"Oh my god!" Kelly gasped, head in hands as Steve stood before them.
"What the hell?!" Steve looked rather gobsmacked.
"Steve! It's not what you think!" Kelly cried anxiously, running over to him. "Please just keep your voice down."
"How could you do this Kelly?" Steve shook his head, "And you?!" He glared at Dylan. "Some friend you are."
"What the hell does that mean?" Dylan glared back.
"Dylan, don't!" Kelly held out her hand, keeping Dylan at a distance. "Steve, I'll explain everything, I promise. Just -just please, sit down and keep your voice down!" She pleaded, urging him to sit.
Steve was reluctant but obliged and took the seat. "Fine." Steve was a bit calmer now as he looked into Kelly's desperate eyes. "...When did it start?" He asked sternly. His tone still hostile.
"This summer." Kelly breathed out... anticipating the response, more like the backlash.
"So..." Steve's demeanor became agitated. "When I came to you to maybe start things up again at your mothers wedding, you were with Dylan?"
"No!" Kelly's tone was shaky "It was way after that!" She let out an exasperated sigh, "Steve, don't hate me... just promise you won't say anything... give us a chance to figure this out."
Steve shook his head.
"Come on, Steve!" Dylan snapped "Don't get all high and mighty."
"Dylan! You're not helping!" Kelly groaned
Steve glared at Dylan, until Kelly stroked his arm, her eyes searching for hope in his.
Steve looked back at Kelly... and eventually nodded at her.
"Oh thank you!" Kelly sighed, expressing her relief. "Thank you so much!" She kissed his cheek. "I'm gonna... take the salad outside." She gained composure and left.
Once Kelly was gone, Dylan stood there anxiously as Steve scoffed
"What is your problem?" Dylan finally snapped "Do I owe you some apology? Some explanation of why this happened?!"
"You owed me a conversation, Dylan!"
"What?" Dylan rolled his eyes
"We've been friends for a long time! And then I catch you fooling around with my ex? It's bad enough to cheat on Brenda! But to not even give me a heads up!"
"Come on, Steve. That's child's play! Was I supposed to ask for permission, is she your property?! I hate to break it to ya, Sanders but... She's your EX!"
"It's about respect, Dylan! Something you know nothing about." Steve said firmly, before walking out.
Kelly was walking to her locker when Dylan grabbed her arm and dragged her to the broom closet.
Once they were hidden he kissed her passionately.
"Missed you, beautiful." He smiled
"Missed you more." She smirked "But we gotta be careful Dylan. What happened with Steve last night was..."
"I know. But I don't regret it. If anything it made me more sure that what we have is worth it."
That made her smile.
"But Dylan... I don't want to sneak around."
"Kel... we won't have to. I want you. I've always wanted you... so I'm gonna do it."
"Wait, what... you're going to end things with Brenda?" She asked
"Yes. Knowing you want me too... it's everything, Kel. I just... wanna be with you."
She couldn't help but grin. She hugged and kissed him.
Dylan sat on the grass pitch at school, leaning against a tree when Brenda came to join him. She was going on about college and the future, a topic that often scared Dylan and had him zone out.
As she spoke, his mind drifted off, capturing Kelly and Steve sitting by another tree in the far distance. They seemed rather cozy. From where Dylan was sitting he didn't know they were actually taking about the affair, Steve may have felt jealous and a little resentful with his ex having had something with his friend but he still wanted to make sure kelly was okay, and was happy to check in and give her advice. Steve was just letting her know that he's here for her if she needed to talk. Kelly and her cynicism always found each other whenever she feared being vulnerable, the more people were finding out about her secret the more she feared what it really meant. Was it just a dirty affair? She thought. Steve keeps telling her to be careful.
Meanwhile, Dylan sat there and like, Kelly allowed his insecurities to take over. Both of them seemed as cool and confident as ever to the outside world. But deep down both of them feared love, rejection and not being good enough. Dylan started to wonder if he could actually handle a life with Kelly. Did he want her? More than anything, he felt the connection in his soul and craved it all the time. However, there was one thing that made him hold back... Kelly COULD hurt him, Brenda never would. Was it wrong to hold onto a safe bet with Brenda? Or was it only natural when Kelly could make him feel so weak and so vulnerable with how rapidly and deeply they fall into each other. What he feared the most was Kelly could turn around and leave him left alone. Kelly too had this fear, that Dylan would leave her alone by staying with Brenda.
"Tonight, will see." Brenda said, Dylan quickly snapped back to reality
"What?" He asked
"The colleges. We'll figure out which one works best for both of us." She smiled
"Oh. Yeah, okay."
That night, Brenda waited for Dylan to join her at the table. She tossed books around, tapping her pen on the table, calling him to join her but no answer.
She came outside to find him playing around with his bike.
"Oh that's great Dylan!" She exclaimed "We're supposed to be discussing colleges but you'd rather waste time on your damn motorcycle that I have told you time and time again that I hate!"
"I know, Brenda! You've made it very clear that you hate it but I don't. So you do what you wanna do and let me do what I wanna do."
"I can't exactly pick where we are going to be next year without you, you realize that right?" She snapped
"Brenda I don't really wanna look at colleges right now! I'm just not interested, I'm sorry but I wanna enjoy my last year as a kid. Let me do that!"
"Dylan, I don't think you realize how important this is! We need to study, we need to discuss it! God, sometimes I wish you'd just dig deep down and find a smidgen of ambition!"
"Thanks." Dylan scoffed, sarcastically.
"Such thought provoking answers you give!" She hissed
"Well, Brenda. I don't really wanna fight right now, alright? I've got a lot on my mind and I don't need you nagging me!"
"You think I nag you?" Brenda's voice raised "Unbelievable! I must be terrible for caring about your well being and your future! Excuse me for wanting a boyfriend with some Goddamn direction and just show a bit of interest in the future of this relationship! So sorry for loving my boyfriend enough to want him to succeed in life!"
"There's a difference between loving and controlling, Brenda! I don't want to do what you want to do, alright? Why can't you get that? You keep trying to steer me into a direction that you want! This isn't about me thinking about my future, you want us to choose your future! That's all you do lately, tel me what I should be doing, don't I have a say in what I want to do in my life anymore? God, Bren, just let me be me and leave me alone for 5 minutes!"
"You want to be left alone?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Wow... okay, you know what, fine! Maybe I have been controlling lately? But do you think I want to? You don't think I'd love it if you took some freakin' initiative in our relationship? In our lives?! I'd be over the moon! But you never do, you sit here everyday messing around with this junk! So fine. Do what you want! Ride that thing silly!" She yelled, tears filled her eyes and she walked off.
Dylan sighed. He got up and grabbed her arm.
"I'm sorry, Bren. I don't want you to leave like this.. The truth is, you're right. You do deserve a man with some direction, who takes initiative. You have every right to want to know where your future is headed and where we stand. Your brother and father wouldn't let you settle for less, and they're absolutely right."
"But?" She said, her hands on her hips
"I don't have an answer for you Bren, I wish I did. I don't know what I want, or where I wanna be next year. I can't even think about anything that far ahead. I got so many thoughts in my head and none of them are concrete answers."
"I don't understand, what are you saying? You don't have an answer for me? What does that even mean?"
"Just that. I don't know. I don't know if I want college, I don't know where I want to be next year, I don't know what direction I want for my life! I don't KNOW. I just need some space to figure it out! I can't do that with you jumping down my throat" He scratched his head, pacing around the terrace.
"Okay.." Brenda said calmly. "I'm going to go... you want space? Take al the space you need to decide where the hell I stand in your life!"
"Brenda, don't be mad.." he sighed "We just can't keep having the same fight over and over again. I don't want to feel like I can't do what I wanna do without you yelling at me."
"Well, it's just you and your thoughts now. Let me know when you have an answer for me." She said, her tone was hostile. She stormed out furiously.
"Thanks for coming." Dylan said, opening his door to Kelly.
"Well, you called." She said, walking in
"I wanted to see you..." He played with the strands of her hair, "Thought we could take the bike for a ride, enjoy the wild Santa Anas..." he kissed her neck "escape from all this college talk that's been bumming us both out... I just wanna... escape with you."
"That sounds wonderful, but I can't stay long. Promised Jackie I'd be home early."
"Come on, please. Stay with me tonight." He begged "I just had this huge fight with Brenda, she's always trying to control my life and I just need a break."
"Dylan." Kelly moved away from his grasp "why are you telling me this."
"Because you're the only one who understands."
"So..." Kelly looked puzzled "You didn't end things then."
"Kel.." he pleaded
"No. All this summer, that talk about coming clean, and wanting to be with me, that was what? A moment of passion?"
"No, Kelly you know how crazy I am about you!" Dylan assured "I will end it, you know that."
"Do I?" She brushed her hair back from her face "Is that why you called me? Just to bitch about Brenda and have some fun?"
"I needed you... I wanted to be with you, that's why I called.."
"Maybe Steve was right..." she let out a nervous chuckle "maybe you are just having your cake and eating it too."
"Kelly you know that's not true. Steve's just pissed off."
"No, I don't think so. You've said a lot of words lately Dylan... and your actions aren't really catching up. I am not innocent here and I get that, but I can't be sneaking around. 2 people already know about us Dylan! We are risking everything, and now I'm not so sure it's worth it."
"How can you say that we're not worth it!" Dylan cried out
"I'm betraying my best friend Dylan! And I don't wanna do it anymore."
"You said you wanted me too..."
"Yes, Dylan!" She yelled "But I'm not going to share you. So... it's either me or her."
"Kelly." He came up to her
"As long as you're still with Brenda, this... is over." She headed out the door.
Heading into her car, Dylan ran out chasing after her.
She was just about to start the convertible when Dylan slammed his hand on the hood of her car
"Kelly! Don't do this, don't leave me."
"I'm not going to be some mistress, Dylan. If you can't make your mind up, you certainly won't be stringing me along in the meantime. I just wish you weren't such a coward to admit it!"
"Coward?!" He snapped "I don't know what Steve has put in your head but let's get something straight. I am a lot of things, Kel and I know that but I am NOT a liar! I told you, you are the one I want, and I meant it! I'm sorry that it's taking longer than we want, and I know this is unbelievably selfish of me but I need you to just be a little patient!"
"Patient?!" Kelly snapped "Do you know how hard it is to see you with Brenda?!"
"It's hard for me to see you and not be with you, Ke!"
"Oh yeah, I'm sure it must be terrible getting busy with 2 girls at the same time!"
"That's it, Ke!" Dylan really lost it now "I told you it's not like that! But I need more time! GOD! Brenda has been my girlfriend for 2 years, she has had my back and loved me even when I couldn't love myself! Her brother was the first guy to take a chance on me, and her parents!" He took a moment to breathe "her parents are the only parents in the world to treat me like a son! They're... they're the only parents that wanted me! For the past 2 years, I had a family! Do you realize that I'm walking away from a family?! A family that took a chance on me when I had nothing to offer! So when I tell you I need some time, I'm not jerking you around! I'm about to turn away from the only real family I have ever had! So I think I am entitled to a moment of doubt! Just a MOMENT of plain uncertainty!"
"You're right..." Kelly sighed "You are entitled to that. You're giving up a lot to be with me... but understand this... I am entitled to not have to wait around for you to make a decision. Sorry but, I won't be the other woman." Kelly drove off, refusing to look back at him.