Carving Paths
Part One


Her black boots propped up on the road, sitting on the curb, her long shaggy black hair and her shades covered her hazel eyes staring at her old apartment. Just thirty minutes ago her roommates kicked her out. Shane had received enough shocks in her life. She just found out Tina and Bette is over because of certain infidelity. Shane felt depressed, she idolized Tina and Bettes love and seeing some hope that someday she will find what they have. But now, who know?

Shane stood up and grabbed her garbage bag full of clothes. She figures she can stash her clothes somewhere near Bette and Tinas house, no actually Bettes house when Tina moved out and found a new place to live in. Feeling miserable, everything is changing too fast for her taste. She figured that she could rely on girls that she can sleep with for a place to sleep. Looking at her watch, seeing its almost time to meet with her friends for drinks at Milk then tomorrow morning they will visit Marina. Shane hitched the bag over her shoulder and started a long walk to Bettes place.

***********

” Welcome back, Bette.” James stood by her door leading to her office, giving her a worried glance.

Bette heave a sigh, smoothing out her suit as she opened the door, seeing Franklin at her desk when Bette shut the door behind her. She straightened up, ready to face the consequences and her contract with CAC is up. Franklin, rising from her chair, seeing the disappointment and frown lines formed around his face.

Her time at CAC is over, but sense of relief and freedom washed over her. Viewing the possibility of opening up her own gallery made Bette excited and finally getting enough experience to get her dream that she waited for. Bette braced what is coming to her.

” Ms. Porter, we would like you to stay on and continue,” Franklin said formally. Bette felt her jaw drop in shock as she stared at Franklin. Unbelievable, Bette thought, this is the easy way out she would have taken but now Bette is ready to move on.

” Im sorry, Franklin. I cant accept the offer but thank you,” Bette said. Franklin wasnt surprised but he knew in his gut that Bette Porter wouldnt accept it.

Franklin reached out and clasped her hand in handshake, smiled, ” I wish you best of the luck.” Franklin left her office. Bette sagged down in a nearby chair and she was really free to shape her path for her future. James appeared in her doorway, looking sad as he bought in the boxes. Bette took the boxes from him.

” James. I will see you again when I get my gallery up and running. I would like to ask you if you are willing to work as my assistant?” Bette looked at him, waiting for his answer. In return, James hugged her as giving her the answer. Smiling, Bette started to pack her stuff up.

***********

Two rounds underway, Tina giggled on her way of getting drunk but still thinking clear enough. Feeling the nudge from Shane, Tina looked over to Shane following her glance to Candace who is coming closer to their table. Tension ran up her spine, Tina turned her head away; uncertainty filled her if she wanted to face Candace.

Feeling peculiar, face to face with someone who had an affair with Bette. But she felt nothing, not even anger and hate or even place the blame on her, much to her chagrin. In a way, Candace became an asset by opening Tinas eyes and seeing what is really going on around her. But it hurts looking at her since she touched Bette and had intimate contact. Tina felt that Bette was part of her, having someone to touch her. It just plainly destroyed her. Knowing if Tina ever touched Bette again, the memory will always appear of Bette touching someone else and not wanting Tina. It saddens her. Candace looked like shes ready to be castigated.

” It wasnt your fault, you just became someone that Bette needed to sleep with.” Tina stared into nothingness, as her drink nursed her pain and numbed it.

Candace felt someone punched her gut, surprised that Tina wouldnt want to hurt her back. It made Candace feel more worse that their affair did some damage to Tina. Now all of them involved in this situation are trying to survive and dealing with repercussions.

Wanting Tina to tear her to shreds, ” It doesnt matter. I knew what I was getting into and I knew Bette was involved in a relationship. I wanted to tell you Im sorry, it wont help but I wanted you to know that,” Candace said regretfully.

Tina waved it away. ” Candace, I dont need your apology.” Relieved, finally Tina wont accept her apology and started to leave. Tinas words paused her, ” However, our relationship were in trouble. So you did a little damage to it and it brought the light to what was happening inside of our relationship. But I dont know why the affair did happen. Only Bette can answer that. You dont need to apologize for it.” Tina finally got the closure she needed from Candace, letting go the anger toward the affair and ” the other woman”. Both of us came out scathed, used, and hurt but Tina gotten the worse deal, losing trust in the woman she love and not certain if she will love again. Candace hesitantly held out her hand, Tina clasped it and shook it. They both parted their ways, Tina heading to the bar to get a drink, feeling relieved and free. Letting go of the past… Making new starts… Tina sighed.

Shane flirted with model-like woman, covered with make up and a fancy dress with a pretty face. Not seeing a butch woman with muscles and a scowl heading to Shane. She tapped on Shanes shoulder, Shane gave her annoyed look and brush her hand away and ignored her as she continued to flirt. Tina knew Shane would have back off but shes acting out of character and acting she doesnt care.

Tina quickly walked over to them as Shane pushed butch woman away, making her more pissed off. At that last second, Tina wedged herself between Shane and butch woman as she got the wild punch to her eye. Tina fell to the floor in shock. Shane, full in rage after her friend got hurt, plowed her fist into the womans stomach, causing them to topple over the table and crashing into the floor. Candace came up running and tried to pry them apart, Tina stood up shakily and grabbed a drink to numb the pain. Candace, Shane, and butch woman causing uproar into the club when they continued to break things, making the patrons upset and very drunk, causing them to get involved what was happening around them.

“Oh *****” Tina said aloud, the butch womans pissed off friends came along to help. They made a circle around Shane, butch woman, and Candace, as the circle keep closing in. Preventing the outsiders of the circle being part of this particular fight. Panicking, Tina felt its her duty to help her friends since they are outnumbered. She got on her knees and crawled between the friends legs to enter into the circle. Tina distracted one of the friends by tripping her up and pushed her away by using the leg, causing unhinging in the circle. Joining in the brawl with Shane, Tina pushed Shane away as she wanted to punch that woman who gave her a black eye.

**********

Dana walked into Milk with Tonya; she jumped as she heard the chair crashing against the wall near her. Dana stood stunned, seeing the brawl occurring in a womans bar and never thought it would have happen in a million year, thinking woman are more mature than men, but Dana thought wrong. Dana searched for Tina and Shane, catching a blond hair beating someone up. Her vision centered Tina, Shane, and that woman she had seen before is trapped in the circle. They looked battered and bloody. Sensing the excitement and they needed help, Dana started to move forward, primed for a fight.

Tonya grabbed Danas arm tightly, glaring at Dana. Warning her to not to help, Dana jerked her arm away and strode away. Tonya muttered as she followed Dana but she felt someone coming up from behind, giggling as someone brought something crashing down on her head. Caught by surprise, Tonya tripped over the broken chair and rapped her head against the edge of bar, knocked her unconscious.

**********

Alice hurrying into Milk, late for meeting everyone. Instantly she ducked as she heard someone screaming, ” watch out” when the broken beer bottle whistled past Alices ear. Alice straightened back up, seeing a huge mess and people jumbled around looking like bunch of idiots. Her mouth dropped open, gawking at three idiots who are her friends is right middle of chaos.

” *****. *****.” Alice mumbled, then growled after she saw the ugly ***** butch grabbed Danas hair, and dragged her around. Alice ran to her rescue, leaping onto ugly ***** butchs back, trying to free Danas poor hair from that scary huge hand. Tina gave Alice the bottle of champagne and Alice smashed it as hard she could on top of womans head. Ugly ***** started to stagger, Alice yelped. Tina pulled Dana out of the way when the woman fell face down; Alice pushed herself off the womans back, thankful that body cushioned her fall.

Tina swayed slightly, hurting but gleeful. Shane continued to punch some people out, not caring who she is hitting. Candace sat on the bar, taking some slow breaths as she took in the sight of damaged bar. Dana winced in pain as her stomach had taken some beatings, putting her arm across her stomach. Alice managed to avoid any injury, just looking disheveled.

The fight paused then stopped, the reason was apparent. They all looked at each other when the sirens came closer, they couldn’t escape now. Lara came up stumbling, her eyes blearing, and hugged Dana. The doors burst open, entering the stern police officers and taking the troublemakers in.

*******************

Wincing, Dana sat on the cot in the jail and taking deep breaths, trying to ease her pain. Alice continued to pace in the small space of jail, causing Tina to have a nasty headache. Shane sat on the floor with her back again the jail bars, bored out of her mind. Next to Shane, Candace tried to flex her hands to see if its mobile, muttering she has a job tomorrow.

Silence continued, as one of each companion wasnt in the mood to talk, wanting to sleep off the pain and hangovers.

Someone murmured, ” I love you.” Danas eyes slowly popped open, staring down to Lara.

Snickering, Tina remembered the sight she never forgot, seeing Lara stumbling behind Tonya and knocked her out. Alices hand clamped over Tinas mouth, quieting her.

Everyone slowly came out of sleep, seeing Bette standing outside and her reaction to everyone made everyone snicker and grinning, feeling something they needed to work out of their system. The jail door slowly open, one by one filed out, some hunched over and working out their kinks.

Firmly and grasped Tinas shoulder, ” We need to talk,” Bette said, giving Tina no choice. Candace walked past them, seeing something between them, which is not lost yet. Candace walked outside, feeling good and her tears sprang up, and there is hope as she walked away in dawn of the morning.