Bette:  “I’ll get you a t-shirt.”

Stevie looked confused.

Bette came back and gave her the shirt.  Stevie turned her back to her and removed her wet shirt.  Her back revealed deep scars that went across her upper back.  Before she could stop herself Bette had walked over and touched them.  Stevie almost jumped.  She didn’t like to be touched but for some reason a chill went down her spine when Bette did.

Bette:  “I’m sorry.  What happened if you don’t mind me asking?”

Stevie just looked at her, grey eyes boring into brown.  She looked like she wanted to tell but couldn’t.  Bette felt those scars looked familiar.

Bette:  “I don’t mean to pry.  Look I want to say sorry for maybe over stepping my bounds with the Alice thing.”

Stevie just nodded.

Bette:  “Wasn’t my place.”

Stevie:  “You were protecting your friend.  I know how that goes.  I shouldn’t have mentioned your past.  Your right I don’t know your situation.

Bette:  “Well you know a secret of mine, you owe me one.”

Stevie:  “Maybe.”

They just stood and stared at each other.

Bette:  “I’ll get you a  blanket.  You can camp out here till Shane gets back. 

She returned slowly.  Stevie was looking at old pictures of Bette, Tina and

Angelica.

Stevie:  “You two were happy huh?”

Bette nodded.

Stevie:  “Cute kid.”

Bette:  “Yeah she is. Thank you.”

Stevie:  “Those your parents?”

Bette:  “Yeah.”

Stevie:  “So your all mixed up like me huh?”

Bette smiled a little.

Bette:  “I guess so.”

Stevie:  “Cool.”

Silence

Stevie:  “Were they nice?”

Bette:  “Who?”

Stevie: “Your rents.”

Bette:  “Oh, um, yeah.  Me and my father had our issues but we were friends when he died.”

Stevie nodded and sat down.

Silence again.  Bette figured she should leave.  As she turned

Stevie:  “My foster father.”

Bette stopped and turned.

Stevie:  “Me and Sha’s foster father was a drunken bastard.  I guess I was breathing too loud one day and he lost on me.  Took his belt and started beating me with the buckle.  Sha tried to protect me that’s why mine go across and here are up and down.  She laid right across me.”

Bette:  “That’s where I saw them before.”

Stevie:  “So there’s your secret.”

Bette could tell that omission was difficult for her to speak about.  So she smiled slightly nodded and walked away. 

The next morning Stevie returned to the house and informed Shane she need the copy of the key.  She could barley look Shane in the eye.  Shane knew where she had gone but she loved her too much to stay mad at her.  So she welcomed her in, gave her the key and sent her on her way.

TBC