Page 117 of The Ones We Hate

“What?” Piper laughed and searched Leo’s expression for the joke that must be there. When she didn’t see it, the color drained from her face, and she got to her feet.

“What the fuck?” Sam balked.

“You can’t just not go!” Piper argued. “This has been your dream for years, Leo. You didn’t even get in when you tried in high school. The entire point of this was so you’d get in! Why are you doing this?” Her mind was still racing a billion beats per minute when he answered.

“I want to be back in Archwood.”

Piper’s eyes blazed. “You better not be doing this for me. I can’t be the person that makes you give up your dream, Leo. I can’t. We agreed. We said we would do long distance. We said we would still love each other no matter how far apart we were.”

Sam rose to his feet. “I’m sorry, Leo, but I’m on Piper’s side here. This is insane.”

Leo got up from the couch and folded his arms over his chest, his face stern. “Are you two done freaking the fuck out now?”

“No!” Piper yelled at the same time Sam did.

“Do I get a say in what I do?” Leo snapped.

“Not if you’re fucking up your whole life for me. I mean, what the hell, Leo?” Piper threw up her hands. “Where did this come from?”

“Sit down,” Leo ordered, jabbing a finger at the sofa. Piper huffed and puffed her way over to the couch and threw herself down on the cushions while Sam sat beside her in equally dramatic fashion. “Thank you. Now, you two are going to listen to me. You’re going to wait until I’m done talking, and then and only then can you give me your opinion.”

“Fine,” Piper grunted. Her back was straight with irritation as she waited for an explanation that could not possibly be good enough.

“Please explain.” Sam sighed.

“I’ve had this feeling for a long time that I didn’t want to go, and when I opened that email, I felt nothing. I should be elated that I got in, and I’m not,” Leo said.

“So, what? You just don’t want to be a director anymore?” Piper argued. “I saw the way you were with the spring show, Leo. Nothing has changed. You still love it.”

“For fuck’s sake, Piper.” Leo blew out a breath. “I love you, but I asked you to let me speak.”

Piper swallowed and bobbed her head. At least with that, she knew she was in the wrong. He had asked her to listen. They had learned a lot about each other in the last few months they had been dating, and how to resolve arguments was a big one. They still butted heads frequently, but there was never any malice behind it like there used to be. They were both just extremely passionate, and learning the right way to fight was a process. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll listen.”

“Okay.” Leo started to pace like he was psyching himself up. “When my abuelita died, I felt this need to be near my family. And I know what you’re both thinking, that my family and both of you would support me no matter how far away I am, but I don’t want that. I still want to be a director, but I don’t want to go to film school. I’ve taken online classes already, and I can take more, but what I really want is to be with the people I love and to jump right into creating. If I go to film school, who knows how long it’ll be before I get to really direct or produce something again? I have this harebrained idea, and the more I think about it, the more I don’t think it’s a pipe dream.” Leo wandered over to the leather-bound journal he had been staying up late writing and poring over for months. Piper had wanted to know what it was he was working on, but Leo continually said that it wasn’t ready and that he wanted to show her the finished product as a surprise. When he tossed it to Sam first, Piper was slightly jealous until Leo said, “I think the book you made me read is going to change our lives. There are plenty of directors and producers who never went to film school, Moreno included. So, I’ve decided that’s not my path. Instead, I want to make an independent film adaptation of The Dating Brigade.”

Piper’s body felt like it was going to burst into flames of emotion as she wedged herself next to Sam on the couch and leaned over his shoulder to look at the journal that was flipped open on his lap. Pages and pages of a rudimentary script were written out with scene descriptions, setting ideas, and more. Excitement coursed through her body. This felt like a Leo thing to do—something risky, but fulfilling. Something filled with passion.

“Are we allowed to talk now?” Sam raised his hand.

Leo chuckled and nodded. “Yes. Piper first because I can see how badly she wants to. ¿Princesa, qué piensas?”

Instead of answering, Piper launched from the couch and sprinted into his arms, burying her face in his chest. She couldn’t hold back the smile stretching across her face. Leo seemed to relax a little in her hold, like he had been genuinely scared she would hate it. “I take it you like the idea?” he asked.

“You’re a genius. I think if anyone can do it, it’s you,” Piper said. Then, realizing what all this meant, she brightened even more. “And this means you’ll be in Archwood? With me?”

“With you.” Leo nodded.

“That’s good, because,” she paused to hold back the tears that wanted to spring to her eyes, “I don’t know how I was going to survive being away from you.” Since they had gotten together, they hadn’t spent more than one night apart, and Piper had pictured what it would feel like to not sleep beside Leo one too many times for the relief of this change of plans to not feel like finally coming up for air.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner.” Leo kissed her forehead. “I was just trying to work it all out in my head, and I was nervous that this idea would go nowhere and that it was a bad idea and that—”

Piper cut him off by cupping his jaw before he had time to spiral. “It’s a great idea, Leo.”

“Look, you two are adorable and everything, but can I finally say something?” Sam said from behind them. Piper giggled and turned around, wrapping one arm around Leo’s waist.

“The floor is yours,” Leo said.

“First things first, yes to all of this. You making my favorite book into a fucking movie? Absolutely on board with that. Now,” Sam stood up, looking extremely hopeful, “just a quick question. When you say this is going to change our lives, does that mean…”

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