As Dana and Tina make their way through the thick of women, I feel as if my heart has accelerated in its beating yet has come to a sudden hault at the same time. I can’t face Tina this drunk, I’m not even ready to face her sober. I try to think of ways out of this, but time is running out as they walk closer to our table and my thinking process isn’t exactly as easy as usual. So I do the only thing I can possibly think of…run! Well I try to anyway, because it seems before I can even lift my ***** completely off the seat, Alice grabs my arm.

“I don’t think so.” She says sternly, “There’s no ***** way I’m facing the wrath from BOTH of them.”

“I can’t do this. I can’t do this I can’t do this. I can’t do…” I’ve never felt such panic before. Not even the time I decided to tell my conservative father that his precious little princess was a rug muncher.

“Jesus, Bette, CALM DOWN!” Alice interrupts me.

Dana and Tina are halfway across the room and as I am watching them walk towards us, someone whispers “Psst.” in my ear. I turn to look and see the gorgeous blonde waitress standing behind me with an enchanting smile on her face. She hands me a piece of paper and walks away, looking over her shoulder and she stops to blow me a kiss. She makes a phone with her hand, puts it up to her ear and mouths “Call me.” *****, I hope Tina didn’t see that. I quickly stuff the paper into my jeans’ pocket.

“Well, it doesn’t take you long to move on now does it? But then, you moved on before our realtionship was even over.” Tina’s anger soaked voice fills my ears as I am still turned in the direction of the waitress.

I turn my head towards Tina. “Tee, it’s not what it looks like! She’s our waitress and…” I begin to defend myself, but Tina puts her hands up in an “I don’t wanna ***** hear it” gesture. She looks at Alice who has since shrunk down in her chair like a young child being scolded by her parents for painting the walls with marshmallow Fluff. If she were a puppy she’d be whimpering and her ears and eyes would be drooping.

“I come to you because she’s betrayed me and she becomes your drinking buddy?!” Tina refers to me with venom in her voice as “she,” as if I were a disgusting insect, one she intends to exterminate quite soon. And brutally.

“Hey, ya know, Alice is my friend as well Tina!” I defiantly remark as I stand up from my chair. “You can’t expect her to stop seeing me just because you don’t want to anymore, this isn’t high school!” The damn alcohol has made me become belligerent, and talking to Tina in this state probably isn’t the quickest way to win back her affections.

Tina is not intimidated, and shouts so that everyone in the bar can hear: “DON’T ***** TALK TO ME BETTE! I CAN’T EVEN STAND THE SIGHT OF YOU!”

“THEN WHY THE ***** DID YOU COME HERE?” At this point, everyone is staring, and the bouncer has begun his way over to us.

“I didn’t know you would be here, if I had then I WOULD DEFINTELY NOT HAVE COME.”

“THEN JUST LEAVE! I DON’T WANT YOU HERE ANYWAY.” As soon as those words escape my lips I immediately regret them, for they have caused a look on Tina’s face, that I vowed the night she found out about Candace, to never cause again. I don’t mean them, but I am so consumed with hurt and anger right now that it doesn’t occur to me to try and take the words back. My chest is heaving from the aftermath of the adrenaline rush this has caused my body to endure, and before I can say anything further, I feel a large, strong hand on my arm.

“Excuse me Miss, but I’m going to have to ask you and you’re friends to leave. We don’t want any trouble here.” The bouncer has a firm grip on me, yet it is not painful.

I nod as he loosens his grip and we all make our way through the crowd and outside as the bouncer escorts us. Outside there is still a line of women hoping to get into the club. I look at them and try to remember how Alice got us in. Not important right now Bette, concentrate!

We all stand on the sidewalk, and I cannot look Tina in the eye, so I look down at my feet. Awkward doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling right now.

“I asked Shane where you were.” Dana says to Alice, “I wanted to talk to you about last night…but I see you aren’t in a state to have an in depth conversation.” Dana looks at both Tina and I and asks “And why are you two yelling at each other?” Poor Dana, once again she is the last to know. Although this isn’t knowledge that even I want to possess.

“Because Bette doesn’t know how to keep it in her pants Dane.” Tina hisses, crossing her arms.

Dana begins to say something, but Alice nudges her and shakes her head. I finally look Tina in the eye, and we stare at each other for so long in a way that has obviously made both Alice and Dana uncomfortable. “Come on, let me take everyone home.” Dana offers.

“No, Dana. I can’t be in the same car as her. How about you take Bette home and Alice and I will take a cab back to her apartment.” Tina takes Alice’s arm and they walk towards the curb. She looks back at me and says: “I’ll be by soon to pick up my things.” Alice looks at me apolligetically, and they both duck into the cab that has pulled up to the curb.

I watch as their cab disappears into the traffic, and exhale loudly. “I’m sorry Dana. I don’t want to put Alice or you in the middle of this.”

“Come on Bette, I’ll drive you home.”

The ride home with Dana was silent, neither one of us really had anything to say to each other. When she pulls into my driveway she waits there until I walk into the house and turn the lights on. I throw my things onto the couch in the living room and sit down and put my head in my hands. I listen to the eerie silence; the silence I am now sure I am condemned to be welcomed home by forever.

I remember the piece of paper I shoved in my pocket, and even though it is late I decide to call the waitress. I figure she’s probably still working so I can just leave her a message. I pull out the paper, unfold it and read the name and number.

Christine
555-3122

I walk over to the phone and begin dialing the number. Like I suspected, I get her voice mail. In the most sober tone I can manage I leave a message. “Hi Christine? This is Bette, I never actually introduced myself but you gave me your number at the bar tonight…”