Shane: Hey…its me….uhm…Shane….

Van: What do you want?

Shane: I…uhm….shell be fine, she can still stay here….

Van: She doesnt seem to want to…

Shane let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Shane: I know…I didnt mean to pull you into this.

Van: BUT YOU DID!

Shane held the phone from her ear and looked down at Dash who continued to look out at the yard with her cigarette dangling from her mouth.

Shane: Shell be fine…she can stay at Bettes if she wants.

Van: Thats right shove her off somewhere else like shes a hassle…thats really what she needs right now…Im coming to get her.

Shane: No!…just go back to whatever it is you were doing….theres plenty of people here….Itll be fine.

There was a long pause as Van considered his options. Someone had to stay at the church and he needed to go over his notes before his final review on Monday.

Shane: I know you cant come get her…you need to focus on getting your ***** done so just…dont worry I wont ***** this up I prom….

Van: Your word means nothing to me…goodbye.

Shane: Im sorry Van….

Shane nearly whispered into the phone before she heard a click and dead silence. She closed the phone and slid it into her pocket. Shane sat on top of the table and looked down at Dash who was rubbing over the small cuts and abrasions on her hands from the thorns of the roses.

Shane: It really hurts….

Dash shook her head no and took a drag off her cigarette. Shane reached down and pulled it from her lips. She took a drag of her own and ran her hand through her hair.

Shane: I mean…it really hurts…to fall off the pedestal you put me on.

Dash turned to look at Shane through hooded eyes. Shane moved closer and pushed the young girls bangs out of her eyes. She ran her fingers along the gash above her eye and then ran her thumb over her split lip. She pulled off Dashs hood and the girl placed her head on Shanes thigh atop the picnic table. Shane just sat running her hand through her hair.