not root canal

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Can I sit down?"

"It's a free country."

"Yeah."

"So."

"I'm not really in a chatting mood."

"I see."

"Yeah."

"Can I buy you a beer?"

"I'm good for right now."

"Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, with Carly and everything."

"Carly."

"Zander, you dont have to pretend you're not upset. Not with me."

"What do you want to hear? That I'm devastated? That I'm beside myself? That I can't possibly go on without Carly?"

"What I want to hear is the answer to 'Are you alright?', if those things happened to be included in there, that's fine with me. My concern is you."

"Why is that?"

"Why is what?"

"Why are you concerned about me?"

"Should I not be?"

"I don't know. You don't know me very well."

"You don't know me very well."

"Yeah."

"I think that's why it works."

"Maybe."

"Your'e dodging the question."

"You noticed that?"

"I did."

"It's a skill."

"You're not very good at it. So tell me, Zander, are you alright?"

"Kristina, I'm fine."

"Wow."

"What?"

"You're a crappy liar too."

"Now I'm really not in the mood for this."

"All I'm saying is the last time we talked there was something more there with you and Carly, or so it seemed to me. And now she's...gone, and you're my friend, and I'm worried about you."

"I was wrong about that."

"Wrong about what?"

"Carly."

"Something happened."

"No."

"Lie."

"I didn't let it happen."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"I don't know if you're the person to be telling this to."

"Who am I gonna tell?"

"You're kidding right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Think about it."

"Zander."

"Kristina."

"Something's eating at you, I can see it on your face, and let's not even begin to get into how your aura looks."

"New age crap."

"Well, your face doesn't lie. What happened with Carly?"

"She...came to see me. Just before she disappeared."

"Okay. Did you fight with her?"

"I threw her out."

"Why?"

"She...uh...crawled into bed with me. And was...um...."

"Yeah, I don't need more than that."

"Yeah. Anyway, she was there and everything and...it's like you said, you wont be a substitute."

"She brought up Sonny?"

"And Alexis."

"And Alexis?"

"She had just come from the penthouse. She...saw them."

"Oh my god."

"You were right."

"I know."

"And I told her I wouldn't be a substitute. I wasn't going to let her use me because she was hurting. I threw her out."

"Good for you."

"NO! Not good for me! Shes gone now, and it's my fault."

"Listen to me, Zander, she was going to use you."

"I care about Carly."

"I know you do, but did you really want Carly that way? With her mind on Sonny and Alexis? You owe yourself more than that."

"It doesnt matter anyway. She's gone."

"They haven't found anything yet."

"I told her I never wanted to see her again."

"From what I understand, Carly has a way of turning up."

"Don't joke about that."

"I'm sorry. That was insensitive."

"Yeah. It was."

"I like you, Zander. You're a good person."

"Doesn't feel that way these days."

"What happened to Carly was not your fault. Sounds to me like she was spinning out of control long before she got to you."

"Yeah."

"She saw them?"

"She went to deliver a birthday card."

"To his bedroom?"

"I don't know."

"Do Sonny and Alexis know?"

"No. I didn't tell them."

"Don't you think you should?"

"I...uh...well...how do you say that?"

"Good point."

"You were right. I didn't believe you, but you were."

"Yeah. I still can't believe it."

"Who else knows?"

"Um, before it was just me, Sonny and Alexis. Now, it's me, you, Sonny, Alexis and Carly."

"You've kept it quiet?"

"You know, my mouth isn't as big as everyone thinks it is."

"You told half of Port Charles that Alexis loved Sonny."

"I told three people."

"Three too many. Her ex-husband, he ex-fiancee and Sonny."

"Well that's my business isnt it?"

"No, it was Alexis' business."

"Ok, now you're pissing me off."

"I know."

"But you smiled. That's nice."

"Whatever. How's Ned?"

"Changing the subject, very smooth."

"Give and take."

"Ned. Ned. Ned...is..."

"Gonna blow his stack when he finds out about...."

"...still in love with my sister."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Do you love him?"

"No."

"That's a definitive answer."

"I'm not in love with Ned. I like him. Most of the time."

"I don't."

"Color me shocked."

"I never liked how he talked to Alexis. And I don't like how he talks to you. But, he doesn't like me either."

"No, he doesn't. How did he talk to Alexis?"

"He never trusted her. You could tell."

"How do you know?"

"I did live with her for awhile."

"Oh yeah."

" 'Oh yeah'."

"I keep forgetting."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"What are you doing with him?"

"Honestly, I don't know. It was fun at first. He likes music, I like music...we had a good time."

"You're a...free spirit? Ned Ashton is not."

"I like projects."

"What?"

"I like projects. People projects. Maybe I wanted to free Ned up."

"Why?"

"Because when I came to Port Charles I knew three people? My sister, Jax and Ned."

"So why not Jax then?"

"Jax doesn't need freeing up. He flies in croissants from France on a whim. He's plenty free."

"He what?"

"Dont ask."

"Do you think Alexis still loves Ned?"

"No."

"At all?"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"I asked her, and anyone with half a brain can see that her heart belongs to someone else."

"Sonny."

"Yep."

"You know, when I was living with Alexis, before the trial, they had an interesting relationship going on."

"How's that?"

"It'll sound stupid."

"What kind of relationship?"

"It was...almost as if...they were...my parents."

"Your parents? They're not old enough."

"I know, but they used to fight over me. Like parents would. It was...nice."

"Nice that they fought?"

"Nice that they cared."

"Yeah."

"It was a long time ago."

"Not so long."

"Feels like a lifetime."

"Alexis still worries about you, you know."

"I know she does."

"Ok."

"I worry about her too."

"That's sweet."

"You weren't here then. It was...almost fun. Except for the whole trial, arrested, life threatening stuff."

"Nice way of putting it."

"Yeah."

"Hey...you feeling any better?"

"I didn't feel bad."

"Liar."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem Thank you as well."

"You know, I'm starting to know you better."

"Yes."

"So the 'We dont know each other' excuse isn't going to work next time."

"Your point?"

"You don't need an excuse. I like...like talking to you."

"I like talking to you too."

"Are we becoming friends?"

"Sneaks up on you, doesn't it?"

"Guess so."

"Well don't say it like it's a root canal."

"It's not root canal."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna go."

"Yeah, I'm gonna go home and check on Alexis."

"Tell her I said hi."

"I will."

"See ya, Kristina."

"Bye, Zander."