Summary of the previous chapter: Alex arrives at Milk and dances with both Tina and Helena. Bette arrives.

Bette and Alex continued to talk for a few minutes before deciding to go out on the dance floor themselves. Alex was right when she said that she was a lousy dancer, but she enjoyed being with Bette. The dancing gave the two ample opportunity to observe Tina and Helena and make snide remarks to each other about how they hated Lady ***** Bells.

Alex and Bette eventually took a break and sat down at the table with Alice and Dana who were also taking a break. Kit switched the music to some new techno rap which sent Tina and Helena back to the table as well.

The six women sat around the table rather uncomfortable with the pairings of four of the six people. Dana and Alice were the only happy couple, though they still were not acknowledging that they were a couple. They decided to try to help out by making conversation.

You know, Alex, Dana started, in all of the years that Ive known you, I dont think Ive ever heard the story of how you and Bette became such close friends.
Alice shot Dana a look that let her know that her questions wasnt the best she could have chosen.

Alex settled back with her drink and began. Bette and I lived in the same hood a block apart. We knew each other at school, but we werent particularly close. Anyway, one afternoon a bunch of neighborhood kids were out playing and Bette was there. This group of kids starting giving her a hard time about having a black father. I thought that they were being ***** and I went to defend Bette. Things escalated and Bette finally picked up a rock to throw at the kids. Back then, she threw like a girl and I suspect she still does.

Tina chuckled and said, yeah, before getting a glare from Helena.
The rock missed the kids and went right into this old mans window. I dont remember his name, but he was a mean old man. He called our parents.

Bette took up the story, I was terrified of what my father would say.

Alex interrupted to continue. I could tell she was pretty upset so, when the parents came, I said that I had thrown the rock. Now, Dana you probably would have liked my mother.

Why? Dana asked questioningly.

Because she had one ***** of a back hand. Come to think of it, Alex said as she rubbed her cheek in memory, she had one ***** of a forehand also.

Bette took up the story, our parents dragged us home. My father gave me a lecture about hanging out with riff-raff and I could see Alexs mom drag her home.

Alex took over again. My mother was definitely displeased with me, a fact that she communicated quite thoroughly to my back side. When I went to school the next day, I decided that I should become good friends with Bette. I had already taken a heck of a licking for her and I figured that meant I already had a significant amount invested in the *****.

I figured that I wanted this girl for a friend. Bette said. When I saw her take that slap across the face for something that I had done knowing that the only reason she was even there was because she was defending me, I knew I had found loyalty.

She took more than just a slap. Dana reminded Bette.

Oh, I didnt know about that until years later. Alex never told me until we were adults what had happened when her mom got her home.

Youre wrong, Alex. Dana said to her. I dont think I would have liked your mom.

Thats okay, Dana. She didnt really like me either.

Why?

Well, in a nutshell, I was a difficult birth and in the process of getting me out, the doctors did so much damage that my mother could not have anymore children. I think she always blamed me for that.

It wasnt your fault.

I know, but mother wasnt always reasonable. My father worked two jobs, so he was never home. My maternal grandparents didnt like my father; in all my mother was an unhappy woman. Thats why I didnt like being home and spent as much time as possible at Bettes house.

No one had yet commented on the fact that Alex did not use her nickname for Bette in front of Helena.

Alex continued. The fact that my mother was not happy tended to compound matters when Bette and I got caught. If my father happened to be home, he would laugh it off and say we were kids. If my mother was the one home when we got caught, there was punishment. I was lucky a few times when Dad did intervene to tone down the punishment, like the time we got caught smoking.

Bette chuckled at the memory. We were twelve. Alex had gotten some of her grandfathers cigarettes: Camel unfiltered.

Several voices said, ewww.

Anyway, no one in my family smoked and only Alexs grandfather smoked so we didnt realize how obvious the smell would be. We were sitting in the back of my house thinking we couldnt be seen, not realizing that the windows were open. Daddy recognized the smell and came out to find us.

Alex took over the story. My mother, who did get along well with Melvin, wanted us grounded for six months. My father intervened and got in down to a month. Bette and I werent allowed to see each other, talk to each other, or call each other. We both had to come straight home from school.

Didnt you see each other at school?

No, by then Bettes dad had already put her in private school to get her away from me. Anyway, Bette and I couldnt stand the idea of a month completely separated. So, I came up with a plan. Kit was our mule.

Huh?

It was Bettes turn to share the memory. Daddy was quite sure that if I had to spent a month completely separate from Alex that I would make new friends and she would be out of my life. He didnt count on Kit. Alex set up a plan with Kit so that everyday, Alex would give Kit a letter to give to me and I would give her a letter to give to Alex. We wrote each other every single day for a month.
When the month was over, the first thing I did was to remind Daddy and ask if Alex could come over. His face fell.

Alex spoke. I kept those letters for years.

By this point, the music had changed, drinks had been emptied, and everyone either went back to dancing or ordered another drink. The evening continued as such until everyone was exhausted. Alex and Bette split a cab which dropped Alex off at her hotel before taking Bette home for the night. Tina left with Helena. No one noticed Alice and Dana leave together. Shane had disappeared with a cute, petite, redhead.