“I’m not…I’m not judging,” Alice said, defending herself.

Tina’s heart threatened to explode from all the contradictory emotions that one word evoked. The beating in her chest pounded harder and faster as she was reminded of the overwhelming pain of Bette’s betrayal, mixed in with her own heavy guilt knowing she was now an accessory to inflicting that same type of betrayal on Jodie. Wanting to be as far as possible from the topic Tina gallantly tried to move the game onto a less intrusive and painful question. “You know, who’s got the next “I never?” 

“Yeah, who’s got the next one?” Bette asked, sneaking apologetic glances at Tina. “Let’s just keep playing,” she added feebly.

Feeling an overwhelming need to justify her characterization of her friend, Alice couldn’t stop her diatribe. “I just….Bette, come on, you cheat. You were a giant cheater. And…it was a phase. I’m not saying that you are now, but like, you cheated on Tina, you cheated on me…you cheated. There was a lot of cheating.” While Alice laughed again at her own words, reveling at being the center of attention, she was totally oblivious to the dread Bette and Tina were feeling as something so private, so painful…an event that changed all their lives forever…was used as campfire fodder by a woman who was supposed to be one of their closest and dearest friends.

“Right?” The fact that Alice didn’t receive a response to her question didn’t stop her need to be right, which in turn made her unable and unwilling to stop talking even though she could see that no one else was laughing with her. “You guys come on…you saw it, you were there…she was cracking through them, ba boom…ginormous cheater!”

Taking another swig of her beer Alice felt the gentle but firm squeeze of Tasha’s hand on her thigh. Gazing one more time at faces illuminated by the campfire she finally realized she was alone in her quest to showcase Bette’s cheating ways. “Okay, leave me alone…sorry.”

Again there was complete and utter silence, only this time even the fire knew not to interrupt the moment with a crackle or pop.