Alice was tossing and turning for the better part of an hour.  She was so exhausted by the time she got back to her apartment that she thought sleep would just automatically overtake her the minute her body hit the couch.  Looking at the white board on the wall, she wondered why she had never connected Helena‘s name to Tina’s.  Everyone else and their mother was on that goddamn thing.  Her eyes were following all of the interconnected lines as she slid her hand into her pocket, and retrieved “The Snakes” (Affectionately speaking of course) calling card. 

“What would be the harm in calling her?  She’s the one, after all, who pushed her way into my dance space.  ***** it,” she thought, “No harm no foul, right?  I mean, if she’s busy, she’ll just tell me to bugger off, or whatever the ***** they say over there in England.”

Alice began pacing as she dialed the phone.  “Hey, Helena.  Hello, may I speak to Helena?  Helena Peabody, pleaseBingo!  Serious yet casual, it’ll work.

Well, it was a different story when Helena finally did pick up the phone.  “Um, yeah, is, is this Helena?”  Alice rolled her eyes and sunk deep into the couch.  Oh the shame.  “Who is this speaking, please?”

Alice: “Hi, Helena, it’s Alice.”

Helena: “Alice, Alice who?”

Alice was beginning to find that comfort zone once again, the one she seemed to find so easily after realizing that Helena was really just a bag of wind, or, even better, a bag of wind that believed her own bullshit.  “Oh, I’m sorry; maybe I have the wrong number.”  “Ha!” she thought.  Take that; two can play at this game.”

Helena:  “Oh, Alice“

Alice: “Yes, that’s right, Alice“

Alice could hear Helena‘s smile through the phone, and leaning against the arm of her chair, Helena said, “Hey, where are you?”

Tina was closing the door behind her as Bette tip toed into the living room.  “Where have you been all day?  I was calling your cell phone.”

Tina inhaled deeply and raising her eyebrows, threw her keys into the bowl on the desk.  “I’ve been with Dana.  I, she wanted to drive around for a little while and clear her head.”

Bette:  “A little while?  Tina, its 8 O’clock at night.  You left to go over there this morning.  Is she okay?  Are you okay?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost.  Its Alice isn’t it?  I knew it, okay; before you get mad at me, I told Alice that Dana had called this morning.”

Tina put her hands up and said, “No, no that’s fine, look it doesn’t matter.”

Bette lowered herself slowly onto the couch and looking up at Tina, said, “Why, why doesn’t it matter?”  Tina ran her fingers through her hair before taking a seat next to Bette.  She leaned forward and resting her elbows on her knees, said, “It doesn’t matter, BettebecauseDana has cancer.”