The Choice

Hi, my name is Hank.

ME: My baby's leaving.

I'm a little emotional.

JEREMY: I'll be back in September, Hank.

We all drove Jeremy to the train station to see him off. Me, Cal, Eli, Carter, and Ritchie. It was hard to imagine a summer in Rhode Island without him.

ME: Who am I going to do bad community theater with?
RITCHIE: I'm heading out again soon anyway. I got a job offer in Denton, New Hampshire.
CAL: Doing what? Herding cattle?
RITCHIE: Apparently it's a theater hub.
CARTER: I want to work in a hub.
ELI: You are a hub.
JEREMY: Can we not fight on the day I'm leaving, please?

That's when we heard the boarding call.

JEREMY: Okay, time to go.

Hugs were exchanged, tears were shed (I'm not saying by who), and he was gone.

CAL: Providence is down a CBQ.
ELI: I wonder if Ashley Tisdale would consider moving here.

Just then--

VOICE: Stop the train!

Then--

VOICE: Stop the train!

Wait a second--

CARTER: Is there an echo in here?

I looked to my left and there was Billy running towards us. I looked to my right, and Davis was running towards us with Joey, Ben, and Nathan right behind him.

They almost collided into each other.

DAVIS: Is he gone?
BILLY: What do you care?
DAVIS: Excuse me?
BILLY: What do you want to get him back so you can cheat on him again?
RITCHIE: Whoa, slow down. What's going on?
DAVIS and BILLY: I need to see Jeremy.
ELI: It's too late. He took off.
BEN: Great. Can we go home now?
ALL: Shut up, Ben!

Billy sat down on the ground and caught his breath.

DAVIS: I'll buy a ticket to New York. I'm not going to leave things this way.
BILLY: Just leave him alone, Davis. He doesn't want you.
DAVIS: Who does he want? You?
BILLY: That's what I need to find out.
DAVIS: Let me answer for you. He doesn't want you. He doesn't need you. You should just disappear.
BILLY: Why? So you can get him back and hurt him again?
DAVIS: He left me a message on my cell phone saying he wanted to talk.
CAL: So why didn't you call him back?
DAVIS: I'm not sure what I'm going to say--I need to see him in person.
BILLY: After I do.
ELI: We could all go to New York. I've been wanting to see [title of show].
BILLY: I'm not going anywhere with the Grand Slut of Providence.

Everybody gasped, or maybe it was just me.

DAVIS: You know what's funny, Billy? The only reason people like you is because they want to get in your pants. Because you're a big score on the Bang Me pinball game. And you're only a big score because you walk around like a prude and make people curious. But eventually your little looks are going to fade, and your innocent demeanor is going to get tired, and a new crop of hard-to-get twinks are going to parade into Providence, and then you're going to wish you had as much fun as I do. And whose going to love you then, huh?

Silence.

VOICE: Oh, I think I could.

We all turned around to see Jeremy coming back towards us.

JEREMY: It was the wrong train. Mine's been delayed.
ELI: That's such a Gossip Girl cliffhanger.

Jeremy approached Billy and Davis.

JEREMY: I love you, don't I, Davis? Even after everything?
DAVIS: So that's your choice then?
JEREMY: I didn't make a choice.
BILLY: Well, you need to. Jeremy, do you feel the way about me the way I feel about you?
JEREMY: I just--
DAVIS: I agree with the little asshole. You need to pick, and you need to do it before you head off to New York for the summer.

We all looked at Jeremy, who was looking from Davis to Billy.

JEREMY: Fine. I know what I want.

We all held our breath, except for Eli, who said--

ELI: Dun dun dun!