Chapter 20

Yale – 1997

“What the fuck Bette?” Alice almost screamed.

“That I’m going to Oxford University in the UK at least for the next six months…” Bette repeated herself.

“No no… I heard that… it was a ret… you know what… you…” Alice sighed heavily before resuming her speech. “You can’t go… you just… you can’t run away like this… and leave us all behind by the way…”

“Give Bette a break will you Al? I mean do you think it’s easy for her as well?” Shane came to the brunette’s rescue. Bette slightly smiled at her in gratitude.

“Oh please… we both know why she’s doing this so don’t come in her defence… this has no excuse… running like this… it’s just… so… uncharacteristically of you Bette… come on!” Alice said getting more and more aggravated.

“Al… look I know but… it’s just something I feel the need to do… can’t you support me on this one? Please?” Bette switched from defeated eyes to puppy ones.

“No… don’t look at me like that… no… it ain’t gonna work Porter… you just can’t leave your friends and family like that… not over a girl… I won’t accept it”

“She’s not just a girl Al… and you know it… so why can’t you just understand the simple fact that maybe… and just maybe I need some time away from this place… for myself… to gain you know… some perspective…” Bette put her hand in her friend’s shoulder.

Alice looked pensive and for the first time since she had known her she was silent.

“I love you Bette and you are one of my best friends… but I just think that you can gain perspective in a month of holiday… or in the bathroom of your dorm… you don’t need to run away like if you did something wrong…” Alice looked extremely sad after that last statement.

“Well that’s one thing we have in common… I love you and you are also one of my best friends… and because I know that… I trust that you’ll understand my decision… plus you have a great excuse now to visit me in the UK…”