Eleven O'Clock Number

MUSICAL #9: RENT

09: HIV: NOT JUST A DISEASE IN AFRICA

« i don't own emotion; i rent. »

"I STILL DON'T see why we have to do this," Allison says as she follows Lydia onto the soccer pitch.

"Because," Lydia turns to give Allison an annoyed look before continuing to make her way to the stands. "Brad is on the soccer team. I want to watch him play. It's called moral support."

Allison rolls her eyes. "You want to watch him play so that you can sort out where the two of you can have sex after school."

 "Moral support," Lydia repeats. "He'll see me there, and straight away he'll be breaking his legs trying to run as fast as he can to impress me."

"Whatever," she's grown bored with watching Lydia going through a different boy every month. On the bright side, Lydia hasn't tested positive for Chlamydia yet, so it's all good. "I don't understand why I have to come," she says.

"You don't," Lydia says simply. "Go find someone else to hang out with."

"Like who?"

"Toby?"

 "...who is right there," Allison finishes glumly, catching sight of the tall boy looking similarly bored out of his mind. 

"Well," Lydia says lightly. "At least the two of you can moan together about being dragged to soccer practice by best friends." She hesitates, then adds, as though it's a disclaimer: "Although I didn't drag you."

"I hate this," Allison says in reply.

"Allison," Lydia begins to find a place on the stands. "I love you. But I don't love your whining. So, as I have already said, you are very welcome to find someone else to spend your time with. I, on the other hand, have some important Brad-related business to attend to."

"I'm going to talk to Toby," Allison retorts, and if there's a hint of childish jealousy in her voice, well, that's neither here nor there.

"Good for you," Lydia is already scanning the pitch for Brad, and it pricks at something in Allison.

"You know," she says, fully aware that what she's about to say is mean and unnecessary; "maybe you should stop sleeping with any and every guy you find who's the complete opposite of Emmett."

Then she stalks off before Lydia can reply, finding a place next to Toby.

"Move over," she tells him by way of greeting.

"Hello to you too," he responds, but there's no trace of ill-feeling in his voice – instead, Allison observes, it's more an exasperated fondness. "What, did the dream team break up for the day?"

"Huh?" she asks stupidly. In response, Toby gestures to Lydia, who has their back to them. Even from where she's sitting, and with only a view of her back, Allison can tell that her final words to Lydia have hit home. Already, she can feel the guilt beginning to form in her stomach.

"I guess so," she says shortly. Toby, bless him, seems to catch onto the hint, not pushing further. "Which is more than I can say for you," Allison observes.

"Huh?" Toby repeats her words, then, understanding her: "Oh. Yeah. Anything for my best buddy," he says, the sarcasm barely detectable in his voice.

"We're in the same boat, then," she murmurs (because even if she just kind of really pissed Lydia off, the fact is she's sat here because of her), eyes involuntarily finding Daniel on the pitch. She watches him line up for the next drill, and is caught off guard when he turns to face the stand and gives a small wave. Allison is about to wave back when a rustle of movement from next to her catches her eye. She turns and watches Toby give Daniel (possibly rather sardonic) thumbs-up. She deflates slightly, moving her eyes back to the pitch and berating herself for even considering that Daniel would be waving at her, when suddenly she sees the boy in question break out into a wide smile as their eyes meet.