Chapter 2

What Do You Think is Going on in There?

"I'm getting worried." Brian sighed as he looked at his digital watch. Ten minutes felt like ten years.

"You heard John, he can handle it." Claire mindlessly straightened out the contents of her purse.

"He shouldn't be doing it alone." Brian wondered if he shouldn't run to the payphone across the street to tell his parents that he might be late coming home.

"That's fine in theory. Geez, that sounds like something you should have said, but, smothering Andy isn't the solution. We need to get our shit together and find out what hospital Allison is in."

"Claire, isn't it obvious? If she's not in any immediate danger, she'll most likely shipped to Fairview. You probably don't remember Johnny Wilkinson's suicide attempt last year..."

"I feel dense. Who is Johnny Wilkinson."

"We were on the Chess Club, and of course, you wouldn't know him, Claire. Last I heard, he was okay, but he and his folks moved to Indiana."

"I'm sorry that your friend died."

Brian nodded. "What do you think is going on in there?"

Claire put her head on the window and sighed, "I have no idea."

"The thing is everyone expected Monday after our detention to be a changing of the school guard. Change does not happen overnight. You tried too hard with Allison. Don't take this the wrong way Claire, but she didn't ask for all of your help. Andy was starting to develop feelings for her, but, it's not even a Romeo & Juliet kind of love, which may be is not the best example, but what I mean is, it was all too much for Allison. She was trying to please Andy and you. Were you going to have your Dad pull strings to get her into a top college? It was all too goddamn much, and while you had the best intentions, it was only just one afternoon. It's not my business, but I'm sure even you and Bender..."

"Damn it, Brian, you're right. Were you going to say that we have problems?"

"Yeah. His home life didn't magically become Leave it to Beaver. What I was going to say was, apart from today, was this the first time that he was even at your house?"

"Yeah and I know Allison briefly met Andy's family, but not the other way around, but it wasn't the real Allison...I know they broke up yesterday, but once his folks find out exactly who she is and that she attempted suicide, they'll never let him date her again."

"We're almost eighteen - which can feel like dog years. They won't have any power over their son then, but that doesn't matter now. We have to focus on Allison and helping her to get better, but she has to want this for herself. No one else can want this but her."

"Brian, do you think that I'm a fake?"

"No, Claire. Like I said, change does not happen overnight - and sometimes, change does not happen at all."

"Here they come."

"Fuck," Claire replied breathily, "What do we say?"

"We say nothing."

It was obvious that Andy punched a wall or something because his right hand was bandaged up. The weight of the world on his adolescent shoulders.

Brian moved over.

Andy sighed because deep conversation was not an option. "Okay, let's get this over with, I punched a wall."

"Claire, don't dawdle, drive us to Memorial." Bender didn't mean to sound like a mild version of his father, but it couldn't be helped. At that moment, none of them mattered, the only one that mattered was Allison.