Leonard, Logan and the Whore.

Just A Dream: Nelly

The low hum of the engine filled the silence in the car.

Leonard glanced over at her and wondered how it came to this again. How had he ended up in the very spot he had vowed to never go back to?

He was certain of his feelings for her. Yes, he was initially taken by her beauty, like every other student at school, but she had let her guard down for him. She let him read her unfinished songs, given him a private performance of 'I'm Not that Girl' from Wicked - her favourite musical, and confided in him about her life at home.

There was so much more to the girl whom everyone admired. She had determination, resilience, she was quick to defend the people she cared about, intelligence...but she was also vulnerable, sensitive and gullible.

And although he would never get the title of her boyfriend, Leonard was content with just knowing that he knew the most about her, including her boyfriend, Bennett.

"Do you have any food?"

Leonard's attention quickly averted to Gisele's tear streaked face. "No, but we can go get some. What do you feel like? Fries?"

Gisele nodded.

Leonard often wondered if Gisele only came back to him because he was only one who would understand. Did she hold any feelings for him at all? In the slightest?

He knew that she loved Bennett. He could tell whenever she contemplated breaking up with him.

"I should break up with him. I mean, ten girls just increases the chances of STDs right?" Gisele laid across Leonard's bed, holding up her nails to the light.

"No condom right? I mean if you're willing to sign your death wish for him..." A sock hit him on the head.

"Not funny."

"Wasn't meant to be. I just spit straight facts."

Gisele rolled onto her stomach, meeting Leonard's eyes.

"I'm serious Leo. I'm scared of what will happen if we do break up. He'll never take me back if I initiated it...and I know I love him."

They did break up after that. For a day. It wasn't long before they were back making out in the school parking lot.

Leonard had often thought the pair of them did well in hiding their affair. That was, until Logan whipped Leo on the bare ass with a towel in the locker room one afternoon.

"How's life treating you Leo Davinci?"

"I'm fine, Coach's been kicking my ass about meeting with the scouts next week."

"Doubt that's what's kicking your ass. So what's the problem? All that sex been draining your life source?"

Leo could hear his heart beat amplified in his ears. Did he hear Logan correctly? He faced Logan, a goofy grin plastered to his face. Thoughts confirmed.

"Yeah, my right hand's had it hard for the past few days. Stress relief I like to think."

Logan didn't buy Leo's switch up for a second. "Nice try, but you're left handed. Unless you meant sticking it in her."

There was no way he knew that the sex was with Gisele. He couldn't know. Right?

"What do you think Bennett will do when he finds out you've been fucking his girl?"

There it was. DENY DENY DENY.

Leonard turned back to his locker, busying himself, organising his textbooks. "Big hypothetical considering I'm not or will ever be doing that."

"You big fucking liar. Bro, it's chill. I'm not gonna blab alright? Besides, I don't blame you. If Gisele wanted to fuck me, I'd let her. Over and over."

Leonard couldn't take it. Logan's back hit the lockers, as he grabbed him by his shirt.

"Don't talk about her like that. She's not one of your whores."

Even threatened, Logan maintained a smug grin.

"I'd say a two timing bitch is worse than a whore."

Once the words were said, shit hit the fan.

It was hard to keep track of who did what, however by the end of it, both parties came out looking worse for wear. Bennett had intervened five minutes into the fight.

"Boys, boys. What we fighting about?"

As Leonard wiped blood off his forehead, he glared down Logan.

"Don't you ever speak about her like that again." Upon hearing this, Bennett laughed.

"You're not serious. You two are fighting over a girl? No whore is worth punching over, you know that."

Logan and Leonard shared a look.

"Well, you definitely didn't get the DiCaprio acting chops, that's for certain."

A Logan wisecrack signalled to Leo that his opponent was ready to throw in the towel. As was he. Bennett remained confused, eyes darting back and forth between his two friends. But upon seeing the two begin to change out of their towels - or lack thereof - Bennett resumed his usual demeanour.

"So," He forced a smile as he sat down onto the bench. "I didn't get the scholarship to Northwestern."

The room became silent, with the exclusion of the occasional drip of water from the shower heads. Leonard was the first to speak. "What about your backups? Penn State? San Jose?" He averted his gaze as Bennett shook his head to each question.

Logan remained facing the locker. "I'll give you the money."

The reply from Bennett was almost instantaneous. "No." He recomposed himself, getting up from the bench. "It was a blessing in disguise. See, at the beginning, sure. I was bummed. But if I'd gotten it, I wouldn't be able to ask Gisele to marry me."

If the locker room had been silent before, it now rivalled space. Leonard and Logan were sure they had misheard their friend, that is, until they caught each other's dumbfounded expressions.

This time, Bennett took it upon himself to resume the conversation. "I always said she was the one. I've got my eye on this ring...it's nothing dramatic but it's a diamond and you can actually see it. You know, without a microscope." He gave a weak smile, an attempt to incite any response.

Before anything could be incited however, an interruption from their fellow teammates bursting through the locker room doors distracted all three boys. Bennett decided to take this as an opportunity to skip out of the ambiguous tension he had created by faking a glance at his watch.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Good game boys."