Lara?  Surf and tuff?  Quin asked her attention finally snapping on.  She felt her cell phone vibrating, but
ignored it.  Knowing it was either her
mother, her sister or Alice.  Whod left her three messages already
today.  Quin had walked away from their
house in Seattle,
leaving Alice
there without another word.  Let her simmer, Quin thought.

            Surf and turf,
lobster and steak, Quin.  Yeah, ever
since Lara bought the Planet from Kit
and Marina, weve been hanging around with her a
lot lately.  Dana
said, realizing that Quin didnt quite seem herself today.  Where is Al?  Dana finally
asked the question that everyone else was thinking.

            Daisy muttered
something under her breath in Spanish, and Ro slapped her arm lightly.  Carmen
made a face, whispering.

            Someone is talking
trash about their Mami 

            Thats your mother
youre talking about, dont you dare say that again.  You had to teach her Spanish, huh, Rosita.  Quin said through clenched teeth.  Ro blushed, blowing a strand of her silken
hair from her eyes.

            You have got to be
kidding me!  Daisy blared; losing her
temper for a moment, a reassuring hand on Daisys hand from Ro calmed her down.

            Daze why are you
angry at Alice?  Cassandra asked.  No one knew about Quin and Alices
separation.  Theyd kept it a secret,
Quin to angry about how and why it had happened, and Alice to embarrassed about
it.  Going their separate way, without
telling any of their closest friends.

            You know what, lets
not talk about it, ok?  Quin asked
softly, looking down at her plate, thinking for a moment, and then adding.  I think Im going to go.  Im not feeling well.  Everyone chimed in, asking Quin if she was
ok, and Quin waved it off.  Guys,
really its nothing.

            Why wont you tell
them?  Daisy asked angrily.  She stood and Quin cast her green eyes up at
the sky, still bright blue, an hour away from sunset.  There was to be no solace there, Quin
realized that coming here was a mistake. 
These were Alices friends, even her family, in Daisy, she should have
cut her loses, run away, but she hadnt. 

            Cuz I dont want  Quin said quietly.

            Alice cheated on,
Quin.  Then she left for a week, ran away,
and hid like a coward.  Daisy announced,
When she came back, she was pissed that Quin was leaving Seattle.  The table grew quiet.  Quin let out a long, tired sigh.