The sky was grey the following morning. Snow sprinkled from the sky so quickly that Alice and Alex felt blinded by the sheet of white that covered the sidewalks.

Alex: What do you think today will be like?

Alice: I have no idea. I feel like we are walking into a war zone.

Alex cleared his throat, which Alice knew was a sure fire sign that he was going to sing.

Alex: “We are strong, no one can tell us we’re wrong Searchin’ our hearts for so long, both of us knowing Love is a battlefield”

Alice: You know I love you honey, but could we save Pat Benetar for after 10am. My head is pounding.

Alex grimaced and crossed his arms.

Alex: My momma always said I had a pretty singing voice.

Alice: She’s your mother, she has to tell you that.

Alex: One insult after another! What’s next, physical abuse?

Alice smirked.

Alice: Only if you lucky.

The two stood outside of the theatre starring at the door.

Alex: I don’t want to go in.

Alice: Me either.

Alex: What if we run far far away and never look back?

Alice: Something tells me, they would find us.

Alex nodded in agreement. Nervously he reached for the door handle, took a deep breath and pulled.

Alex: Here goes nothing.

They stood, their eyes closed as if waiting for an explosion when the door opened. Instead they were met with silence.

Alice walked in first and glanced around. The only other person there was Melanie.

Alex whispered in Alice ear.

Alex: Poor, oblivious child.

Melanie’s head spun when she heard the door behind her close.

Melanie: Hey guys!

She waved like a child.

Alice took a seat next to her.

Alice: Hey Mel.

Melanie: I wonder where everyone is.

Alice shrugged. It wasn’t her place to explain to Melanie what had happened the night before.

Alex: So I guess we’ll just sit here then?

Alice: Guess so.

Melanie: Should we call them?

Alice shot a look over to Alex.

Alex: Nah. I’m sure they’ll call us eventually.

Alice: We should have stopped for Starbucks. I need a Pumpkin Spice Latte like it’s no one’s business.

Alex: Do you want me to run out and get you one?

Alice placed a hand on her friends shoulder.

Alex: No, that’s ok.

Melanie: I hope everyone is ok. I mean this is unusual. Tina, at least, is usually prompt.

Alex: Maybe she just had a rough night.

Alice shook her head.

Alice: I’d say so.

Melanie: What?

Alice: Nothing.

Melanie: You two are acting kinda funny.

Alex: Us? No we’re not!

Melanie: Yes you are, even for you. What’s going on? Did I miss something?

No one answered.

Melanie: I always miss everything!

Alice: I think I will call Tina. I’ll be right back.

Alice jumped up and headed to the back of the theatre.

Melanie: Alex, what happened? Can you please tell me?

Alex: Um, well, uhh.

He looked over at Alice walking up the aisle.

Alex: Did you hear Alice call me?

Melanie looked perplexed.

Melanie: No.

Alex: Oh, I did. I should go see what she needs.

Alex sprinted toward his friend.

Melanie: You’re all so crazy.

Alice: Do you think she knows what’s going on?

Alex smiled.

Alex: Honey, I don’t think she knows much of anything. Are you really going to call Tina?

Alice: I don’t know. What do you think?

Alex: It couldn’t hurt.

Alice reached in her bag for her phone and dialed quickly. She tapped her foot as the phone rang over and over in her ear. Finally she got Tina’s voicemail.

Alice: Hey TK, it’s Al. I don’t know where you are, and I hope you won’t be mad, but I’m going to send Melanie home. I think we all need a day to ourselves today. Call me ok?

Alice paused for a moment.

Alice: I’m here if you need me.

With that Alice hung up.

Alice: Hey Mel!

Melanie turned around from the front row?

Melanie: Yeah.

Alice: I just spoke to Tina; she said something urgent came up. Rehearsals off.

Melanie gathered her things and made her way up the aisle.

Melanie: Well, someone could have called me.

She breezed right by the two and out the door.

Alex: Feisty!

Alice: Agreed.

Alex: Now what?

Alice looked around at the abandoned theatre.

Alice: Coffee??

Alex: Coffee.





Avery crossed the room as she gathered her things.

Avery: Are you sure you’re ready to go back there?

Bette: It’s my home. I have to a right to be there.

Avery: I know, I just want to make sure you’ll be ok.

Bette: You’re coming with me, aren’t you?

Avery: I told you I would.

Bette sighed, thankful.

Bette: Besides, Tina will be at rehearsal. I just need to get some stuff and leave her this note.

Bette held up the piece of paper that she had been hovering over all morning. Neatly she tucked it away in her purse and stood, ready to face the world, or at least hoped. Avery walked over to her new friend and wrapped her in an embrace.

Avery: It’s gonna be ok. Just take it one step at a time.

Bette sunk her head into Avery’s neck, inhaling her.

When they pulled apart Bette had tears running the length of her face.

Avery: Oh, Bette. Please don’t cry. You are such a strong woman. You don’t need to deal with this shit. Just remember all you have ahead of you to look forward to. Bette nodded and wiped her face.

Bette: I’m sorry.

Avery: Don’t be sorry. You have no reason to be. Just remember, ” This to shall pass.” Everything happens for a reason and when the time is right, you’ll know what the reason is. The universe has a funny way of showing us that.

Bette: I guess we’ll see for ourselves.

Avery smiled.

Avery: We will. You’ll see.

She took Bette’s hand and led her out the front door.

Avery: Let’s get this over with.

Bette nodded and followed behind Avery. The tears weren’t streaming down her face any longer but they were still dripping inside her heart.





When Tina woke up she found herself on the couch, curled into a ball. She had walked all over the house the night before so it was no surprise she had wound up where she did. Scene of the crime, she thought to herself. Standing up, she straightened her sweat pants and sweater. Tina had hoped that when she woke up, the previous night would be a blur. Something that happened but also something she could not remember. Instead she recalled every sordid detail. Bette storming out, kissing Daphne, her talk with Ashley, everything was crystal clear. Rubbing her temples, Tina made her way up the steps and into her bedroom. She fumbled through the dresser drawer for some Tylenol and swallowed them down dry. The light flashing on her cell phone caught her eyes.

Tina: Shit. A message.

She hit the call button and pressed the receiver to her ear.

Alice: Hey TK, it’s Al. I don’t know where you are, and I hope you won’t be mad, but I’m going to send Melanie home. I think we all need a day to ourselves today. Call me ok?

Tina didn’t need to hear anymore. She hung the phone up and dropped onto the bed. She was fucking everything up. First this thing with Bette and now she slept through rehearsal. What would be next? She placed her hands over her eyes and tried to wish it all away.





Bette turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open.

Bette: Well, this is it.

Avery looked around. Her eyes were wide as they took in just how beautiful the apartment was.

Avery: Jesus Bette. No wonder you can’t get comfortable at my place. We could fit my entire apartment in this hallway.

Bette smiled.

Bette: It’s not that big.

Avery eyed the spiral staircase that’s stood before her.

Avery: You have two floors?

Bette nodded.

Avery: Not big?

Bette smiled.

Avery: It’s beautiful.

Bette: Thank you.

Avery walked the perimeter of the bottom floor.

Avery: Did you decorate it too?

Bette: Uh huh.

Avery: So not only are you an incredible actress but you also have an eye for art? Anything you can’t do?

Bette laughed.

Bette: Yes, I can’t leap buildings in a single bound.

Avery: I have a feeling you can. Look at this painting! It’s incredible.

Bette: I’m glad you like it.

Avery: Like it? Bette, this place is a masterpiece.

Bette: Well, you know Art History was my second major.

Avery: You double majored? I didn’t know that.

Bette: Yup. I love it. I thought one day when I was old and washed up I could work in an art museum or something like that.

Avery: Bette, I suspect YOU will never age.

Bette: Don’t be so sure.

Bette caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror that hung before her. It looked like she had aged just over night. In front her stood a woman she no longer recognized. She looked withered and weak, something Bette Porter was not accustom. She watched in the reflection as Avery approached her.

Avery: You look beautiful. If you wore no make up and dressed in leotard and leg warmers, you’d still look beautiful Bette.

Bette blushed.

Bette: Thank you. But I’d have to be dead before you caught me in that outfit.

Avery: Come on. Let’s get your stuff and get the hell out of here.

Bette: I thought you liked my place.

Avery: Oh, I love it. I’m just afraid I might break something.

Bette laughed as she scaled the steps to the second floor.

Bette: Come on.

Avery followed closely behind Bette, careful not to touch anything.

Avery: How many bedrooms does this place have?

Bette: Um, three. Oh wait, four.

Avery: Four?

Avery sighed.

Avery: Rough life.

Bette stood outside her bedroom, afraid to enter.

Avery placed one hand on her back and one on the doorknob.

Avery: We won’t be here long. In and out.

With that Avery turned the knob and pushed opened the door. Before them, Tina sat up like a deer in headlights.

Bette: Shit!

Tina: Bette, you’re back!

Bette: I just came to get some of my stuff.

Tina jumped off the bed and ran toward her now ex girlfriend.

Tina: Can’t you just stay and talk for a minute.

Bette: I don’t have anything more to say to you Tina.

Avery took Bette’s hand to show that she was not alone. This did not go unnoticed by Tina.

Tina: Who the hell are you?

Avery: Avery Lancing.

Tina: Bette, who is she?

Bette: A friend Tina.

Tina: What is she doing here?

Tina’s words were laced with venom and contempt.

Avery: I came as a friend.

Tina: I’m sure.

Bette: Don’t talk to her that way. She has been there for me more than you have.

Tina smirked.

Tina: How could I be there for you, when you wouldn’t let me in? When were you going to tell me that you were dropping out of the show?

Bette eyed the ground unsure what to say.

Avery: I’m sure she would have when the time was right.

Tina: I didn’t ask you!

Avery wanted to smack her. How dare she turn this around? But, it wasn’t her place and she knew that. If she wanted to be a good friend she would have to do the right thing, back off.

Avery: Bette, I didn’t mean to make this awkward for either of you. I’ll wait downstairs.

Bette nodded.

Bette: I’ll be right down.

Tina watched Avery walk quickly down the steps. She waited until she was out or ear shot before continuing.

Tina: You’ll be right down? Don’t I get a few minutes of your precious time to at least talk to you?

Bette: I wasn’t expecting you to even be here.

Bette walked over to her closet and began tearing clothes off of the hangers.

Tina: I never meant to hurt you, but you hurt me too.

Bette: I don’t think what I did even compares. And the truth is Tina that I tried to tell you but you fell asleep.

Tina went to speak but Bette cut her off.

Bette: Now I know that I could have tried again but I got nervous. I knew you’d be so upset with me and I didn’t want to do that to you. This other show is a big chance for me. Huge and I needed to take it. I worked to hard all these years to turn something like that down. But Tina, I never stopped loving you. I NEVER ran into someone else’s arms or bed for that matter.

Tina: I told you we didn’t sleep together.

Bette: Would you have slept with her if I hadn’t walked in the door?

Tina’s silence spoke volumes.

Bette swallowed hard, trying to digest everything.

Bette: I thought you and I could work out, but we can’t.

Tina sank to the edge of the bed. Those were the last words she wanted to hear.

Bette: We are two very different people and our lives are headed in two VERY different directions. I wish you the best with your show and with Daphne.

Bette grabbed her toothbrush from the bathroom and threw it in the bag she had been filling.

She turned to walk out the door and then remembered the note in her pocket. She grasped it tightly and walked back to Tina.

Tina: Well, where are you going? Where are staying?

Bette: You lost the privilege of knowing that information.

Quickly she handed Tina the folded piece of paper and disappeared down the steps and out the front door. Tina could hear Avery following after her. The blonde looked down unsure if she wanted to even know what it said. It wouldn’t be good, that’s for sure. She closed her eyes and unfolded the letter as carefully as she could. Counting to three her eyes flew open. If she read it quickly it wouldn’t hurt as much.

Tina,

I expect you and Ashley out by Thursday.


~Bette


Tina realized that it didn’t matter how slowly or quickly she read, the words would stay the same and hurt just as much.


TBC…