Bad Movie

Brenda stood in her bathroom, doing her night-time skincare routine. She felt confused. Dylan didn't seem to be acting like himself, he was never rough or aggressive with her. Although she wondered if her encounter with Rick had a small impact on how she took what just transpired between her and Dylan. She wasn't cheating, but she also hadn't mentioned that Rick was now a playwright on her play. No harm, no foul, she thought. Although she knew Dylan rarely got jealous. He always trusted her. The only time she had ever seen him act crazy jealous was when he was with Kelly.

"What do you have against Brandon?" a 19 year old Kelly snapped as her and Dylan argued in his living room

"He's been getting on my nerves for weeks. Your little square dance didn't help matters much." He hissed

"Dylan, he's your best friend."

"My best friend who went behind my back and kissed you."

"Dylan, I explained that. He was going through a rough time."

"Oh okay. So if Brenda had been in a rough spot and kissed me, would you be okay with that?"

"Dylan... that's not fair."

"No, it isn't. You gave me shit for not leaving her in jail for the night! You got mad when she called here looking for you to pick her up from Palm Springs. As if you wanted me to say 'No, sorry Kelly's not home.' and leave her stranded there?"

"I get it. But Dylan-"

"Kelly!" He interrupted, "You screamed at us. You've been giving me shit since thanksgiving for having dinner with my friend after you broke my heart and ran off with someone else."

You're right. I was feeling really insecure, but I know that now. I trust you, I know you and Brenda weren't doing anything wrong."

"Yeah, well maybe now I don't trust you."

"Dylan..."

"What do you expect? Even when you ran off with John Sears I was still loyal to you, waiting around."

"So what do you want, Dylan? You want to keep grinding that axe?" She cried, frustrated

"For starters, you can stop hanging round the Keg house."

"Dylan, seriously?" She shook her head

"Seriously." He stared her down, "If you're with me, you don't need to be going there anymore."

"Dylan, you can't tell me what to do." She folded her arms

"I just did. Take it or leave it." He folded his arms as well

"You know what, fine. If you want to be like this, maybe we need some space." She headed for the door

"If you go there, don't bother coming home." He warned

"Ugh." Kelly groaned as she slumped herself on Donna's couch. "Am I making a mistake here?"

"Yes." Donna warned in a joking manner, "Leave the past in the past. Stop torturing yourself by meeting up with him again."

"I wanted him to stay so bad." Kelly sighed

"I know you missed him. But don't forget why it didn't work out. Kelly, it was a really difficult time."

"I know. But when he's near me... I don't see anything else."

"Kelly, things got really ugly last time. You said yourself he's doing good now... It's time to grow up, and leave the fantasies behind. Because with those fantasies, comes a lot of bad side effects."

You two are like a bad movie; my best friend and my best girl. What is this... Blondie and the boy scout?

It's great to have friends... You make me sick!

Dylan opened the door to find Kelly standing before him. He slammed the door shut in her face.

She knocked again, "Dylan, open the door!" She ordered. He eventually obliged, and she pushed her way through

"Dylan..." She began until she saw him holding a bottle of tequila

"Get out." He mumbled as he took a swig

"Dylan, get dressed, please." She said slowly, "We'll get some coffee; we'll talk."

"We've got nothing to talk about." He groaned

"I know you're mad at me." She let out a deep breath "But you left..." Dylan turned to her and glared. He felt sick to his stomach seeing her after all this time in that red dress. That red dress that his best friend's hands were wrapped around earlier.

"You make me sick." He said before taking another swig, "You said Brandon was going through a hard time..." He scoffed, "I should have known better."

"Come on, Dylan. You're the one who left town without so much as a word! After our fight, you didn't even call, you just disappeared! And I waited... I waited for you to come home, call me, or even write me and I got nothing! So, yeah. Brandon was there... he helped me." Kelly said breathlessly as Dylan began to walk towards her, cornering her to the wall, bottle in hand.

"So what, you're together now?" He hissed, his breath on her neck as he breathed in her perfume.

"Dylan..." She began to feel uneasy as he narrowed the gap between them

"It won't last." He warned, touching a loose strand of her hair. He couldn't help but admire how her soft locks felt in his hands, wanting to immerse himself in her after missing her all summer, but he couldn't help but feel angry, disgusted, and jealous over just the thought of her being with someone else. He never judged her past, but now she was his. And his girl was now with Brandon? He couldn't make sense of it. "He doesn't know you like I do. He doesn't know your mind, your body, or your soul."

"Dylan." Her tone was firmer. The tension was building up and she knew jealousy wasn't one of Dylan's better habits. And now he was drunk too. "Don't do this."

His fingers began to stroke her cheek and chin, "Say you're mine." He pleaded in a whisper

"Dylan!" She warned again, feeling paralyzed by his touch. His hand then pulled her hair away from her neck and without thinking his lips lowered. Unable to fight the turmoil he was feeling, he began to desperately kiss her neck. She tried to wriggle out from between him and the wall, but the more she pulled away, the more fearful he got. He couldn't bear a reality where she was with Brandon.

"Dylan!" She yelled,

"Say you're mine" He growled as his hand tried to pull her body towards his. He tried to force his lips onto hers.

"No, Dylan!" She cried, as he tried to kiss her again. "I'm not anymore." She said fiercely, pushing him off of her.

"You're mine!" He said aggressively, slamming his tequila bottle on the floor in a jealous rage. As it smashed into pieces, leaving a cut on his hand and her inner thigh. He looked up at her in shock. She quickly pushed passed him and ran out the door.

Dylan sat at the Peach Pit After Dark, having a drink by the bar. He had been really good at sticking to one drink a night on the weekends, but today he wasn't so sure he could maintain that discipline. Just as he was about to order a second, he was interrupted by a voice.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, take a seat." Dylan nodded

"You're Dylan McKay, right? I'm Cameron, Cameron Knowles."

"Hi." Dylan shook his hand

"Listen, I'm a big fan of your work." Cameron began

"My work?" Dylan asked

"Yeah... I follow a lot of European journals. Came across your stuff online. I love your writing."

"Oh. Well, thanks." Dylan drawled

"I'm a writer too, you know. For the West Beverly Blaze." Cameron confirmed

"Keep it up, kid." Dylan encouraged

"Do you mind if I pick your brain for a second?"

"Sure..." Dylan shrugged

"I read the stuff you wrote about your father... How it hurt to know him without ever really knowing him; how much you missed him; how you'd give anything to talk to him again."

"Yeah... " Dylan took a sip of his scotch

"I never knew mine. My biological dad that is." Cameron paused, "I love my dad - My adoptive dad so I didn't care. But after reading your poem... I wondered if I would regret it... not talking while he's still alive."

"You might..." Dylan nodded

"It's not that easy... You can write it out but you can't bring yourself to say the words."

"So, write it down." Dylan turned to the boy, "Write him a letter."