The M rating is earned here with some language. I decided to do a pure dialogue piece because you can interpret the phrasing as you like.

A few lines of this were inspired by Train's Meet Virginia.

(By the way, I don't own anything!)

And here it is…

"You've been out here a long time."

"Don't be thinking what I know you're thinking. You're not that damn important."

"Why else would you be here?"

Pause. "Maybe I needed to get out of the house." Flick.

"Can I have one?"

"Didn't know the prom queen smoked."

"Maybe I don't want to be the queen." Flick.

"You will be anyway."

Silence.

"You're such a bastard."

"And you're a bitch."

Pause.

"How the hell did this happen?"

"God invented stereotypes just to fuck us all over."

"Really…I thought it was just to separate the good from the bad."

"You're no more good than I am bad, Cherry."

"Are you graduating?"

"What do you think?"

Pause. "No."

"Fuck you."

"Well you're not, are you?"

Silence.

"I'm going to school in New York."

"Who did Daddy have to pay off for that to happen?"

"For your information, I got a full scholarship to St. John's University!"

"For what, being the biggest ignorant bitch in Illinois?"

"You know, you're really one to talk. At least I won't be stuck here working in a god damn gas station for the rest of my life!"

"Yeah, you'll be out on the east coast screwing your fat, millionaire husband who mommy and daddy set you up with because he was a frequent investor!"

Silence.

Sniff. "Why did you ignore me?"

"Why did you ignore me?"

"You know what people would have said."

"Fuck them, Claire! God, what the hell are you going to do someday when you really want something that everyone says you can't have?"

"I did really want—"

"Not enough."

Pause.

"I couldn't ignore you."

Smirk. "You couldn't have even if you tried."

"Doesn't that sound familiar."

"I certainly have that effect on women."

"Don't flatter yourself. Most of the time I wanted to cut your balls off, not fuck you into oblivion."

"Harsh."

"I don't want to be like this anymore."

"Did you ever?"

"Once. When I had no family and I needed friends."

"You still have no family."

"I learned my lesson. Selling myself out isn't worth it."

Silence.

"So did you?"

"What?"

"Sell yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean, Claire."

"I really don't think that this is any of your—"

"Not this shit again!"

"You think you know me! But you have no idea. Just because we had one little tryst in the closet on a Saturday afternoon doesn't mean you know jack shit!"

"So, what? An old boyfriend push you a bit too far? Hell, maybe even Daddy pushed you around—"

"Don't you ever say that about my father! Ever!"

"Sorry, but I had to assume the worst. I mean, if you're this fucked up—"

"It was my ex, alright?"

Pause.

"And?"

"And…he broke it off."

"Because…"

"I wouldn't—"

"Oh."

Silence.

"Poor Charlie."

"What?"

"With those words I'm sure you dashed his plans of a pleasurable evening."

"Oh, fuck off!"

Pause.

"You know… you don't have to go back in there."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"You look like shit, anyway."

"I'm aware."

Pause.

"I can see your face, though."

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but a thick fog still hung low around their ankles. It was cold, and she shivered even more when he reached out to touch her cheek. He was smearing her mascara, she knew, but it had already bled down her face. She looked up with bloodshot eyes and saw the matching diamond in his ear.

And for the first time in a long time, Claire smiled.

Finished! Sometimes these blurbs take on a life of their own. I didn't plan this ending, but I hope you liked it :)

Please be kind-- read and review!