Van dismissed Messiah and Kelly but made Dash stay behind. He insisted that she tell him how and why the fight started, but she helt to the story that Kelly was pissed she embarassed him in class. Van expressed his disappointment pulling an instinctive eye roll from Shane.

Alice popped into the room with an old book in her hand and a confused expression on her face.

<b>Alice:</b> Uhm…guys?

They all tuned to face her.

<b>Alice:</b> Uhm…We have two questions….Why should Hamlet care if his mom is ***** his uncle if he’ll still be the prince of the kingdom? And what’s with the scitzo Ophelia chick…is he banging her?

Shane shook her head and went back into the classroom while Alice remained with Van and Dash.

<b>Alice:</b> Uhm…hey did Shane tell you about dinner?

<b>Dash:</b> What about it?

<b>Alice:</b> Well…we were gonna have dinner at Shane’s tonight and you two and Father Joe are invited…

<b>Van:</b> What for… What’s she need now?

Van crossed his arms waiting to hear what was next.

<b>Alice:</b> What? No its just dinner…a kinda, I don’t know…semi…Sly and the Family Stone type thing

<b>Dash:</b> We’ll be there…need us to bring anything ?

Dash gave Van a warning look.

<b>Dash:</b> Can she pick me up?

<b>Alice:</b> You can just come with me I guess, since we’ll start cooking in like an hour or so…plus Shane can’t cause…

<b>Dash:</b> True…Tibette would flip if I …uhm…so, uhm what time you wanna get outta here cause I told Father Joe I’d do the confessionals while Shane did his Lit class.

<b>Alice:</b> Eh…whenever.

<b>Dash:</b> Come on you can help then.

Van just watched their easy interaction like a world champion ping-pong match was going on right in front of him. He was truly baffled because from what he knew Alice was ready to kill Dash the week before for sleeping with Shane. Atleast, that’s what he had put together in his head. Dash was sleeping with Shane, Alice was sleeping with Shane, and the rich lady was paying Shane for sleeping with her with extravogant gifts. Basically all of L.A. was ***** Shane, even though Dash swore nothing happened with her and Shane, he had his own conclusions. Dash grabbed him by the arm and tugged him towards the long walk through the labrynth basement of the church.

<b>Dash:</b> So….

<b>Alice:</b> What?

<b>Dash:</b> Dish!

Alice looked from Van who was pertending to be too angry to care and back to Dash who was completely out of character.

<b>Alice:</b> So she showed up barefoot with flowers….

The three emereged from the basement into the hallway behind the grand pulpit.

<b>Van:</b> So wait…she gave it all back?

Alice nodded with a smile from ear to ear that told how completely happy she was.

<b>Alice:</b> Right down to the boots on her feet.

<b>Van:</b> Drama King!

Dash rolled her eyes and bumped Van for his mumbled comment.

<b>Dash:</b> Just admit you’re impressed, and bring your ***** to dinner tonight.

<b>Van:</b> Whatever… I don’t think I can make it…I’m back on-call in ten hours so…

<b>Alice:</b> So a nice hot meal served by even hotter women is what you need before you start.

Dash and Alice stood side by side batting their eyelashes dramatically like puppies.

<b>Van:</b> We’ll see.

Van walked off as Dash led Alice to the utility closet. He opened the back door and stepped into the shadows of the garden between the church and the rectory. He stopped for a moment and looked at the white marble statue of St. Jude. The statue depicted the man holding a dove with a broken wing. The Patron Saint of lost causes. Was it possible that Shane was actually changing? Van sat on a small wood bench near the path to contemplate whether it was really possible. Perhaps it was time that he let her change.