Chapter 37:

“Hey Bette.  How are you doing?”  

“Hey Karen.  I’m getting ready for my date with Tina.  What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you and Tina were going to that costume party tomorrow night?”

“Yeah Tina is pretty excited about it.  Are you going?”

“I guess so.  Melanie gave me a flyer the other day.  Do you know who’s house it’s going to be at?”

“Some transfer student named Elaine.”

“Elaine Martin from Trig class?”

“She’s in our Trig class?”

“Yeah, she is kind of shy.”

“Well she wasn’t shy when she approached me in the library to ask me to come to her shindig.”  Bette said thinking of the day she was given the invite.

“So are you and Desiree going together?”

“Yes, I’m going as Beyonce in her Crazy in Love phase.  I’m trying to talk Desi into going as Jay-z.”

“Oh boy.  That should be good.”
“I think so.  But she’s unsure about butching it up like that.  She wants to go  as a hot nurse.  So what is Tina going to wear?”

“I don’t know for sure.  She said it will be innocent and naughty at the same time.”

“Nice.  So what about you?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“B the party is tomorrow night.”

“I know.  I’m going shopping tomorrow.  I have a few ideas.  I want to be mysterious and sexy.”

“Mmm  Bette anything you wear will be sexy.  Trust me.”

“Are you flirting with me Kar?”

“Not flirting, just stating the obvious.  I’ll try to keep those thoughts to myself. I’m sorry.”

“Karen what’s wrong?  It’s me, you can speak your mind.”

“I know it’s just that…”

“Just what?”

“I have to get used to the idea that our friendship has changed.”

“Kar we’re still good friends.”
“Yes Bette.  Good friends and nothing more.  And while we have been in this state many times before, now it just feels different.  I feel like Tina is really the one and it’s just something I have to accept.”

“Thanks for sharing that with me.  You’re right, I feel like she’s the one too.  Will it help if I don’t talk about Tina and I so much?”
“No B, you actually have been great.  I never fell like you are rubbing your relationship in my face.  How could you possibly know that I was not totally honest with you 2 years ago when you asked if I had fallen in love with you.  But I’m not now, so don’t worry about me.”