Three years early

The night of Provocations at the California Arts Centre

Tina entangled herself from Bette. she was still crying. she walked on shaky legs over to the bathroom, she had to shower she wanted to wash away the smell of Bette, of sex, of the betrayal that she felt. Her whole body was shaking. she took off her boots, not caring if the water was hot or cold she took a shower it was quick just enough to wash away the smell of the rough, angry sex that they had just had.

She wrapped herself in a large towel and went into the bedroom, Bette had gone, Tina took a deep breath, dressing casually. She took a bag from her closet and put a few clothes in it, picking up her wallet, she threw all the cards onto the bed, just taking the cash she had. She wanted nothing from Bette right now. she put on her jacket. Putting her bag over her shower, she put her cell phone onto the bedside table and opened the doors leading out onto in the back garden, knowing she could slip away in the darkness and she did.

She went to a motel outside of town, her mind was racing. her feelings confused. She’d lost her baby and now she’s lost her partner of seven years to a woman who frankly had nothing going for her. Tina walked into the motel room after paying cash and went into the bathroom, she ran a bath, her eyes filled with tears, her mind not clear. She saw the razors, she sat and carefully took the blades out slipping into the water fully clothed she started to cut her wrist.

****

Bette walked back into the bedroom, Tina’s side of the closet open with some clothes missing, the back door open, her cell on the bed side table, she walked out into the garden, looking around. finding that she was gone, her car was gone.

“No, no Tina,” Bette called around all their friends asking if they had seen or heard from Tina. no one had. She had disappeared. She’d gone.

“What the fuck have I done,” Bette asked herself as she sat on the end of the bed, holding her own cell phone hoping and praying that Tina would call, when the phone did ring it was Candace, the one person she didn’t want to speak too, she threw her phone at the wall, it smashed. As Bette screaming out in pain, anger and self-loathing.