(17) Latest News

Chloe’s alarm clock went off the next morning at 6:15. She nudged Mimi, who slept like a rock through the blaring beeps. While Mimi was in the shower, Chloe dressed behind the door to avoid being seen through their curtainless/blindless window. She knocked on the door to forewarn Mimi of their situation. Mimi, feeling bold, stepped out the bathroom in her bath towel scrambled to pick out an outfit for the day. She rushed back into the bathroom.

Chloe opened the bedroom door and entered the dark living room. She found Brady in a deep sleep on the couch. She shut the door behind her and fumbled through the dark to the kitchen. She turned on the overhead stove light and poured herself a bowl of cereal. She ate quietly from the counter and rinsed her bowl. She returned to the bathroom she and Mimi hared to fix her hair, make-up and brush her teeth.

At 6:45, Mimi woke Brady. Brady sat up rubbing his eyes. Chloe waited by the door, noticing Brady’s evening-wear of t-shirt and boxers. Mimi handed him his jeans and coat. She jingled his keys as he dressed silently. Brady put on his hat and gestured for his keys. Mimi tossed them to him and went into the kitchen to grab a pot-tart from the cupboard. She met them at the door and locked it behind her.

On the way to the car, Chloe asked the yawning Brady how late he stayed up. He looked to Mimi, “I don’t know, it was about 1 or 2 by the time the movie finished.” Mimi nodded, “Yeah, about then.” Chloe’s eyes bulged in amazement, “You guys stayed up that late? I didn’t hear a thing once I went to bed. What were you watching?” Brady hit his remote to unlock the Mustang. “Uhh, when Ginny and I got there, Real Sex 204 or whatever number they’re at in the series was on. The three of us finished watching it and Ginny went to bed. Then ‘Deep Blue Ocean’ came on, so Mimi and I stayed up for that. It got over just before two I guess.”

Chloe climbed into the backseat when she seen Mimi take the front. “Mimi! Aren’t you tired as hell?” Mimi smiled and groaned in reply. She rolled down the window slightly and lit a cigarette. Brady flipped on QROCK and cleared his throat, “You need to quit that s--- Mimi. It gives you funk mouth.” Chloe did a double take when she noticed Mimi flicking her tongue playfully at him. Brady stared her, “Why don’t you put that nasty tongue of yours to use and lick my balls.” Chloe screamed in shock, “Brady!”

Mimi cracked up and looked back to her, “We’re just playing Chloe. We always talk to each other like this. In fact, you might want to get used to us. You should hear us at work.”
Brady chuckled from the front seat, “She’s right though, Chloe. She’s been hanging around Ginny and Pam so much that she’s become a full-fledged s--- talker.
Mimi laughed again when Brady turned to her and said, “It’s a good thing we have to wear those aprons.”
Chloe whimpered a “So much for sexual harassment discretion, huh?”

Brady looked at Chloe in the rearview mirror, “Trust me, we have to be REAL careful around certain people. It’s not like everyone hangs out around the waitress station talking dirty all night. Ginny’s the one that started it. One night we were totally swamped and everything and anything that could go wrong did. So she said something crazy to me in jest and it totally broke the ice. Humor is a big stress reliever when you’re under pressure. Now we got this secret crowd thing going on. Ginny’s the one that tests the water, so if anyone gets in trouble, it’s her. We don’t get that carried away with it, we’re all cool. We know to keep our mouths shut around the true pervs and narks.”
Chloe looked out the window and raised her eyebrows, “That’s great Brady. You guys are true professionals. I’ll remember that the next time I eat there.”

Brady pulled into the school parking lot. He found an empty stall and put the car into Park. He became serious as regarded the two girls. “You guys really need to tell Belle what’s going on. She was a little suspicious yesterday after I dodged where I was going. She’s going to be hurt that you kept this a secret, so be a little sympathetic. I could have told her yesterday, but I didn’t think it was my place. I’m sure she’ll freak out at first, but that’s understandable. Give her time to cool off. Like anyone, she’s really hard to talk to when she’s upset.”

Mimi nodded sadly. “I planned on telling her today for sure. I didn’t want to say anything before because I didn’t know if I was going to do it for sure.” Chloe sat forward, “Same with me.” Brady looked at both of them, “Whatever. Just explain it to her. The sooner the better.” Mimi reached over to kiss him on the cheek, “Ok baby, I will. Only if you promise to eat me.”
Brady smiled and adjusted his hat, “You still owe me a ride, remember?”
Mimi got out of the car, “Oooh, I forgot about that. How does Wednesday night sound?”
“I’ll pencil you in,” he quipped. He waved goodbye to a laughing Chloe.
She slammed the door after a yelling a “Bye” and joined Mimi.
*********
Belle stood at the school’s front entrance as she watched her two friends exit her brother’s car. Shawn watched the scene unfold from behind her and asked, “Is that Brady?” Belle nodded and glared at the two girls as they approached. “Hello,” she yelled out curtly. Chloe and Mimi stopped laughing and blushed at Belle’s hostile tone.
“Hi Belle,” they said weakly.
Belle looked back and forth between the now chummy enemies. “Am I missing something? Maybe I’m blind, but it looks to me like you guys are suddenly friendly with each other. Not only that, my BROTHER just dropped you off.”
Chloe and Mimi shifted nervously, avoiding her question. Shawn tapped Belle, “Hey, I’m gonna split. I got to talk to Philip about something. I’ll leave you alone.” Belle nodded shortly and whispered, “I’ll see you later.” She turned back to Mimi, waiting for an explanation. “So?”
Chloe swallowed and took the lead, “Yes, Mimi and I have mended our difference. We’re also…roomates.”
Belle shot Chloe a look of confusion, “What do you mean, roomates? She’s been out of your house for nearly two months now.”
“We moved out of our parents’ house yesterday,” Mimi spoke up. “We live in an apartment on the other side of town with Ginny.”
Belle, now confronted with the hurtful, threw her hands up in the air and stomped away.

Mimi went to follow her but Chloe held her back. “Remember what Brady said Mimi. She’s very upset, so let’s just give her time to absorb this.” Mimi sniffed and wiped the single tear rolling down her cheek, “I should have never kept this from her.”
“She’ll be ok Mimi. You know how Belle is. She’s sensitive, but she’s not the type to hold a grudge.”
“I don’t know Chloe. I’ve been best friends with her for a long time. I’ve never seen her this hurt and angry towards me.”
“Do you have any classes with her?”
“Not in the morning. Just the last class of the day.”
“I have one with her right after lunch. Why don’t you write her note and explain things. It will flow a lot easier that way. Give it to her by lunch if you can. That way she’ll have time to think about what you said before she sees you again.”
Mimi nodded, “I will. What about you?”
“I usually see her right after second period. I’ll ask her if we can talk in class.”
“Good luck.”
“Same to you.”
********
Shawn met Belle at her locker at lunch time. “How you doing?” he asked in genuine concern.
Belle slammed the locker shut, “About the same.”
“You want to go off campus to eat. I was thinking Pizza Hut.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Once in his car, he asked, “So did you get a chance to talk to them.”
“No, not really. I’ve basically been avoiding them.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m pissed Shawn.”
“Ok, ok! I’ll drop it then.”

Shawn let it go until they arrived at Pizza Hut. After the waitress brought their drinks and took their order, he decided to bring it up again. “They’re your best friends Belle.”
Belle huffed in irritation, “Are they? Because I’m really starting to doubt it these days. I feel like I don’t even know either one of them, ESPECIALLY Mimi. Ever since she got that job, she’s turned into a totally different person. I’ve never been able to figure Chloe out, so this doesn’t really surprise me coming from her.”
“There must be some kind of explanation.”
“You know there is.” She threw the long note Mimi handed to her after third period to Shawn.
He picked it up off his lap, “What does it say?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t read it.”
“Belle…”
“I’m not ready to yet. I’m still cooling down.”
“You should have at least read it. She’s obviously trying to explain this to you. Why won’t you at least give her a chance.”
“Whos side are you on anyway?”
“It’s not about taking sides Belle. I’m just trying to look at this from a logical perspective. Read the note and find out.”
“You read it!”
“It’s none of my business Belle. She addressed it to you.”
“It’s ok Shawn, I give you permission to look at it. In fact I insist that you do.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!”

Belle sipped on her drink as Shawn opened the note and read through the five pages. When he was finished, he folded it in half and handed it to her. “Now I know you should read it.”
“What does it say?”
“READ IT!”

Convinced by Shawn’s sincerity, Belle opened the note. As she read the note, her lip trembled as she held back her tears. She folded the note and put it in her purse. “What about Chloe?” Shawn asked.
“I saw her in the hall earlier. She asked if she could talk to me next period.”
“Are you going to?”
“I guess.”
“So do you understand where Mimi’s coming from now?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t make it right. I still think it’s a bad idea.”
“I totally agree with you, but that’s not the issue. They went ahead and did it, and it can’t be reversed. Even though it’s crazy, it’s not worth dissolving a friendship. The best thing you can do is accept their decision, but stand behind your own beliefs. If they care about you the way I think they do, they’ll accept that.”
“It’s funny because them moving out isn’t what upsets me most. It’s the fact that they felt they had to keep it a secret from me.”
“They probably did it because they knew you’d react this way.”
“Can you blame me?”
“No.”
“It hurts Shawn. And then there’s this thing with Brady. HE kept if from me too. I know he’s friends with them, but not to the point where he would hide this. Yesterday, I asked him what he was going in the morning. He couldn’t even look at me for such a simple question. He finally said, ‘I’m helping a couple friends move’, and left it at that.”
“I’m sure he wanted them to tell you instead of him.”

Belle scrunched down in the booth and regardedly Shawn sadly. Their personal pan pizzas arrived. Her appetite now completely gone, she pushed it off to the side. “Why is this happening?”
Shawn took a bite of his own pizza. He finished chewing and said, “Belle, it’s not the end of the world. You guys will work it out, I know you will.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Shawn reached for his napkin, “Look, all you have to do is listen to what they have to say, then tell them how you feel. If anything, you guys can agree to disagree. Then press on. Life’s to short to hold grudges, sweet thing.”
Belle smiled at him, “You’re pretty special you know that.”
Shawn reached for another slice hungrily. “I try.”
“You got it all figured out, don’t you?”
Shawn took a big bite and mumbled a mouthful of “I try,” again.

******
Chloe searched for Mimi in the cafeteria. She found her at a lone table, peering through the classifieds. Chloe took a seat next to her as she munched on her apple. “All right, what did you find?”
Mimi looked up, “For our price range, not very much. The only thing under a thousand dollars is an 87’ Honda Accord for $700 and a 66’Volkswagon Beetle for $600. The next closet thing would be a 90’ Pontiac Grand Am for $1950 OBO.”
“Ohh. That aint much. Tough decision. I say we go with the Honda.”
“Me too. Then the Grand Am, even it’s more expensive. The Bug is for last, last, last resort.”
Chloe giggled, catching her drift “No shit.”
Philip came up to their table, eyeing Chloe in earnest. “I had a very interesting conversation with Belle lat period. So it’s true then. You guys really did get an apartment together.”
Chloe and Mimi looked up from the newspaper. “Yes Philip, it’s true.”
“We’re you ever going to tell me about this?”
“Eventually, yes.”
“Is that why you’ve been blowing me off lately? Especially this weekend.”
“I haven’t been blowing you off Philip. I’ve just had a lot on my mind. And yes, I was busy this weekend. We just found the place on Saturday and we moved in yesterday.”
“Is it just you two?”
“No, we’re living with another girl that Mimi works with. It was her idea actually. She’s a senior at the university.”
He gave a fake smile and said, “Hmm, I see. That’s great, just great.”
He focused his attention on Chloe, “Can I talk to you alone please?”
Chloe blinked at him, “I’m in the middle of something right now. Can’t it wait?”
“No Chloe, it can’t.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and stood up. “I guess will talk about this later,” she breathed to Mimi.

They found another secluded table to talk. Philip sat directly across from to maintain contact. “What the hell i Chloe? Is there something going on that I don’t know about? Are you two like lesbians or something?”
Chloe, now appalled, was finished with the conversation already. “You are such an idiot Philip. Could you be more immature? Mimi and I are not lesbians. We’re just two girls with a common desire to live on our own. We’re roommates Philip. It’s that simple. You don’t have to be all dramatic and make it out to be something it isn’t.”
“You don’t have to insult me Chloe. Shit, what am I supposed to think? You’ve been acting distant for WEEKS, and then all the sudden you’re moving in with your worst enemy… Well second worst enemy next to Jan. Why can’t you see my point of view on this? I’m totally uninformed, so of course I’m going to jump to conclusions. It doesn’t make me an idiot.”
“Ok, I’m sorry I called you that. But I can’t believe you would assume I’m a lesbian.”
“That was an exaggeration Chloe. I didn’t mean it.”
“How was I supposed to know that? You said it with a straight face like you meant it.”
“Just forget I said it, ok!”
“Fine!” she yelled back irritably.
Philip rubbed his face in frustration. “Chloe, can you please tell me where we stand right now, because I have no idea. I really don’t.”

Chloe crossed her arms, “I don’t know Philip. You sit here and blame me for shutting you out, and yet all you’ve done is distrust me. You’ve assumed the worst in all aspects. Maybe if you didn’t get in my face every day about what’s wrong with me, I wouldn’t have made an effort not to say anything. But it’s like you pushed me to that. It makes me think that I’ve been having illusions about our relationship this whole time. It’s only good if everything is going just the way you want it to. If it doesn’t, then I’m the bitch, I’m the one with the problem. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to be frank- I don’t want to deal with it.” Chloe stood up and stared straight out the window as she said, “Right now, I need my space. I need to think… I’m sorry.”

Philip stood up and tried to get her to look at her. He finally gave up after a strong resistance. “Ok Chloe, I’ll give you whatever you want. If it’s to break up or whatever, then so be it,” he said sadly in defeat. Chloe, nodded, still not looking at him, “Thank you,” she whispered.

Philip sighed as he watched her go. Chloe returned to Mimi’s table, sitting with her back to him to him…