optimistic, announcing she had been cancer-free for fourteen months. There had been a big hullabaloo down on the beach that night, complete with a celebratory bonfire.
“And now she’s gone.”
Allison had said Suzanne was taking Denise’s death really hard. She could only imagine. Denise and Suzanne had been childhood friends just like her, Dena, and Frannie. Inseparable. She unfurled her rotund self from the couch, washed down the ice cream sandwich mess off the patio, pulled out a box of Thin Mints, and remembered she needed to call Dena and Frannie. This was not going to be easy. She placed a three-way call…she couldn’t imagine having to repeat the story twice. The three of them talked and cried for over an hour.
“How did we let this happen? We did so good for what, ten years?” Frannie’s nasal voice sounded like she had been pinching her nose instead of crying uncontrollably. “She’d been in remission for about a year the last time we were together, right?”
“Fucking lung cancer.” Dena sounded like she could bite through metal.
“Dena!” both Frannie and Janie harped.
“Well, deal with it.” Dena huffed. “That sweet thing didn’t even smoke.”
“She did have a cigarette every time she had to get us back in at curfew.” Janie had finished half the box of Thin Mints.
“I hardly think that’s enough to give her fu….” Dena paused. “Cancer.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Frannie said. “Giving Denise an occasional reason to smoke a cigarette doesn’t make me feel as guilty as us not staying in touch.”
“We’re a bunch of low-class morons,” Dena fumed. “Shame on us.”
“Stop it, I feel bad enough.” Frannie blew her nose, causing Janie to pull her ear away from the phone. “We’ll do it. We’ll get together for Denise.”
“So, we’re on? Two weeks from this weekend? Everybody’s calendar clear?” Janie ran her tongue around her upper teeth, working to dislodge bits of mint cream and chocolate.
“Allison taking care of the others? What about Piper?” Dena asked.
“Yeah, she said she’d take care of Piper, whatever that means.” Janie half-chuckled. “I got you guys. And Suzanne’s not a problem, but Allison’s gotta deal with Piper and Regina.”
“Tell Allison I’ll help if she has a problem with either of those two hellions,” Dena said. “Never mind, give me her number, I’ll call her myself.”
Chapter 14
Frannie – 1992
Life hadn’t turned out the way she’d thought it would. But then again, that was not a totally accurate statement. She would actually have had to have a plan for it to not turn out right. A plan that took her past high school. Crap. Life had taken many twists and turns, mostly by her own, uh…what should she call them? Oh yeah, mistakes. But freeing herself from the “people-pleaser-always-put-others-first-goodie-two-shoes” persona had its price.
She hadn’t really started acting out until her parents had lowered the boom about not being able to continue college after her sophomore year. Just in time for her brother, Tim, to start at Sam.
“And with a car? He’s going off to college with a damn car? This is beyond ridiculous. Do you know how hard it’s been for me to not have any transportation for the last two years?” Using her fury to cover her hurt feelings, she slung bitterness toward her parents that resembled a Linda Blair scene from The Exorcist . The look of horror on her parents’ faces confirmed she’d probably gone too far, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I can’t believe you actually don’t think I deserve an education. And I’m sick of hearing about Denny every time I come home.” Unleashed, Cat 5 Frannie hurled emotionally charged debris all through her parents’ house.
Still clinging to the fantasy Frannie and Denny were meant for each other, her mother had never stopped with the not-so-subtle hints.
“I hear Denny isn’t seeing that cheerleader
“And now she’s gone.”
Allison had said Suzanne was taking Denise’s death really hard. She could only imagine. Denise and Suzanne had been childhood friends just like her, Dena, and Frannie. Inseparable. She unfurled her rotund self from the couch, washed down the ice cream sandwich mess off the patio, pulled out a box of Thin Mints, and remembered she needed to call Dena and Frannie. This was not going to be easy. She placed a three-way call…she couldn’t imagine having to repeat the story twice. The three of them talked and cried for over an hour.
“How did we let this happen? We did so good for what, ten years?” Frannie’s nasal voice sounded like she had been pinching her nose instead of crying uncontrollably. “She’d been in remission for about a year the last time we were together, right?”
“Fucking lung cancer.” Dena sounded like she could bite through metal.
“Dena!” both Frannie and Janie harped.
“Well, deal with it.” Dena huffed. “That sweet thing didn’t even smoke.”
“She did have a cigarette every time she had to get us back in at curfew.” Janie had finished half the box of Thin Mints.
“I hardly think that’s enough to give her fu….” Dena paused. “Cancer.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Frannie said. “Giving Denise an occasional reason to smoke a cigarette doesn’t make me feel as guilty as us not staying in touch.”
“We’re a bunch of low-class morons,” Dena fumed. “Shame on us.”
“Stop it, I feel bad enough.” Frannie blew her nose, causing Janie to pull her ear away from the phone. “We’ll do it. We’ll get together for Denise.”
“So, we’re on? Two weeks from this weekend? Everybody’s calendar clear?” Janie ran her tongue around her upper teeth, working to dislodge bits of mint cream and chocolate.
“Allison taking care of the others? What about Piper?” Dena asked.
“Yeah, she said she’d take care of Piper, whatever that means.” Janie half-chuckled. “I got you guys. And Suzanne’s not a problem, but Allison’s gotta deal with Piper and Regina.”
“Tell Allison I’ll help if she has a problem with either of those two hellions,” Dena said. “Never mind, give me her number, I’ll call her myself.”
Chapter 14
Frannie – 1992
Life hadn’t turned out the way she’d thought it would. But then again, that was not a totally accurate statement. She would actually have had to have a plan for it to not turn out right. A plan that took her past high school. Crap. Life had taken many twists and turns, mostly by her own, uh…what should she call them? Oh yeah, mistakes. But freeing herself from the “people-pleaser-always-put-others-first-goodie-two-shoes” persona had its price.
She hadn’t really started acting out until her parents had lowered the boom about not being able to continue college after her sophomore year. Just in time for her brother, Tim, to start at Sam.
“And with a car? He’s going off to college with a damn car? This is beyond ridiculous. Do you know how hard it’s been for me to not have any transportation for the last two years?” Using her fury to cover her hurt feelings, she slung bitterness toward her parents that resembled a Linda Blair scene from The Exorcist . The look of horror on her parents’ faces confirmed she’d probably gone too far, but she couldn’t stop herself. “I can’t believe you actually don’t think I deserve an education. And I’m sick of hearing about Denny every time I come home.” Unleashed, Cat 5 Frannie hurled emotionally charged debris all through her parents’ house.
Still clinging to the fantasy Frannie and Denny were meant for each other, her mother had never stopped with the not-so-subtle hints.
“I hear Denny isn’t seeing that cheerleader
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