Chapter 23

Bette opened the door, already feeling remorseful for her outburst at Tina earlier that morning. She placed her keys on the small table near the front door and walked to the kitchen hesitantly. Tina was busy putting the final touches on dinner and looked up when she heard Bette clear her throat.

“Why are we always in this spot?” Bette tried to break the ice between them.

“Where would that be?”

“Me,” Bette continued to walk closer to Tina. “Apologizing for my behavior.”

Tina continued to work on dicing tomatoes for the salad as Bette continued to talk in an effort to relieve the tension between them.

“I talked to Megan.”

“I figured,” Tina walked the salad to the table and set it down. “If I remember correctly that was the purpose of storming off in the wee hours of the morning.”

Bette cringed knowing Tina wasn’t happy based on her response and tone of voice.

“I’m sorry,” Bette simply said. “All I can say is I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

Tina sat down after calling for Angelica to begin dinner. She stabbed a piece of lettuce with her fork and placed it in her mouth. She chewed slowly, intent on not looking at Bette, but disappointing herself when her eyes fell on Bette’s remorseful ones.

“I know you tried to get Megan to reconsider her choice.”

“I hope you were more successful,” Tina said sincerely.

“No,” Bette sighed as she sat down. “She has her mind made up that she doesn’t want to accept treatment and prolong the inevitable.”

“Angelica!” Tina called out once more causing Angelica to barrel down the hallway per the norm. “Why can’t you come when I call you the first time?”

“Chicken again?” Angelica sat down and sighed as Bette shot her a warning look. “What? We seem to always have chicken.”

“It’s better for you than beef,” Tina mumbled as she began to eat her grilled chicken.

“It’s good,” Angelica said as if conceding the argument.

“Thank you,” Tina smiled. “You were saying?”

“Oh,” Bette shook her head. “We can finish our discussion later tonight if that’s ok?”

“Sure,” Tina went back to staring at the plate in front of her.

Angelica looked between Bette and Tina sensing the tension between her two mothers. She ate fast, thankful she’d be able to leave the table soon, anxious about her night with Darren. Angelica was packed, now only needing to execute the most important part of her plan and actually sneak out of the house to Cathy’s to get ready for the dance.

“So how was your day of sculpting?” Tina broke the silence in an attempt at keeping a sense of peace and normalcy for Angelica.

“The show is coming along quickly, but with as much detail and passion as it needs to given the inspiration.”

“What is the inspiration?” Angelica asked trying to be included in the conversation.

“Love,” Bette said seriously. “The unconditional love of a parent for a child.”

“I thought it was choices?” Angelica said dismissing the seriousness of Bette’s voice. “I heard Aunt Alice mumbling about choices once and that show.”

“It is about the choices one makes out of love,” Bette agreed.

“Didn’t you just say that it was about love and kids?”

“You’re exasperating,” Bette said putting her fork down. “I did say that yes, but art has various meanings, which is one of the many beautiful things about it.”

“It’s confusing and I like one meaning to things so I don’t get lost,” Angelica smiled when Tina snickered at her answer.

“Thought that was funny didn’t you?” Bette asked Tina while trying to hide her own smile.

“She’s witty, give her that at least.”

Tina picked up her plate, rinsed it in the sink, and loaded it into the dishwasher. She walked back to the table and cleared Angelica’s plate since she had finished her last bite and repeated the same actions she did with her own.

“Very good dinner Tina,” Bette stood up and cleared her own plate and stood in the kitchen before Tina hoping to ease the tension that seemed to, once again, reared it’s ugly head.

“Thanks.”

Angelica also sensed the tension and asked to be excused to go to her room. She had anticipated the strange looks both her mothers shot her way and was able to quickly provide a suitable explanation.

“It’s not like you’ll let me watch TV or hang with my friends,” Angelica said with a hint of anger in her voice. “What else is there to do but homework and sleep?”

“Do you think you have a punishment that doesn’t fit the crime?” Bette challenged. “I still think you got off pretty damn easy other than us not trusting you.”

“I know,” Angelica said sadly. “I know I need to earn that back.”

“Goodnight Angie,” Tina kissed Angelica on her head before she headed down the hallway to her room. “If you want help on your project or a snack or something later we’ll be here.”

Angelica was thankful for Tina’s dismissal as she finished cleaning the remaining dishes from her dinner preparation. Once she started the dishwasher, Tina forced a small smile in Bette’s direction and grabbed a rather large script heading for their bedroom. Tina had a ritual about reading scripts, trying to offer the author the best possible conditions for her to review their work. She would sit somewhere comfortable, covered with a soft blanket, and focus solely on the pages in front of her. Tonight was no different as Tina went into their bedroom, stripped her clothes off, changing into her pajamas, before getting into bed. She arranged her pillows so they comfortably cushioned her back against the headboard and flipped to the first page.

Bette, not certain what her reaction should be, followed her instinct and began the long journey down the hallway and into the bedroom. She folded her arms and leaned against the door jam watching Tina intently read the work in front of her.

“What can I do to make it up to you?” Bette asked.

“What is there to make up for?”

“Saying you were selfish because of Megan’s request for starters,” Bette said sitting down on the edge of their bed. “Storming out of the house in the middle of our discussion for another. Need I go on?”

“Please do,” Tina said as her eyes pretended to skim over the pages in front of her, when in fact, she was listening intently to Bette’s voice.

“I was wrong,” Bette simply said as she felt her emotions well up inside. “And I feel like my heart is breaking.”

The words, as well as Bette’s tone, completely took Tina by surprise. She placed the script to the side and met Bette’s teary eyes.

“Why?” Tina reached out and Bette laid her head down on her lap.

“It was like going through Daddy all over again,” Bette began to cry. “She won’t fight.”

“She can’t prolong what she knows will come eventually.”

“Even if it comes, she is giving up on the time in between,” Bette cried harder as Tina wrapped one arm around Bette and played with her hair with the other hand. “She doesn’t want Sarah to remember her dying. She wants her to be loved by two people that seem to be like her and Janet.”

“I know,” Tina stroked Bette’s hair. “It hurts more because we’re thinking like moms do and it’s a scary thought to think of someone else raising Angelica other than us.”

“I love you,” Bette said still crying.

“I love you too Babe.”

“I guess we should seriously talk about her request shouldn’t we?”

“Not now,” Tina held her close smiling as Bette’s eyes met her own. “Right now we need to absorb it all and you need to work as hard as you can to launch the show on time.”

“I get so tired,” Bette closed her eyes as she wiped her tears away from her cheeks. “I’m tired of losing people that won’t fight, but I feel so torn. I wouldn’t want that innocent little girl to remember Megan like I do Daddy. I have a lot of good memories, but the ones that always seem to rise to the surface are of him in this house waiting to die.”

“I know Babe,” Tina held her close as she leaned forward and kissed Bette’s head. “We’re lucky Angelica will have a lot of memories of us. It’s heart breaking that Sarah isn’t afforded the same with her parents.”

“Do you think Sarah will ever remember Megan?”

“I’m not sure, but I think she’ll remember her more based on pictures rather than the time she’s spent with her. I think Megan’s hope is she’ll be remembered through our eyes and we’ll tell Sarah about what an amazing and brave person she was.”

“I’m not sure that we know Megan well enough to do that,” Bette pointed out. “I feel rushed to know everything about her so we would be equipped to fill in the gaps and answer Sarah’s question.”

“Certainly saying one of us knew her mother in the biblical sense isn’t a good conversation starter,” Tina smiled when she heard Bette chuckle, being successful at lightening the mood.

“What’s she like?” Bette’s curiosity got the best of her.

“You tell me!” Tina laughed.

“I meant Sarah,” Bette sighed. “I can’t believe you’ve held her.”

“She’s beautiful. She looks like the picture of Janet I saw.”

“I don’t even remember seeing one,” Bette said. “The last few days have been a blur to be honest.”

“Angelica showing up drunk will do that to you,” Tina said sadly. “I’m not sure we’ve recovered from that to be honest.”

“Oh I know we haven’t.”

“I worry so much about her, if we’re doing the right things to raise her, since she seems to be straying off the path we’ve tried to show her.”

“We’re doing a good job,” Bette reassured Tina. “Kids her age experiment and we’ve done a good job, I think, of showing her what we’ll tolerate and what we won’t.”

“You may be right, we may not have the stamina to go through this twice,” Tina said sadly. “You never stop being a parent.”

“I’m aware of that,” Bette smiled thinking back to the conversation with Megan in which she uttered those exact words. “But I can’t even remember what life was like without Angelica in it and that says a lot.”

“Other than you’re getting older and the first thing to go is the memory?” Tina snickered.

Bette sat straight up and swatted at Tina using one of the pillows from her side of the bed. She heard the ‘umph’ when the pillow hit Tina and then the unmistakable laugh of someone that elicited the reaction she wanted through teasing.

“You’re so easy to bait,” Tina laughed throwing the pillow back at Bette.

“I wouldn’t change the life I have now,” Bette said seriously staring into Tina’s loving eyes. “If we’re always going to be parents anyway, would it be that big of a stretch to add another child into the mix?”

“Can we handle one with the one we have?” Tina asked seriously.


Angelica wadded up a towel and placed it at the bottom of her door to block the breeze and streetlights from tipping off her parents that her window was open. She left it open so that she had a means to sneak back into the house. She carefully unlatched the window and stepped on her desk chair to boost herself up to climb through the window quickly. Angelica looked back once, the feeling of guilt creep into her mind, but she shook it off and jumped down to the ground.

“I’ll behave and accept my punishment after this one night,” Angelica whispered into the quiet dark of night.

She picked up the garment bag that she had hidden in the bushes outside her window earlier. She had managed to sneak Bette’s bag out of her closet, knowing she wasn’t traveling anytime soon, certain it would go unnoticed that it was absent.

Angelica walked down the block quickly, her heart pounding, as she turned on the side street that led to Cathy’s house. She ran as fast as she could with her luggage in her hand to get into Cathy’s house and meet her friends.


Cathy checked the time as she looked out the window, half listening to Renee pleading with her as she lay on the bed already dressed and ready for the dance.

“It’s so simple to just call the number,” Renee pleaded.

“She’ll kill us.”

“But we’ll feel better about ourselves in the end that we did the right thing.”

“Can’t we wait and see how it goes?” Cathy asked. “At some point Angelica needs to act her age and if we don’t give her the chance and call the number she’ll hate us.”

“But she’ll be safe,” Renee pointed out. “This is Angie we’re talking about. She’ll never come to the easy or right decision. She never does!”

“Apparently not,” Cathy sighed as Angelica came into view down the street. “Bring your phone in case we need that number.”

“You don’t have it?”

“I do,” Cathy smiled. “But my dress doesn’t have an inch left for me to hide my phone and I feel so girlie carrying one of those stupid little purses that only a tube of lipstick can fit in.”

Renee dropped her phone into the very type of purse Cathy described and laughed as she held it up, unable to get any other article in the purse with her phone. Angelica made her way into Cathy’s house as planned and up to her bedroom.

“OK, we have a half hour before we’re being picked up so help me get ready.”

Angelica pulled out her red dress and heels, smiling at the thought of her in that dress.

“Why bother to get ready?” Renee challenged. “I heard Darren talking and he plans on having you out of that dress as soon as he can.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“You’re playing with fire Angie!” Renee shouted back. “What do you think he wants by taking you back to a hotel?”

“It’s a party.”

“A private one since he’s going to surprise you with a room just for the two of you!”

“I doubt that,” Angelica said as she smiled in the mirror seeing herself in her dress. “This looks stunning.”

Cathy and Renee had to admit the dress on Angelica was perfect. It hugged every curve she was graced with at her young age, and accented how thin Angelica truly was.

“You look like Mama B,” Cathy said smiling. “It’s so strange you look so much like her when she didn’t carry you.”

Angelica quickly piled her head on top of her head, a style that many saw Bette wear for several fancy occasions. The bell rang and Angelica felt her stomach flip with anticipation.

“This is it.”

“Don’t go to the hotel,” Cathy pleaded. “I’m afraid for you.”

“I can handle a party,” Angelica smiled grabbing her clutch purse and placing a tube of expensive lipstick in it. “I won’t even drink. I’ve learned my lesson on that one.”

The gym was converted from the mundane room to a magical wonderland. The DJ was playing the most recent musical hits as kids danced expertly to them. Darren and Angelica walked in holding hands, smiling at the transformation of their gym.

“This looks amazing,” Angelica smiled squeezing Darren’s hand tight. “We should get in line to get our picture taken.”

“Anything you want Baby,” Darren said escorting her to the line for the pictures. “How long do you want to stay here before we hit the party?”

“Oh,” Angelica was taken back that he already seemed to be pushing to leave. “At least a little bit because I still want to convince Cath and Renee to come to the party too.”

“Tracy will be there,” Darren pointed out.

“I know,” Angelica forced a smile as the picture of Bette choking Tracy entered her mind. “I still want Cath and Renee to go too.”

Angelica smiled as Darren wrapped his arms around her and faced the photographer for the picture. They took one with Angelica’s back to Darren and his arms around her, then another with Angelica leaning into him and resting her hand on his chest.

“You look so hot tonight,” Darren whispered in Angelica’s ear making her smile.

“Thanks,” Angelica said feeling herself beginning to blush. “You do too.”

The slow dances were very intimate, as she and Darren held one another and swayed to the beat. The fast dances were more Angelica’s style, she enjoyed showing off her talent on the dance floor. She was one of the better dancers by far, silently thanking Tina for forcing her into the numerous dance classes she had taken when she was young.

“She’s a good dancer,” Darren said to his friends. “I love to just watch her.”

“Good dancers are supposed to be hot in bed.”

“I’ll let ya know,” Darren chuckled as he walked out to the floor and announced it was time to head to the party.

Angelica felt her stomach flip suddenly. Ignoring it, she went and pleaded with Cathy and Renee to once again attend the party with her.

“We know better,” Renee said affirming her decision not to attend.

Once the friends had said their goodbyes, Cathy and Renee stood there with their dates trying to pretend they weren’t worried about their friend.

“I hate her,” Renee said suddenly. “I hate her for making me worry.”

“She’s in over her head,” Cathy agreed. “She has a chance to get out of it though.”

“It’s still early. We should call the number now.”

Renee handed her phone to Cathy as she flipped it open. She scrolled through the address book to the “M’s” and there, the first entry listed, was “Mama B’s cell”.

“I really would hate to call her cell phone,” Cathy felt sick to her stomach. “I know she gave it to us, but who is to say she even has it on.”

“Angie said once she sleeps with it near the bed and it’s always on,” Renee pushed. “I just have a bad feeling.”

“Then let’s go there,” Renee’s date offered. “I’ll drive you. We can go check on her and if it seems like she’s in trouble you can call her mom then.”

“You’d do that for us?”

“I’m in the band,” Justin chuckled. “I hate football players that think they’re hot shit. I’d love for Angie’s mom to bitch slap him into next week.”

The four friends agreed to go and piled into Justin’s car. Renee leaned over and kissed his cheek making Justin blush.

“You’re the best,” Renee said. “I’m glad you took a chance and asked me to the dance.”

“I’m glad you ignored the pea brained jocks and took a chance on me.”

They quickly pulled up to the hotel and saw Darren’s car parked outside. It didn’t take much detective work to determine which room the party was in as Tracey yelled from the balcony at other people attending. She popped open a shook up bottle of champagne spraying various people and laughing as she sipped from the bottle.

“Classy,” Cathy said rolling her eyes. “Let’s just see where Angie is and get out of here.”

The group walked up the stairs to the room and knocked. As suspected, no one was able to hear the knock so they entered and quickly scanned the room. When nobody saw Angelica, they began to ask around. It seemed only 5 minutes before, she was seen hesitantly leaving with Darren walking down the hall.

“Which direction?” Justin asked.

The group of upper classmen pointed to the left and went about drinking as the four-person rescue group went into the hallway and began to discuss next actions.

“You don’t think she’d sleep with him because she felt pressured do you?”

“That’s exactly what we’re afraid of,” Cathy spoke for her and Renee. “Should we make that call?”

“I say the first thing you should do,” Justin smiled. “Is call the cops on this party to break it up. Then we can hear when we walk down the hallway to find which room Angie is in.”

Cathy happily dialed the operator and asked to be connected to the police station. She registered a complaint offering details that prompted the police to say they would have a few squad cars arrive there shortly to ensure the situation was handled properly. Cathy shut the phone, feeling proud of herself.

“With that done,” Cathy said. “We just need to get to where Angie is and get her out of here before the cops come and assume we’re involved in this mess.”

“How can we find her without knocking on the doors?”

“We can’t, so start knocking.”

The group went door-to-door knocking asking for Angelica, but becoming frustrated when they were unable to find her. Finally, Renee stopped in the middle of the hall and yelled for Angelica.

Angelica, trying to get some space between her and Darren heard Renee’s voice. She placed her hand on Darren’s chest and pushed a bit harder to have him back up.

“Was that Renee?”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Darren walked forward once more trying to finish his attack on Angie’s neck. He tried to suck on it to leave a mark, but Angelica pushed him away once more.

“Come on Baby,” Darren urged. “I’ll be gentle and you know I love you.”

“I know,” Angelica said hesitantly. “Just…give me a second to go to the bathroom.”

Angelica grabbed her purse but Darren grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed before she could leave the room. He ran his finger down her cheek and then over her bottom lip as she offered a forced smile.

“I really do need to use the restroom,” Angelica said as she felt more nervous than she had ever in her life. “I’ll only be a minute.”

“When you come back, I’ll be ready.”

Darren opened his wallet and took out a condom, placing it on the nightstand. He dimmed the lights in the room and watched as Angelica walked into the bathroom and shut the door. As soon as she did that, Angelica heard the faint knock at the door.

“Angie are you in here?” Cathy called out bringing a smile to Angelica’s face.

Before she could leave the bathroom, she heard Darren open the door and greet her friends with anger.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“We’re looking for Angie,” Cathy snapped back. “Can we talk to her for a second?”

“She’s in the bathroom,” Darren slammed the door before Angelica could get out of the bathroom and leave with her friends.

She felt the panic rise in her throat to the point of feeling sick. Her chance at escaping the situation she was no longer ready for had passed and her remaining choices were obvious. She either had to have sex with Darren or risk being an outcast by leaving the hotel and turning him down. She was certain the latter would bring on an argument given his plans for the night would be ruined.

Angelica opened her purse and took her cell phone out of the small clutch. She flipped it open and bit her bottom lip wondering if she was doing the right thing by placing the important phone call.

“Make the call,” Renee said to Cathy as they stood down the hallway from Darren’s hotel room. “This is too much for even us and I think the only person that can handle it right now is Mama B.”

“We could call one of her Aunts?” Cathy offered.

“I don’t have those numbers and you don’t have your phone. Last time we used Angie’s to call her Aunt Dana and frankly I don’t think she warrants someone saving her butt again! This is serious; I don’t think she wants to be there!”

“I’d call,” Justin offered hesitantly. “If she’s mad at you for being a good friend then maybe you shouldn’t be friends with her to start with.”

Cathy flipped the phone open as her hands began to perspire.

“I hate to do this,” Cathy said as she scrolled through the address book looking for the emergency number.

Bette was startled as her phone began to vibrate in the back pocket of her Levis. She was kissing Tina and groaned the moment she felt the intrusive vibration.

“Are you serious?” Tina asked as Bette reached in her pocket and grabbed the phone. “Someone has some serious timing issues!”

Bette looked at the caller id and frowned suddenly feeling a sense of panic in her stomach as she flipped open the phone. Tina noticed and sat straight up seeing Bette’s skin pale due to fear.

“Angie?” Bette asked as she put her hand on the bed to steady herself.

“Mama B,” Angie felt herself perilously close to crying. “I’m afraid. I need help.”

“Where are you?”

Bette got up and went directly to Angelica’s room where the door was stuck due to the towel being wedged underneath it.

“I’m in trouble,” Angelica felt tears fall down her cheeks. “I’m not at home.”

Bette used her shoulder and pushed the door open seeing that clearly Angelica had snuck out using the window. She quickly closed it as the room was extremely cool and felt even more panic rising in her throat.

“Where are you Baby?”

Tina was standing next to Bette with a look of worry on her own face. Her heart was beating faster than she had ever remembered as she tried to follow the conversation from hearing only Bette’s side of it.

“I’m at a party that some friends put together after the dance.”

“You went to the dance?”

“Mama B,” Angelica pleaded. “I’m at a hotel and Darren rented another room.”

Angelica broke down and quietly sobbed out of fear. She worked to remain as quiet as she could while Darren called out and asked if she was ok in the bathroom.

“I’m fine,” Angelica called out. “I’m afraid Mama B. I know I did the wrong thing, but I’m in over my head. He is trying to make me have sex with him.”

“Did he touch you?” Bette asked in anger as she ran to get her shoes on.

Tina hadn’t bothered to even change, she followed Bette’s lead and put a pair of flip flops on with her pajama bottom and her tank top grabbing her keys and purse chasing Bette out the door.

“Not yet,” Angelica whispered. “I need help.”

“Where are you?”

“The bathroom.”

“OK,” Bette tried to calm down hearing fear in Angelica’s voice. “Lock the door to the bathroom if you haven’t already.”

Angelica had locked the door, but she went to it once more and made sure it was indeed locked.

“Where is the hotel?”

“It’s the one right by the school,” Angelica sniffled.

“Stay where you are,” Bette warned as she heard the beep of her other line ringing. “Hang up with me and if he so much as even thinks of getting into the bathroom I want you to dial 911 right away. What room are you in?”

“It’s 211,” Angelica nodded feeling slightly better knowing her mother was coming to get her.

“Stay put and keep it locked,” Bette warned. “We’re on our way.”

Bette looked at her phone and saw an unknown number ringing through. She quickly swapped lines and answered abruptly.

“Um,” Cathy was scared on the other line. “Um this is Cathy.”

“Hi Cathy,” Bette said as she pointed for Tina to turn down a side street to make it to the hotel faster. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Angelica.”

“I’m already on my way,” Bette informed her. “She just called. Where are you?”

“Down the hall after we just tried to get Darren to let us in the room,” Cathy informed her.

She smiled to let her group know that her calling was well received, but quickly she focused on the conversation at hand with Bette.

“What are you doing at the hotel?”

“Trying to help Angie,” Cathy said. “I called the cops on the party.”

“Good girl,” Bette smiled. “But now you have to get out of there Cathy if they are on the way. They won’t listen to reason when they start rounding up drunk teenagers. Who hosted the party?”

“Tracy I think,” Cathy said sending Bette’s blood to its boiling point.

“That irresponsible little bitch!” Bette felt Tina’s hand on her arm to calm her down.

“Babe,” Tina scolded. “Just get us there.”

“Cathy go to the diner across the street from the hotel and stay there,” Bette directed her. “Don’t leave that diner for any reason do you understand?”

“I do,” Cathy nodded. “We’ll leave right now.”

“We’re about 2 minutes away,” Bette pointed to have Tina turn down the street the hotel was on. “I’m going to call one of Angie’s aunts to come and get you from that diner.”

“We have a car here,” Cathy informed her.

“And with the cops now patrolling the area you’re a target without an adult. Stay there until one of them comes and gets you.”

Tina had already grabbed her phone and dialed Alice and Kristen’s apartment thankful that Kristen had answered. She filled her in on what she could, not having the full story, and had Kristen’s commitment to get Angelica’s friends out of the diner unharmed and safely back to Bette and Tina’s house.

Tina squealed her tires as she turned into the parking lot and slammed the car in park. Bette was already out of the car and running up the stairs when Tina hung up the phone and chased after her.

Bette ran down the hall until she found room 211 and knocked furiously.

“Who the hell is it now?!” Darren called out in anger. “This better fucking be good!”

He whipped the door open to see Bette standing there and Tina quickly approaching behind her. He saw the anger in Bette’s eyes as he tried to shut the door. Bette stuck her foot out stopping the door from closing and pushing it open with every bit of adrenaline she had in her body.

“It better well be fucking good right?” Bette shoved the door open and backed Darren into a corner as he nervously looked around at the scene he had set. “After all this trouble you’ve gone through to get my daughter here for a quick bang right?”