Bette: (frowning) Alice? Do you have something you’d like to say?

Looking Bette straight in the eye, Alice replies “Well I don’t know, there are plenty things I could say but there doesn’t seem to be much point, because I wouldn’t be doing Tina any favours by spreading your business all over town, you seem to being a pretty good job of that yourself…”

Bette and the rest of the group stare at Alice, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, trying to figure out what brought on such venom from the usually perky writer.

“So go on then Bette, if you want to know what I have to say,” Alice continued, “tell them… tell you’re friends why Tina came to my apartment at 4am this morning, why she was in floods of tears and why she is asleep on my sofa after crying her heart out and eventually falling into an emotionally exhausted sleep?”

Bette: I, uh, I don’t think that this is your place to intervene Alice; I think that you should keep your opinions to yourself until you know the full story…

Alice: (laughing ironically) Oh, right, I’m sure there’s an epic excuse behind why you’ve been fucking the carpenter at the gallery behind your girlfriend’s back!

Bette exhaled sharply, and let her gaze fall to the floor. She turned her back on the group and walked out of the door, letting her tears fall silently as she tried to regain her composure before facing a long and lonely day ahead of her at the CAC.

Back at the table, Alice sighed, frustrated with herself for venting her own pent-up emotions on Bette. She wasn’t really in a position to judge, given her actions in the last 24 hours. She picked up the morning paper and absent-mindedly tried to find an article to attract her attention and draw her mind from the looks she was receiving from the group of women who had just witnessed the harsh exchange of words.

Tonya: Are you for real Alice? Did Bette really cheat on Tina… well, who’d have thought? I mean, that’s so unlike her, I can’t imagine how Tina must be feeling…

Tonya continued to ramble on, until Alice snapped…

Alice: Jesus, Tonya give it a rest, stop making out like you’re so shocked, it doesn’t change the fact that Tina is heart broken and Bette is a cheating liar!