carter: More than anything, though, it sounds like you miss your friend. Lane: I-- Yeah. I do. Carter: The first boy I kissed wanted to pretend I didn’t exist. At school, whenever we were in public together. I never told him how I felt, we just... stopped meeting up or whatever, and that was that. Lane: Oh. Carter: Don’t let that happen with your friend. Kiss or no kiss, you deserve to tell him how you feel. And maybe it’ll encourage him to take a good look at himself. Lane: I didn’t know you were-- gay. Carter: I’m queer. My last long-term relationship was with a girl. There are a few guys I’ve dated, but nothing serious. Val: -panting- Whoo-- fuck. Two miles? I’ll take it. Lane: I think-- I think I might be bi? I don’t know. That’s-- my siblings are both bi, so... Carter: Don’t pressure yourself to put a label on it just because Matty and Olive have it figured out. Labels are overrated, anyway. Lane: Y-Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Val: -to herself- Lane? Val: And... Carter? What are you up to...? Lane: Thank you. Carter: What for? Lane: Listening. I’m-I’m not used to... this. Carter: What? Hanging out with deadbeat seniors downtown? -laughs- Lane: What?? No! I-- -sighs- You don’t know me. At all. And you’re being really nice. Carter: Basic human decency, dude. Everyone deserves to be heard.

--

Olive: Ugh... Olive: Fuck me. Olive: -to herself- How the fuck did you let it get this bad, Olive? Olive: -sighs- Okay, fucker. Let’s get this room in shape. Matty: -laughing- Finally cleaning that garbage room of yours, Olive? Olive: Fuck you and shut up, Matthew. Matty: Hey! Olive: That’s better. Ugh, now-- Olive: Now I have to get my girlfriend and my best friend to acknowledge me. Cool. Easy. Olive: God, I’m fucked.

--

-Emmy is crying- -she is lost and doesn’t know where she is- -crack of thunder- Emmy: AAAH! -cries- Emmy: I want my mommy... -thunder- Emmy: -breathes- Someone will find you. You just have to wait out the storm. Emmy: ... -shivers- At least it’s dry... Emmy: Mama? I don’t wanna be alone anymore. And I wanna go home. And I want you to be there, too. Won’t you come back? Please? -creak of the door- Emmy: W-who’s there? AAH! Olive: Princess! Val: Emmy! It’s just us, Emmy, you’re okay! Emmy: -sobbing- Oh my god I was so scared, you guys. Olive: Oh, Emmy. Val: Come on. Everyone’s been looking for you. Emmy: You guys won’t go anywhere, right? Olive: Never, Princess. Val: Yeah, looks like you’re stuck with us.

--

Present Day

Emmy: ...why me. Why again? -sniffs- Fuck. -Emmy’s phone rings-

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Stella: Oh, Emmy, are you sure it’s a good idea for you to go back to--oh what is it--Boggleton? Emmy: Brindleton, Nana. Brindleton Bay. Stella: Right, whatever you said, sweetheart. Are you sure that’s where you need to be right now? Stella: It’s just--we want to be sure you’re safe, sweetie. And how can you be sure that public school of yours can give you the education you need to be prepared for university? You know Brietchester has some of the best STEM schools in the country-- Emmy: Nana, stop. Brindleton is my home, and I’m probably safer there than--than anywhere else, okay? And... and school will be fine, too. I’ll-I’ll be r-ready for UB i-in the f-fall. Emmy: I just wanna sleep in my own bed tonight, okay? I’ll be fine. Steve: Hey, yo, kid! Let’s get this show on the road! I’m losing daylight, and we gotta get back to town by sundown! Stella: Tsk. How rude-- Emmy: Coming, Dad! Emmy: We gotta go. I-I love you guys. We’ll call you when we get home. Richard: Drive safe, sweet pea. Emmy: We will, Pop-Pop. Um. Bye. -Emmy runs into Steve’s arms- Steve: Oof! Hey! Hey, now. Is everything okay? Emmy: Y-yeah. Yeah, it’s fine. I just wanna go home. Stella: Hmph.

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