“C’mon Bette, we’re gonna be late.”  Alice whined as she jog/ walked, well practically skipped ahead of her friend.

“Considering I had no definitive plans today, I don’t see how I’m  late for anything Alice!?”

“Meh, semantics.”  Alice threw back as she continued on, oblivious to her flabbergasted counterpart.

Thoroughly amused by her friend’s choice of word, Bette stopped and looking at Alice as she let out a sudden chortle she couldn’t possibly contain.  Not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her tone as she asked, “Don’t tell me you’re still  using that ‘Word-A-Day’ toilet paper?”

“As a matter of fact I am….I figure if I’m going to be accused of being loquacious, I can at least have a ginormous vocabulary…..plus it gives me something to read while I’m in there doing my thing, ya know?”

Cringing and shaking her head at the same time, the brunette exclaimed, “Ugh Alice, serious overshare!”

And then, replaying Alice’s statement in her head, Bette couldn’t help the giggles that quickly turned into guffaws.  The fact that Alice was able to utter that sentence with a serious expression on her face and clearly meant it had Bette in stitches.  After a minute or two of laughing so hard she actually did start to get a stitch in her side, she took in a deep breath and giving Alice a pointed look she said, “Seriously though Alice, I’m not taking another step until you tell me where we’re rushing (at this word Alice suddenly got a nervous look on her face) off to and what we’re  gonna be late for?”

Anxiously shifting from one foot to the other, Alice realized her suspicion of dragging Bette to their destination would in fact come true despite her best effort at passing this little stroll off as just a spur of the moment idea for the girls to get familiar with their new neighborhood.  Knowing the best tactic, would be to “play the airheaded blonde”, she plastered a big smile on her face as she walked over to her friend and grabbed her by the arm, propelling her forward.  As she did this she said to her longtime friend, “Geez Bette, where’s your sense of adventure, spontaneity….that joie de vivre?”

Looking sidelong at her friend and arching one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows; that sculpting which was meticulously programmed into her Blackberry for the third Friday of each month, Bette queried, “Spontaneity Alice, really?  Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?”

“Oh Christ Bette!….we’re only 19 for fuck’s sake….not everything has to be planned out!”  Throwing an exasperated glance at her friend, she also not so gently gave her a smack on the butt as she said, “Now c’mon and use those ridiculously long legs that you were mysteriously blessed with, we’re nearly there.” 

As Alice strode off ahead of her, Bette felt she had no choice but to follow and find out just what it is her wacky but kindhearted friend had in store for them.   Smiling at the thought of her friend and how she was always looking out for her, doing her best to ensure that she didn’t always take life and by extension herself so seriously, Bette started to relax and quickened her pace to catch up with Alice. 

Just as she was about to get into step with the gregarious blonde, a loud cheer roared out and she was brought out of her thoughts to become aware of their surroundings.  As she took in the street, the deafening music, the people everywhere….Bette felt her stomach drop and her limbs turned to lead.  Halted of all forward movement, her worst nightmare was confirmed by the sight of the jumbo banner strung from one side of the street to the other above her head.  And with the utmost gravity a 19 year old can possess, and then some, Bette couldn’t help but to say, “OH…FUCK…ME….”