“Tina you don’t know that.  Now I am a twice injured athlete with the potential to be great but because I’ve got only 4 games under my belt, I am unproven.”

“Bette what about the games with team USA.  I mean you always did well in those games right?”

“Yeah I did but they don’t count unless you are actually playing for a gold medal.”

Tina could tell this is going to be a more serious conversation and she wants to be in the comfort of her room to continue.

“Bette, I am out with some of the girls but I want to speak to you in private.  I’ll leave right now and I can call you back in 20 minutes. Ok?”  Tina says pleading with Bette to agree.

“That’s ok T.  Have dinner with your friends.  We’ll speak when you get back.  I’ll be up for at least until midnight.”

Tina is not sure what to do.  Bette does not sound upset just sorrowful.  She decides that Bette is more important than dinner and cuts her night short to head back to call Bette.

When Tina is back at her apartment, she washes off her makeup and immediately calls Bette but her call goes straight to voicemail.  Tina is surprised since they just spoke about 20 minutes ago. She decides not to leave a message and just call right back.  Again she gets the voicemail.

“Hey, you’ve reached Bette.  At the beep, you know what to do.”

BEEP–”Hey babe it’s me.  I just want to continue our conversation.  I am at the apartment.  I don’t know where you are but I really think we should talk.  You didn’t sound like yourself tonight and that makes me sad. Please call me babe.”

Tina hangs up hoping that Bette is just taking a shower or something else that would prevent her from answering her phone right away.

She tries to stay up to wait for Bette to call back but she finally succumbs to sleep at around 1 am.  She checks her phone to make sure the ringer is on and it is.  

Now Tina is getting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that maybe Bette decline her calls on purpose.  She goes through a range of feelings from sadness to helplessness to anger.  How dare she ignore her calls?  She grabs her phone to make one last call.  She is determined to give Bette a piece of her mind.

Again her call goes straight to voicemail.

“You know what Bette, you are being an ass.  Why are pushing away the one person who is always there for you?  Fine.  If you want to act like a child, then fine.  Call me when you grow the hell up!”

She hangs up and with tears streaming down her face she finally lays her head on her pillow.  

Little does she know that about 300 miles away her stubborn girlfriend has tears streaming down her face as well as she listens to her blonde lover berate her in her last message.