**

In the garden Alice, about twenty girls and several friends of the family are dressed in black, making polite conversation and consoling Shane’s parents and her aunt Helen.
Mrs. Stevens stands in the corner with Nikki and her husband, Mr. Steven.
She shakes her head.
“Sad, sad, sad. To think of the opportunities that girl had. This should be a lesson to us all that our children need constant supervision”, she says to a guest.
She puts her arm around Nikki.
“It’s all about quality time”.
Inside the house, Carmen silently enters Shane’s room.
She walks around, then approaches the window.
She stares out of it for a moment.
“She loved that view”.
Carmen turns and sees Jenny at the door. She moves some steps towards her and Carmen turns again to the window, her face unreadable.
“I can see why”, she just murmurs.
Jenny extends her hand.
“I’m Jennifer”.
“Carmen Morales”.
They shake.
“Have we met?”, Jenny asks, frowning.
Carmen slowly shakes her head.
“I don’t think so”.
“Did you know Shane well?”.
Carmen’s brown eyes are dry and serious.
“You might say that”.
Jenny half-smiles as if she’s been enlightened.
“Now I remember. Carmen Morales. Your father’s the new chancellor at Oakwood”.
Carmen nods.
“That’s right”.
“I’m sure you’re going to love it there”, Jenny says, gently.
Carmen nods again.
“Are you okay?”, Jenny asks, brushing her arm.
“I’ll be fine”.
Jenny smiles.
“Well, I’ll leave you alone now. I just came in here to get something of mine”.
Jenny walks over to Shane’s desk and takes the keys of her Jaguar.
She goes to leave, when she turns back to Carmen.
“You sure you’re going to be alright?”, she murmurs, concerned, “I’m here if you need a friend”.
Carmen just stares at her, motionless.
“Thank you”.
Jenny shrugs.
“Look, I know this sounds corny, but whenever I feel like I can’t go on I…”, she takes out her crucifix, “…Turn to Jesus and He helps me through the problem. Call me an anachronism, but –“.
“Oh, cut the shit, Jenny”, Carmen grimaces.
Jenny ducks her head, dumbfounded.
“Excuse me?”.
“You heard me”.
Jenny’s mood immediately turns to irritation.
“Who the hell do you think you are, coming into my house and saying those things to me? My sister is dead, have some respect!”.
“Jenny, I know all about you and Shane”, Carmen replies, calmly, and Jenny’s eyes dart.
“Shane was a pathological liar! I wouldn’t believe a word she –“.
“I have her journal”.
“You what?”, Jenny replies under her breath.
“Her journal. She sent it to me the day before the accident. Everything about you is in it. The blow jobs, the hand jobs, the tongue jobs, the ménages, your bout with bulimia, the affair you had with your guidance counselor and how she gave you…”, Carmen stops, shaking her head, “…Let’s see, then there’s your coke problem. Do you still keep it in your crucifix, don’t you? It’s all in there”.
Jenny looks at her, horrified.
“You didn’t show it to anybody, did you?”.
“Actually, a copy of it has already been delivered to every member of your family. And to your friends”, Carmen says, flatly.
Jenny shakes her head.
“You can’t do this to me. It could ruin me”.
Carmen smiles.
“I just did it”.
Jenny starts to cry, and Carmen ducks her head.
“Jenny, please. Crying? Didn’t you once say that crying is a sign of weakness? I’m very disappointed in you”.
Jenny sobs, and Carmen puts a comforting arm around her.
“Alright, stop crying. There’s a bright side to this, you know? You’ll be cured. You’ll be fine”.
Jenny looks at her, swallowing.
“The other guests are waiting for you downstairs”, Carmen murmurs, and leaves.
Jenny sits down on Shane’s bed, utterly defeated.
“Forgot something”.
Carmen steps back into the room and takes the car keys out of Jenny’s hands.

**

Carmen races down the highway.
She opens up the glove compartment and rifles though some CDs.
She takes out “The Verve” album and inserts it.
As “Bittersweet Symphony” starts to play, she reaches down and takes out Shane’s sunglasses.
She puts them on and checks herself out in the rearview mirror.
Then, the flips her cell phone open and dials.
“Hey…”.
“Hi…”.
“How’s your new room?”, Carmen asks, staring at the street before her eyes.
“Comfy”.
“And how do you feel?”.
“I feel like shit…”, the husky voice replies, chuckling, “…And I miss you…”.
Carmen smiles softly.
“I miss you too… I’ll be there in a couple of hours…”.
“I’ll be waiting for you… Did it work?”.
“Yeah…”, Carmen sighs, “…It did work and friends and family played their part but… let me tell you, maybe we’ve been exceedingly bold…”.
“I am sorry I wasn’t there. I would have been even nastier with her”.
Carmen chuckles slightly.
“You need to rest, you know that”.
“Yeah, I know”.
“Carm?”.
She sighs.
“Yeah…”.
“That was the last of my games…”.
“I know”.
“You’re my girl, right?”.
Carmen smiles.
“Yes, Shane, I’m your girl. Don’t fall asleep, I’m on my way”.
The Jaguar weaves through traffic and disappears into a sea of cars.
The Manhattan skyline outlines in the background.

The End