The Collaboration – The L Wank – Twisted Fate 19 – tigerDE

From her vantage point by the counter, Alice surveyed the crowd in The Planet. She wasn’t surprised that she didn’t recognize over half of them; Shane had lived many different lives, ones that Alice knew hardly anything about.

In the middle of the room were a group of men and women, whose limp wrists, flamboyant hand gestures and impractical hair styles led Alice to believe they were Shane‘s colleagues and hairdresser friends. In the far corner, surrounded by a veil of cigarette smoke, was a group of scrawny young men. They were all sniffing more than normal, and Alice guessed they were Shane‘s friends from back when she used to turn tricks. She could hear the word ‘twat’ amongst the chatter coming from the table near the door, so she knew Shane’s flat mates were sitting there, and when she peered outside she could see her friends sat around their usual table, staring morosely into their mugs.

But Alice wasn’t interested in any of those groups. It was the blonde woman sat alone at the other end of the counter, nursing an espresso cup and running her finger over a worn gold bracelet that really piqued Alice‘s curiosity.

“So how did you know Shane?” Alice asked, sliding into the stool next to her.

The woman sighed, letting go of the bracelet and downing her coffee in way very similar to Shane, increasing the sense of loss that Alice felt in her heart. But when the woman turned to her, all thoughts of coffee flew out of Alice‘s head and she let out a sharp gasp.

She had the same eyes as Shane.

“I’m her sister, Sabrina,” the woman answered, smiling humourlessly at Alice‘s shock.

“I see me in you, the same eyes of our mother, I see you in me, the same vagabond as our father,” Alice whispered, quoting the poem that had been placed in Shane‘s coffin. “I didn’t know she had a sister.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Sabrina asked rhetorically, putting the bracelet into her pocket. “You’re Alice, right? Her best friend?” Alice nodded, and she continued. “Shane wrote to me once, two years ago. It was the first contact we’d had in 11 years, since our brother died. She told me she was happy, and she had a group of friends that were practically inseparable.”

“Inseparable,” Alice echoed ironically, shooting a glance through the window to Bette and Tina. “Yeah, that would be us.”

“I was pleased for her,” Sabrina continued, not noticing Alice‘s tone of voice. She deserved to find people who would be there for her, no matter what.”

“Why didn’t she tell us about you?” Alice asked inquisitively.

“Weweren’t close. When our dad died I was old enough to support myself, and Shane went into care. Then, when our brother died two years later, I couldn’t handle it and I moved away. I don’t think she ever forgave me for leaving her alone like that.”

Alice was silent as she digested this. “I may be wrong, but I think she probably did forgive you,” Alice told her honestly. “She said something a few months ago, about finally being able to put old ghosts to rest and forgive past actions. I didn’t read much into at the time, but now I think maybe she was talking about you.”

Sabrina studied Alice‘s face for a moment, then looked back down at her hands. “Thank you,” she said simply, and Alice watched as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the bracelet again, putting it on her wrist and fastening the fiddly clasp.

Just then, Alice felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the rest of the gang. “It’s time,” Tina said, gesturing to the small stage where Kit was stood, checking her music equipment was ready. Nodding weakly, Alice stood and made her way over there, climbing onto the stage and motioning for everyone to quieten down.

Silence fell over the caf, as everyone turned to look at Alice.

“Ermhi, everyone,” Alice began nervously, but after seeing the encouraging looks from her friends, she gained confidence. “We will all miss Shane terribly. She was a good friend, a good colleague, and a good lay, and not a day will go by when I won’t think of the best friend that I’ve lost. I could go on and on about how much we will miss Shane, but this is not what we’ve gathered here for. The funeral was for the that; now, we have to remember the good times we had and celebrate Shane‘s life. I know if Shane was here she’d want us to have a few Jell-O shots and play some decent music while she snuck off for a fuck in the bathroom.” Everyone sniggered at that, and Alice smiled, realizing that even though they’d all known different sides of Shane, one thing had remained the same.