“So, she walks into the Planet and….” Shane starts and trails off, waiting for Bette to continue.

Bette shakes her head. “ I almost fell off my chair and wish the world could open up a crack and swallow me.”

She looks at Shane, tear filled eyes and lots of fear. “I’m afraid, I wish I wasn’t but I am.” With a half smile she adds, “And she was looking fantastic. Better than what I’d been dreaming and imagining.”

“That’s good then, isn’t it?” Shane asks her friend, eyebrow raised.

“And also not, because she is someone else’s and I’m no better that some drooling teenager with no chance. Actually the pimply teens would have better luck than me.” Bette ended, having remembered that things are as they are due to her. She broke it off, not Tina.

Bette takes the last swig of her beer and offers to get them both more. Shane nods before slugging hers down. Bette returns with a rolled joint and holds it up for Shane to see.

“Let’s get lifted, “ she says to Shane, who grins broadly.

“Of course, if life gets you down.” Shane agreed, taking her beer while Bette sits down and sparks up.

She takes a long first drag, and looks at the hot coal tip as she blows out smoke. Looking at it as if to get answers from it. She takes another two drags and silently passes the joint to Shane. They sit and smoke half the joint in silence sipping their beers.

“Oh Shane, I’ve never stopped loving her. Even when I thought and convinced myself thoroughly, somewhere deep down I knew the truth. Not seeing her made it easy and I’d almost believed my own lies.” Bette spoke slowly, thinking about the last four years. “You my friend,” she raised her bottle to Shane, “are the only one who let me talk nonsense and never believed a word I said.”

“I think Kit too. You know she called me; about Tina being there this morning and told me to come work my magic.”

“Poor you, now you are high and drunk.” Bette clinked bottles with Shane.

“So long as I’m with you in this mix, I can handle anything buddy.” Shane replied to her friend, whose eyes had become small as they usually do when she’s high.

Their silence is interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. The friends look at each other in confusion, as far as Bette knows, she’s not expecting anybody, just like she wasn’t expecting Shane, but appreciated her presence.

She stands up and heads for the door, with a promise to bring out the whiskey if Shane gets the glasses and ice ready.  Before the door is fully opened, in walks Helena.

“I saw Tina this morning at the Planet, and I just couldn’t believe my eyes,” She says all this while walking in, dropping her bag on a kitchen barstool and gabbing one of the glasses Shane is carrying.

Bette and Shane just watch her as she rambles on and then at each other and shake their heads.

“Well Helena, you know that this is the ‘land of the free and home of the brave’ and the free part applies to everybody.” Bette says least nonchalant than she wishes.

“In this case, she is brave as well. Coming to the Planet like that, with her boyfriend as well.” Helena sits with her whiskey and looks at her friends waiting for their two cents worth of what she’s just announced.

Bette swallows a lump that’s caught in her throat and looks away. She busies herself with finding another glass to pour herself a drink.  Definitely something strong was called for.

“If I were Kit, I would have thrown her out,” Helena continues hardly aware of the angst Bette is suffering.

“Oh Helena, that is just dramatic. Kit isn’t like that and it’s not like Tina is a monster or something. We all still care for her, even though we haven’t seen her. Anyway, what’s your battle?” Shane asked, having had enough of Helena.