“Thanks for your help, Helena.  And thanks for this talk.  I think we cleared the air.”

“Friends?”

“I’m unemployed and my reputation has been sullied, Helena.  Friends?  I don’t think I’m there yet, but in time, I suppose we could be.”

* * * * * *

About an hour later

Helena’s land line phone rang.  She wondered if Bette had forgotten to ask something else and picked up right away.

“Hello.”

“Fuck,” the voice said with pure frustration.  “Is this Helena Peabody?”  Helena’s eyes enlarged as she listened to the sound of traffic and soft utterances of complaint.  “Shit.  Helena is this you?  It’s Alice.  Pieszcecki.” 

“Oh, hello, Alice.  Where are you?  It sounds like you’re calling from the freeway.”

“No, goddamn it.”  There was another moment of silence from the woman, then she heard her tearfully explain, “I’m on PCH.  I was on my way to San Francisco…”

“San Francisco?  Why?”

Crying, Alice moaned.  “I don’t know.  I wanted to get out of the city.  I just decided.”

“Alice, it’s after midnight.  San Francisco is a good 6 or 7 hour drive if you’re speeding.”

“I was speeding.  I can’t take it.  Everything reminds me of Dana.  We broke up.  Did you hear?”

“Alice, where are you now?  Still on Pacific Coast Highway?”

“Yeah, shit.  You know that vintage Hermes scarf you gave me?  Well, I’m riding down the road and I’m wearing the scarf, right?”  She paused to think about the scarf.  “Cause it does make me feel better usually, to wear it and….  So, then a big gust of wind sort of comes through and pulls the scarf back and I know that it’s going to get caught in the wheel or something and strangle me.”

“Strangle you?  The scarf isn’t that long, Alice.”

“Wasn’t, but I could see how a freak accident could happen.  I mean, you know, that’s how James Dean died.  He got strangled on PCH, by his racing scarf.  Cut him down in the prime of life—forever remembered for just three films—East of Eden, Giant, and Rebel Without a Cause.  You know that right?”  Alice was saying all of this between sobs and tears.

“That simply isn’t true, Alice.”

“It is totally true, Helena.  Someone at Los Angeles Weekly did a whole series on celebrity deaths.  That’s how James Dean died.”

“I believe you’re confusing him with the dancer, Isadora Duncan.  She did die that way, but on the Riviera and in the 1920s.”

“Oh, yeah, right.  Isadora Duncan.  Anyway, I was trying to get the stupid scarf from around my neck and drove off the road and plowed right into someone’s van and fence.  Shit.  I don’t think I’m far from your house.  Can you come get me?  My car is fucked up. I know I’m in Malibu.  Wait a second.”  Helena heard the background sounds become a bit louder and then she heard Alice’s booming voice, “Hey.  Hey.  Where the hell am I?”

“Alice?  Alice?”  Helena shouted into the phone.

“I’m near Topanga Beach.  There’s a convenience store across the street.  It’s the 18000 block of PCH.  I’ll wait for you at the store.  It’s fuckin’ freezing, Helena, so hurry, okay?”

* * * * *

Stephanie Kennard talks about gay marriage and adoption (Season 3, Episode 2—David Porter insulting his aunt and aunt’s lover in their home—judgmental, holier than thou bastard)

Bette confides in Tina that she’s worried about their situation (Season 3, Episode 2)

Kit meets Angus (Season 3, Episode 2)

Helena and Alice become friends (Season 3, Episodes 1, 2, 3 especially)