Alice moodily pushed her food around her plate, and Dana distractedly sipped from her juice as Shane and Tina tried somewhat unsuccessfully to engage them both in conversation.

“So Dana, what’s happening with your agent? You mentioned something about a college tour?” Tina raised her eyebrow at her, sipping from her smoothie.

“Yeah Dane, that sounds pretty… er… beast you know…” Shane took a huge bite of her sandwhich and looked at Dana expectantly.

Dana shifted in her chair and sat forward. “It’s some, idea that Tonya came up with and went and mentioned to Sandy, you know my agent right, and she did it behind my back and now I, just everyone seems to think it’s this great idea but I… don’t.” She sighed, and wrapped her lips around her straw, sucking periodically if unenthusiastically.

“It wasn’t your idea?” Tina leaned forward, resting her arms on the table.

Alice sighed loudly, but continued staring into her plate of untouched food. Shane reached under the table and patted Alice’s leg, comfortingly, never taking her attention off of Dana.

“If you don’t want to do it Dane, don’t.” Shane took another huge bite of her sandwhich and looked at Alice. “Not hungry Al?”

Dana frowned. “It’s not that simple Shane…”

Tina shook her head in the negative. “Sure it is, don’t be forced into something you don’t want…”

Alice sighed, as loudly as she could, again and threw her fork down onto the table. Shane, Tina and Dana looked at her questioningly.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” Alice stood. “To drown myself in the toilet…” She muttered as she walked away from the table. Shane and Tina looked at each other quickly, before Tina nodded and stood.

“I’m going with her…”

Shane took another bite from her sandwhich as Dana watched Tina’s retreating back confused. “Okay, what just happened? What’s going on?” Dana leaned back into her chair and blew out a frustrated breath. “Why is everything so fucked up right now?”

Shane shrugged, chewing and swallowed. “Well, Alice seems to be pissed over something. Tina seems to have adopted the problems of the rest of us, well you and Alice anyway, so she doesn’t have to deal with her own situation with Bette. And as for the last question, I honestly couldn’t tell you. Maybe the planets are in a bad way or someone spiked L.A. and this is just one bad trip.” Shane took another bite of her sandwhich as Dana looked at her, one eyebrow raised.

“That… clears up nothing.” Dana crossed her arms over her chest. “I mean a few weeks ago everything felt so normal, and everyone was together and friends… And now it’s like I’ve entered some twilight zone where my cat’s dead, and I nearly got married, and best friends are kissing each other, and soul mates are breaking up. And it’s all at once.” Dana stared intently at the juice that sat innocently in front of her. “And that doesn’t taste like orange juice, which is what I ordered.” She blew out another breath, “It’s just been like, Wham! Bam! Goddamn!”

Shane laughed, though her mouth was full of food so it looked more like a gagging motion. She swallowed quickly, before laughing again and shaking her head at Dana. “Wham, bam, goddamn.” She chuckled. “Very true Dane.”

Dana just rolled her eyes and huffed.

Shane sat back, patting her stomach. “Okay so what do you want? Your cat back? Everything to go back to some kind of normal you think existed, where Alice hasn’t kissed you and Bette and Tina are on a downward spiral, Tina miserable over losing the baby. Me ***** some rich *****’s wife, not to mention Alice ***** that guy what’s his name.” Shane clicked her fingers, and then gave up trying to remember the guy’s name.

“Andrew.” Dana mumbled, frowning and feeling somewhat chastised.

Shane licked her lips. “Yeah, that guy. Anyway, where was I? Right. And everyone hiding how they really feel about everything and…”

“Okay, okay… I… alright so maybe you have a point.” Dana pouted. “I do want my cat back though.” She said quietly.

“Look Dane, it’s not worth wishing things hadn’t happened, or you could go back because you can’t.” Shane leaned forward, reaching under the table and this time patting Dana’s leg comfortingly. “It all happens for a reason, Dane. What’s meant to happen always does, because there isn’t any other way for things to go.”

Dana stopped frowning, and looked blankly at Shane. She squinted her eyes. “How did you get to be so…?”

Shane just sighed somewhat satisfactorily, and reached for Dana’s juice. “Experience Dane.” She took a sip, and then blanched. “You’re right, this isn’t orange juice.”

Alice steadily banged her head against the bathroom wall. Tina folded her arms over her chest and watched her.

“Stop that…” Tina said quietly. Alice, in response, banged her head harder. Sighing and rolling her eyes, Tina reached out and grabbed Alice’s arm, pulling her away from the wall. “I said, stop that.”

Alice reached up a hand and rubbed her forehead, before looking pitifully at Tina. “I think I have brain damage.”

“You weren’t hitting your head that hard were you?” Tina reached out, concerned, brushing Alice’s hand away and examining her forehead.

Alice frowned. “Not from that, in general.” She pulled away from Tina’s examination and walked to the sink. She turned the tap on, and cupping her hands underneath the flowing water, drenched her face in it.

Tina sighed and grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser. “Here.” She handed them to Alice, who took them and dried her face, turning off the tap.

Alice turned around, leaning against the sink and gazing at Tina. “So you heard the whole thing right?”

Tina bit her lip, and then nodded. “Are you okay?”

Alice gave Tina a look, a look she’d once given her four year old nephew when he’d asked her what a ***** was.

Tina scrunched up her face. “Standard question.”

Alice blew out a breath. “Look, I’m going home okay? I’m just, not up for this right now.”

Tina reached toward her. “Don’t leave, Al. Come on, it’s going to be okay, you know. I mean what you did was, I guess noble but look at you. It’s killing you. You have to tell her the truth.”

Alice shook her head in disbelief. “Okay so the question of the day seems to be ‘Are you insane?’.”

“No, I’m not, okay. I know what’s going through your head and I have to tell you, running away from things doesn’t solve them or make them any easier. Neither is denying them.”

Alice stood. “Oh says you Tina.”

Tina took a step back. “We’re not talking about me Alice.” Tina’s voice was low, wounded. However, Alice appeared to either not notice, or care.

“Well I think we should, because you know what Tee, you’re not one to counsel or lecture me miss I’m-going-to-hide-in-my-best-friends-apartment-and-pretend-my-lover-doesn’t-exist okay? Because I’ll grant you that I’m running right now, but you’re winning the ***** race okay?” Alice took a deep breath. Tina looked as if she’d been slapped. Alice closed her eyes. “Look, I’m leaving, right now and nothing is going to stop me. There are carpets to be cleaned, and I just need some ***** peace and quiet because I’ve had enough of, just everything.” Alice opened her eyes, looking at Tina who had tears in hers. “I’ll, I’ll see you later.” Alice pushed past Tina and left the bathroom.

“Um excuse me, hi. Yeah, I ordered orange juice and this, what you gave me, really isn’t that.” Dana held out the drink to the man behind the bar, who checked her out before taking the drink off her. He smiled at her, before taking a straw and sticking it in her drink and taking a sip. He shrugged.

“Tastes like it to me.”

Dana opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it as she saw Alice exit the bathroom determinedly. She watched her cross to where Shane was sitting, retrieve her keys and purse and shake her head before abruptly leaving.

“You still want it?” The guy held the drink out to her. Dana distractedly looked back at him, then at the drink, and scrunched her nose up in distaste.

“Not after you drank from it, no.” She looked back to Shane, who was watching Alice leave, frowning. Dana made a split decision, and hurried after Alice. “Alice? Alice wait!”

Alice was striding to her car. “Dana just, just leave me alone.” Alice reached her car and unlocked the door.

“Alice stop! Where are you going, what’s wrong?” Dana sped up, running to the car before Alice could get in. Dana grabbed the door and held it open.

“Just let me go Dana.” Alice got into her car, and looked ahead of her.

Dana stood, confused and panicking though she wasn’t sure why. “What? No, Alice talk to me.”

Alice sighed, and looked up at Dana. “I let you go when you needed to, okay? I just need to be alone.” She reached for the door and tried to swing it closed, but Dana held on and yanked it back open.

“Al, Al, don’t run away from me.” Dana’s dream came flooding back to her in that moment, causing her grip on the door to weaken and Alice took that opportunity to successfully yank the door shut. The mini’s engine started up, and without a second glance to Dana, Alice drove away.

Dana watched the car disappear, calling out “Alice!” again before throwing her hands up in frustration. “*****!” She yelled out. She closed her eyes, and put her hands on her hips as the image of Alice with a guitar, singing to her but out of reach, floated through her mind.

‘Al, Al don’t run away from me…’
______________________________

“So are you, and Candace? Are you still, with her?” Jenny took a bite of her sandwhich, and looked questioningly at Bette, who had yet to eat any of her own sandwhich.

“No… I don’t know…” Bette sighed. She should’ve stayed home where she could mope and lie around in her own filth. Well not filth, misery.

Jenny chewed thoughtfully. “Have you slept with her since…?”

Bette grimaced. “Yes.”

Jenny nodded. “Okay, when was that?”

Bette groaned. “I don’t know if this talking thing is such a good idea after all…”

Jenny smiled, and poked Bette in the arm closest to her. “It is. Really. Trust me, as an outside observer. Well not completely outside, but I’m probably the most objective person you could talk to right now.”

Bette took a deep breath, and looked at Jenny as she took another bite of her sandwhich. “Alright then, I slept with Candace again yes, that night actually. Tina left, and I didn’t much feel like being alone and Candace seemed to be the only person I could possibly go to who wouldn’t judge me. One thing, as seems to happen with Candace, led to another and I’m an awful awful person, okay?” Bette raised her eyebrows as Jenny chuckled.

“Come on, remember who you’re talking to here. “Jenny winked, chewing her food.

Bette smiled a little, before it suddenly grew larger and she chuckled. “Okay, okay. We both suck.” Bette rolled her eyes at herself. “Now I sound like Alice.”

“Okay okay, so are you like, with her now? With Candace?”

“Well, I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like I’ve spoken to her about it. That’s not, the way it is with her and I. It’s…” Bette frowned, searching for the right word. “… carnal, purely carnal.” Bette put her arms on the table and dropped her head onto them. “I ruined the love of my life with carnality.”

Jenny swallowed the final bit of her sandwhich. “Yeah, ain’t it a *****.”

Bette lifted her head up. “Tina told me she couldn’t love me anymore. After, after I sang to her.”

Jenny took a sip of her juice. “That generally means she still does.” Jenny frowned at her drink. “This doesn’t taste like orange juice…”

Bette sighed. “She won’t even talk to me… I wouldn’t talk to me either… God. It’s just everything you know? I’m even contemplating calling in sick to work tomorrow, and I have never called in sick, to anything. I especially…” Bette pointed a finger at Jenny. “… have never contemplated lying about it either.”

Jenny raised her drink in a toast. “Here’s to new beginnings.” She brought the drink to her lips, and then changed her mind about drinking it. It sure as ***** wasn’t orange juice.

Bette nodded her head at the drink. “You should complain.”

Jenny shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Okay, well if you’ll excuse me for a minute I’m going to the bathroom.” Bette stood and straightened her jacket.

“Alright well let me pay for this okay, my treat.” Jenny grinned and Bette went to protest, but Jenny told her hand up. “No no, it’s payback for the coffee. Really, let me.”

Bette opened her mouth, then closed it at Jenny’s imploring look. “I’ll meet you outside then?” Jenny nodded, and Bette grabbed her bag and made her way to the bathroom.

______________________________

Dana threw herself into the seat next to Shane.

“I was wondering if you’d be back.” Shane sighed and looked around her. “Holy *****.”

Dana was frowning deeply and staring into space, angry. “She just left, she’s never done that without telling me what’s up and… I mean ***** what is wrong with her? You’d think she’d be happy I broke up with Tonya and changed my life for her, like she wanted.” Dana kicked the table leg. “Plus we all arrived together, so we’re going to have to catch a bus or a cab back to her place and our cars and you know, I hate public transport.”

Shane was staring at someone in shock. She reached over to Dana, never taking her eyes off of a certain someone, and grabbed Dana’s arm, shaking it.

Dana looked at Shane, and yanked her arm out of Shane’s grasp. “What the ***** are you…” She followed Shane’s line of sight. “What the ***** is Bette doing here?”

Shane bit her lip, looking between Bette and Bette’s destination. “I don’t know, but she’s going to the bathroom and this… is not a good thing.”

“It isn’t?” Dana looked between Shane and Bette.

Shane sighed and looked at Dana. “Tina’s in the bathroom Dana.”

Dana gasped. “Oh!”

“Oh my God, Dana! Shane!”

Dana and Shane looked up at Jenny who was standing at their table, grinning.

Shane sighed again. “Of all the restaurants in all of L.A…” She mumbled.

______________________________

Tina sat in a cubicle, with the door shut but the toilet lid down, and cried. Yes, she was crying again. Goddamn it. Alice’s words hadn’t been that nasty but for some reason they still affected her deeply. She felt so hopeless, and so pathetic. And dammit, she’d only been trying to help Alice anyway.

And Alice had thrown it back in her face.

And now she probably looked terrible. She grabbed some toilet paper and blew her nose.

She heard the bathroom door open, and someone walk into the cubicle next to her. Great, just great. She tried to as quiet as she could, not wanting to alert some strange woman to the fact that there was someone crying in the cubicle next to them. A stranger’s concern was not what she needed right now.

She grabbed some more toilet paper and dabbed at her eyes. She heard a flush from the cubicle next to her, and waited as she heard the other woman walked to the sink, and use it. She heard rummaging, as if someone was going through a bag, and then a sigh. Tina frowned, that sounded like… She heard the woman walk toward the door, and then leave before she could finish her thought. It couldn’t have been…

She stood, opened the cubicle door and after peeking outside of it, walked to the sink. She threw the toilet paper into the bin near the door, and then turned on the tap in one of the sinks and washed her face. She let the water dribble from her forehead, over her cheekbones and down to her chin as she leaned against the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

Something caught her eye and she looked down, seeing a handbag resting on the bench beside the sink. *****.

At that moment the bathroom door swung open again, and Bette walked back in foolishly realizing she’d left her bag in the bathroom. Where was her head? She’d never been that careless… *****.

They stared at one another, neither moving and neither knowing what to say.