"I miss you already," Heather says through the phone.

"I miss you too...I wish I could come over again."

"I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

"I got myself in trouble. I knew she would be mad." And it's still worth it.

"How long are you grounded for?"

I sigh, "A few weeks...but I can sneak out, easy."

"Why bother when I can just come over? I'm still tutoring you, the exam is coming up...perhaps we should double our sessions," I can tell that she's smiling.

"Forget doubling them, I think I need to see you every day."

"I may be able to arrange that," Heather says slyly.

"Leo!" My mom shouts. "Get off the phone!"

"Here she goes again," I groan.

"Be nice to Isabel."

"Tell Isabel to be nice to me."

"Right now!" She shouts again.

"I'll talk to you later, butterfly."

"I'll try to come over tomorrow."

"Good, I'm going to need you to keep me from pulling my hair out."

My mom comes into my room and glares at me. "How many times do I have to say something before you finally listen?"

"I'm not on the phone," I put it on my nightstand. "Are you happy?"

"No phone calls," she picks it up, "no going out, and no friends coming over. Grounded."

"Yeah, well, Heather still has to come over so tell Mr. Krakowski to let her by when she shows up," I say indifferently.

My mom crosses her arms, "oh, I know that you've been sneaking girls right under his nose and lying to him, Leo. So, I have Myrtle from downstairs doing surprise visits when I'm not here. Anytime you don't answer the door— I'm adding a week to your punishment."

"Yes, Nurse Ratched."

"I don't have time to argue with you, Leo. I'm going to be late," she turns away and leaves my room.

I get up and walk toward the door, "I'm going to bed." I wait to see if I'll get a response and when I don't, I close and lock it.

No going out and no friends coming over. Yeah, right.

My window isn't barred.

I climb out of it and onto the fire escape.

I take the stairs up to Zach's floor and see him with Danny and Matt already. Funnily enough, it will take my mom about 3 calls to figure out where I am if she looks.

I knock on the glass, and they all stare in surprise when they see me.

Matt pulls up the window to let me in.

"You have a death wish. Isn't your mom pissed enough?" He asks.

"She's pissing me off too, so who cares?"

"You're going to fuck around and get sent to your dad," Danny scolds.

I sigh, "yeah, whatever. Who brought beer?"

"No one, the girls have wine coolers though," Matt replies.

"That's fucking soda," I roll my eyes.

"Better than nothing."

"You just want to see the girls."

"Yes, I do," he admits and eagerly stands, "You coming or what?"

We walk out of the room together and they give us weird looks when we make ourselves comfortable in the living room.

"What's their names?" Matt says lowly to Zach.

"Sharon and Lydia," Zach whispers.

"Can we help you?" Peyton gives us all irritated looks.

"Can we bum some wine coolers?" I ask her with a smile and she rolls her eyes.

"Fine, let 'em have them," Peyton looks at me, "you're lucky you're my favorite ex."

"You two dated?" Sharon says in surprise.

"Eh," she shrugs.

"No," I laugh.

"A budding romance that never amounted to anything," Peyton explains.

"No," I say again. Though, you're more interested now that I'm not.

"This is Leo and the beastly boys," she introduces.

"Wow, you're hilarious," Danny says unamused.

"I'm Matt, nice to meet you," he reaches down to shake the girls' hands. "This is Danny, he's a dick so you don't have to shake his hand."

Danny elbows him in his ribs, and Matt doubles over while clutching his stomach in pain.

"I didn't hit you that hard, stop being dramatic."

"Fuck off, I already told you I don't feel good," he winces as he tries to relax again.

"He is a dick. Thanks for the warning," Lydia replies and hands him two blue wine coolers. "I'm guessing you're the gentleman of the group.

"You guessed right."

Danny and I give each other the same look before snickering and trying to stifle our laughter.

You're all like Peyton, aren't you? You'll entertain a crush because it's funny to you.

Lydia seems like she'd go the extra mile though...

Matt might get somewhere with this.

"Here's yours," she hands me a bottle.

"Nice," I say when I see she popped the cap off already.

"Want a cigarette too?"

"Yes..." I admit, "but no, thanks."

"Good for you."

"Okay, it says here that Aries are fearless and take on leadership roles. You're independent and powerful," Sharon reads from a magazine.

"That does sound like me," Lydia says as she puffs her cigarette.

"Your weaknesses are that you don't listen to others and you can be very arrogant," Sharon looks up at her. "That does sound like you."

"Why do you read those magazines? They're just full of first date stories and pictures of the dudes from Boy Meets World," Matt says.

"They have more than that. You'd like them if you knew how to read," Sharon sticks her tongue out.

"Besides, what's wrong with Boy Meets World posters?" Lydia smirks, "though, I'd want Shawn Hunter on something other than my walls," she says as she runs her hands down her body.

"He's like 17," Sharon scolds.

Yeah, Matt, you've got a shot here.

"So? Juliette Lewis was 17 when Brad Pitt started dating her," she looks at us, "learned that in a magazine."

"Horoscopes and gossip, Bop has it all," Danny says sarcastically.

"Name one thing Tiger Beat can't teach me," Matt adds.

"They are practically self-help guides," Sharon says defensively.

"Oh, of course," I nod and laugh.

"See, right here," she points to the page. "What's your love language?"

I furrow my eyebrows, "...English?"

"No— like, what makes you feel the most loved? Getting gifts? Getting things done for you? Hearing someone say they love you? Etcetera."

"I don't know."

"Read it then," she hands me the magazine. "You can have more than one."

Ways of expressing and receiving love.

Acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, physical touch-

"I think mine is...words of affirmation."

It would explain why it always makes me feel so good to have Heather say she likes me...or misses me...or wants to see me. It would also explain why that poem of hers lived in my head so long, now it lives in my dresser for safekeeping.

"Mine too," Sharon smiles, "along with quality time. I need someone to take me out and tell me I'm pretty."

"You really need a magazine to tell you what you want from a guy?" Danny furrows his eyebrows.

"Knowing your love language helps you communicate what you need in a relationship."

"Do you know Val's?" Zach asks.

"No, so it's not that important."

"What about you, Leo? Do you know what your girlfriend's love language is?" Peyton asks smugly.

"Physical touch, I think. She needs some touching whenever we're together— a hug, a kiss, holding hands, it just has to be something." And she's always on top of me...she likes closeness, and that feels good.

"I wish that was my love language so it wouldn't be so annoying when guys put their hands right here." Sharon puts her hand inward on her upper thigh, "they pretend it's casual."

"It is casual," Matt argues.

"No, it's not. It's a test on how far you can get your hand before we stop you," Lydia says.

"If I wanted my hand somewhere else, I wouldn't beat around the bush about it."

"Maybe your thighs are just warm," Danny chimed in.

They turn to me as if they expect me to pick a side.

"Don't look at me. My girlfriend likes it."

He giggles in his sleep, "if that's what you want." I cock an eyebrow at him as he stirs. "More."

I walk over to his bed and lean over him, "More of what, Tony?"

"Hm?"

"Tony!" I yell in his face and he jolts up with a gasp.

"Man..." he sighs and drags his hands down his face. Tony raises his head to look at what has also raised.

"Love in the air, Milligan? Or just in your dreams?"

He groans and lays back down. "Second time this week ."

"Too much information."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to discuss Valentine's Day plans, but if you are already booked up with this dream girl..." I smirk.

"Shut up," He rolls his eyes. "I'm going to the masquerade on Valentine's Day."

"Who with?"

"Brenda Satterly."

"Romantic night planned?"

"I guess..."

"Brenda's going to make all your dreams come true?" I say slyly.

"I wasn't dreaming about Brenda."

"When you're out of the dance and out of her. There will be an after-party at Carnal. I'm thinking we dress all the girls as sexy Cupids...or I'll be Cupid, and they'll be my candy hearts."

"Don't you want a date for the night?"

"I can't date. I have a business to run."

"You have people for that. Come to the dance, it'll be fun. Be a high schooler for old times sake."

"I'd rather not, and I'm sick of high school girls."

"Even Trevor is going. He's said he's setting up something big to make it worthwhile."

"Something like?"

"He won't say, but it's Trevor so— it'll be a stunt that lands him a conference with the headmistress, Dean, a member of the school board, and his dad."

"...I'll drop by, just out of morbid curiosity."

"Do your parents ever wonder why you stay out so late? Or why you come home smelling like booze and cigars?"

"I lie, Anthony. It's quite simple."

"Come along, dear," my mother says as we maneuver around the store.

"I don't understand why you brought me."

"We need this time together."

"I beg to differ."

She's been weirdly nice to me lately. She even apologized for the weight insult she made over dinner. I don't know if what Leo said actually registered...or if she thinks being nice to me now will somehow get rid of him.

"You used to enjoy this."

"When I was 8?"

She ignores my comment, "What do you think of this store? Would you shop here?"

"I guess."

"Would Audrey?"

"Probably not."

"Then I don't suppose I should allow them to sell anything with my name on it. I was told this place was up and coming."

"It looks fine to me."

"Have a look around," she hands me her card. "Buy something for yourself."

"Okay but not from here."

"So, you don't like it," she huffs. "I have to make a call."

I turn away when she takes out her phone. Someone is about to have their will to live destroyed.

The store is one of many on this street. I glance around through the glass windows to see if any are worth going in.

"Heather?"

I look toward where the voice came from.

"Amanda?"

"No way, give me a hug," she runs over and pulls me in.

"What are you doing here?" I say in surprise.

She rolls her eyes, "Trying to find another job."

"How's it going?"

"Bad. It's so fucking gentrified out here now that they think they're too good to hire the people who'd actually live down the street. I applied at 'IF' and told the lady I had experience, and she just looked at me like this," Amanda pursed her lips and scowled. "Perhaps you should consider 'Hot Topic'."

"I can have my mother talk to her..."

"No, I think I'll just come back with my hair in a bun and one of those ugly pencil skirts on— maybe even a vest and I'll say 'big mistake— huge!' and walk out to go apply at 'Hot Topic'."

"Then they'll tell you that you should try 'IF'."

"Dress for the job you want, they say. How do I dress to be rich and hot and unemployed?"

"Well," I smile and show her the debit card, "Let's see what we can find."

Amanda's face lights up, and she nods in gratification. "We're going to 'L148'."

"Where?"

She puts her arm over my shoulder and leads me in the right direction. "It opened last year and it's expensive as shit. I've window shopped."

The store was only a few shops down and around the corner. My mother and Amanda were right, SoHo is up and coming...at the hands of gentrification because 'L148' is a mirror of any store on 5th Avenue.

"Welcome to 'Lafayette 148'," an older woman greets us as soon as we walk in. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes," Amanda says confidently, "we're looking for something that says...only talk to me if your yacht is bigger than my yacht."

"Excuse me?"

I interject before she could say anything else, "We're just going to have a look around first."

"Great, let me know if you need anything..."

I link arms with Amanda and we move away from the visibly confused woman.

"In the movies, she would've had the perfect outfit to match what I asked for."

"I don't think there is an outfit for yacht comparisons."

"I—" she starts to speak but gets distracted, "...am in love." I follow her eyes to a pair of red leather boots right as she starts to walk over to them. "These are so sexy," Amanda stares in awe and takes them into her hands..."$900? Are you shitting me?"

I look at it too, "no, $898."

She puts the boots down and backs away as if they'll explode.

The sales assistant cautiously approaches us, "Is there a problem?"

I grab the boots and hand them to her, "We'll take these."

"Heather-"

"And..." I gaze around the store at all the clothing before pointing at one of the mannequins, "that blouse with..." I take a lambskin blazer from off its hanger, "this to match the boots and..."

"Anything else?"

I face Amanda, "A pencil skirt?"

The assistant snaps her fingers twice and another woman comes out from the dressing area.

She begins to wrap measuring tape around Amanda's waist but is stopped before she could finish.

"No," Amanda laughs, "I'll never wear any of this. Measure her."

"You wouldn't?"

"Hell no, not unironically."

"We'll check out then," I hand the woman my debit card.

"I'm sorry, my style is just way less prim and proper and more crimson and clover, you know what I mean?"

"I think I do?"

"The boots are nice, but we can go to a thrift store and rack up with that pretty piece of plastic you're carrying."

"My mom is the fashion designer for prim and proper. She would have a breakdown."

"One day you have to come by my place and let me makeover you. Then we can go to a concert or something, it'd be razor."

"Your bags," the assistant holds them out to us.

"Thank you," I reply.

"Come again soon," she nods with a smile.

"Hey, lady," Amanda calls before she could leave, "Can you take a picture of us," she reaches into her purse and pulls out a disposable camera.

"Uh— yes, I can..."

"Thanks, babe."

Amanda puts her arm around me and poses with the bag in her other hand.

I smile just in time for the flash to go off.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" She asks.

"No, thanks. You're awesome," Amanda says as she grabs the camera from her and lets the woman get back to her job.

"I have to get these developed. Leo is going to freak when I show him."

"Why?"

"I said you were hot, and now he's a little worried I might steal you from him."

I laugh, "Is he?"

"Leo is the jealous type if you haven't noticed."

"Well, yes, but not in a bad way."

"No just in a 'back off, she's mine' kind of way." And I like that. "I suggested a threesome, but he said he wouldn't share you."

My eyes widen, "You suggested a threesome?"

"Yeah, if you're down we can definitely get him in on it. He wouldn't say 'no' to you."

"As interesting as that sounds— no, thank you."

"Alright, suit yourselves," she shrugs.

"I can't imagine how this was even brought up."

"He talks about you all the time, that's how." I smile at the thought. "Heather...are you surprised you're a topic of conversation?"

"No, not necessarily...although, it is odd to think that I have no idea what might've been said."

"Since you've been dating, all good things," she assures me.

"And before?"

Amanda clears her throat, "I swear I don't like her. How could I? That would be so dumb. Fine, I like her, but I'll stop. Man, I really like her, it's driving me crazy. She won't get out of my head. Fuck, I wanna see Heather. Do you think she knows I'm stupid for her now? I don't care I'll get over her. Why do I feel like this when she's around? I hate myself."

"He's so cute." If I could have read his mind, I would have kissed him first.

She shakes her head in disagreement, "He was annoying. I said: 'you're going to get over her? Good, because she'd never date you.' And then you did."

"It was inescapable. I couldn't help myself."

"And I'm sure Leo made it hard to resist."

I breathe out, "You have no idea."

"Oh, no, I do. When he sets his mind to something, there's no getting past it."

"He's passionate."

"Obnoxious," she corrects me.

We walk out of the store and back toward where I saw her before.

"Should we go somewhere else-"

"Holy crap, look who it is," she points ahead at a restaurant where we can see through the windows.

"Is that Isabel?"

"Your mother in law," she nods.

"Aw, she's on a date."

"Don't tell your boyfriend...he'll spaz."

"Really?" I question, "How come?"

"I guess every guy she dates ends up being an asshole, and Leo is one of those kids who's really protective when it comes to it."

"I can see that." He's protective of everyone he loves, so I can only imagine how he is with his mom.

"It's ironic in a way," Amanda laughs to herself. "He gets so irritated when his mom hates the girls he talks to, and boy does she hate me."

"Did something happen?"

"No, she just thinks I'm a skank."

"Oh."

"Her words were 'a very promiscuous girl,' but she wanted to say skank...she likes you, though, right?"

"For now."

Or until she finds out where Leo slept the other night.

"Val?" I call out as I step over bags of my things while walking into the house. "Babe, are we moving out?"

Val comes out of her room with her eyes all puffed up and her nose sniffling. "I packed up your stuff."

"...was it taking up too much space?"

"Danny," her voice cracks, "I think it's time for us to break up."

"Wha— I can take some of the stuff home, you can have your space back. It's not a big deal."

"No...you can have Kat."

"Valentina, you're kidding me," I huff in annoyance. Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat, that's all anyone ever talks about now.

"I'm dead serious, Danny. I want you to go."

"Nothing is going on between me and Kat. For the last time, we're just friends— and barely that."