“I’m not.  Rosita is gone, off to war, and I’m here, getting ready to put on a fucking radio show, what was she thinking? What am I thinking?  God…,” lamented Alice and Sam grabbed the bottle from her, taking a quick swig.

            “Good lord, this burns.  Al…,” began Sam.

            “Yeah?” said Alice with a sarcastic snort.

            “Why don’t you use that radio show?  You know, start something, get everyone up in arms, tell them how it is.  In Vietnam, they had the news showing men getting killed every night, now, we have candy coated stats.  I know its radio….  And you can get away with a lot on it, I mean, Stern gets away with everything…,” said Sam thoughtfully.

            “Start a riot…,” whispered Alice.

            “Riot?  Sam, don’t give Alice any ideas,” groaned Shane, walking back towards them, feeling like she was treading water in her life, seeing Sam hurt, Alice in pain, but they seemed alive.  Inside, Shane felt devoid of that hope.

            “I wasn’t saying burn the city down,” giggled Sam leaning back and trying to hand Shane the bottle, but Shane waved it away.

            “…no it was this song.  I hired Quin, you know, Peabody?  She’s going to be Robin to my Stern,” said Alice drinking deeply from the bottle.

            “She’s hot,” smiled Shane.  “Good kisser too,” added Shane as if it were an after thought.

            “WHAT?” blurted out Alice and Sam at the same time.

            “I kissed her…,” admitted Shane then thinking it was something that Quin might not want broadcasted.

            “She’s not gay…,” said Alice with a quick shake of her head.

            “I didn’t say she was, I’m saying I kissed her…,” said Shane sheepishly, not wanting to admit it in front of Sam. 

            “Good girl,” said Sam giving Shane a knowing look, as if telling her that Sam knew who Shane was and that it didn’t matter, she was accepted. 

            Shane bent down, taking the bottle from Alice, taking a long drink, meeting Sam’s eyes, trying not to smile, and then setting it down, “I fucked Julie Reno too, but don’t tell anyone…”