Chapter 13: I don’t know what has become of you

“…What? No, Alice. I just want you to mind your own business”, Shane pursed her lips and paced her living room. She tried hard to ignore Alice’s words, but it was impossible. There was something, into Alice’s voice, something that simply couldn’t be ignored. Maybe it was something about the pitch, or the tone, or the color of her voice – whatever it was, Shane couldn’t shrug it off. Alice had that power over her – and, basically, over everybody else. 

“But, Shane, you’re being unreasonable. You get that, don’t you? I mean, two days ago I see you and Carmen walk into the Planet, hand in hand, and then you get mad at me because I ask you how your relationship is going, how’s the fucking and…”. 

Shane sighed and bowed her head, closing her eyes.

“Alice…”. 

“…I mean, Shane, you know me. You know me, this is the way I am. I am nosy. And you never snapped at me like that. Even Carmen, did you see her, Shane? She was shocked by your reaction and -”.

“Alice. Shut up and listen to me for a second”. Shane could feel a pulsing headache making its way in between her temples – blobbing brain pulsing, pulsing – and realized that she was going to lose her temper, again. Something that she really didn’t want to do. 

She heard Alice huff on the other side of the phone. Shane held her breath and counted: one, two, three. 

“Currently, Carmen and I are just friends”, she stated, flatly.

“What?”, Alice gasped, “I thought you guys were much more than that. You told me you’re in love with her -”.

“I don’t wanna talk about that right now”, Shane opened the refrigerator door and took a beer. She uncapped it and drank as Alice kept blabbering about the true meaning of feelings and how you were supposed to act on them. 

“I don’t get you. I really don’t. I assume you went straight back to Molly, then”. 

Shane rolled her eyes and sat down on the kitchen table.

“Why everybody seems to think that I’m back with Molly? For Christ’s sake!”, she exclaimed. 

“I don’t know”, Alice’s voice sounded sarcastic, now, “I guess it’s because you were blatantly flirting with her at Hit, a few months ago…”.