“I’m not three, TK… but I did.” She reached for the plate and snatched a fork out of Tina’s hand. However, she didn’t tuck in until Bette returned with a bottle of syrup. “I suppose you both want to know why I am here and why I am so sad.”

Bette and Tina exchanged looks, before turning back to Alice and nodding.

So, Alice began her lengthy and detailed story about why she’d turned up at Bette’s house with several boxes of tissues in tow. Rarely did she let Bette or Tina interrupt her, but eventually she finished and sat back against the couch, blowing her nose noisily into a tissue.

“Well…” Bette glanced over at Tina, silently pleading for help. When she didn’t receive any, she turned back to Alice and forced a smile. “Would you like us to talk to Dana?”

Tina chose to intervene then.

“No, no… Absolutely not.” She shook her head furiously, accompanied with a shake of a pointed finger. She resembled a mother, telling off her child. “We’re not to get involved, babe. It is up to them to sort it out. What if Dana feels bad and pretends to like Alice? What would happen to Alice when she finds out her true feelings?”

Alice was very keen to protest, but Bette did see Tina’s point.

“I suppose…”

“What?” Alice exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at her best friend. “What do you mean ‘I suppose’?”

Bette slinked further into Tina, who rolled her eyes and leant closer to Alice. “You and Dana need to sort it out. If you want, we can invite her around but then we’ll disappear into the bedroom.”

Alice shook her head and mumbled something incoherent under her breath, before rising to her feet and gathering up the tissues.

“I’ll just go see her, I suppose. I don’t think she’d come around if I ring her.”

“Are you going to be okay, Alice?” Tina asked softly, carefully.

She disappeared into the kitchen to dispose of her tissues, and then appeared at the front door. “I’ll see you guys some other time. Thanks for the pancakes.” She waved towards the plate of pancakes that had not been eaten. “I’ll ring you and update you of the situation.”