Another Alternative

Something gained.

"Mamrie!" I walked quickly over to her with rage in my heart. She saw me and stopped, completely dumbfounded.

"Do you really want to do this, Hannah?" Mamrie said with a certain annoyance in her tone. As if she couldn't bother to speak to me. "I mean, there are people here. Do you really want to expose this to everyone within earshot?"

"Yeah, I fucking do." As I approached her it occurred to me she might have difficulty taking me seriously considering our height difference. "What the hell is wrong with you? Grace was your friend. You really couldn't let this slide to keep the friendship?"

"No. I couldn't. It's unforgivable." She spoke with a sort of arrogance. As if to say "we both know why I'm doing this."

"Cut the crap, Mamrie." I was furious with her. I could hear my heart beating out my chest. "Can you honestly tell me this was about the gender and not the person?"

"Well, no. I've always been rather friendly to your people." She emphasized the word your and it pissed me off even more.

"Are you fucking serious? You're putting Grace through this because you hate me? What the hell did I ever do to you, Mamrie?" I clenched my fist and took a deep breath. I'd been mad at Mamrie for years but I never thought she was cruel.

"You act like you don't even remember." Her voice softened upon the realization that I didn't. "Wow. You've forgotten."

"Mamrie, whatever game you're playing I'm tired of it. I don't want to play anymore. You win." I was completely destroyed. This charade had been going for years with her. "I'm done trying to figure out what I ever did to you to make you hate me so much."

I turned around and began walking back to Grace, who was now leaning on a wall watching us. I smiled a bit when I saw her.

"January 16th, 1903." I heard Mamrie's voice behind me. "I was 19. You were 16. You tried to tell me about this. About how you didn't feel attracted to any of the boys you dated and that you could always spot the prettiest girl in the room. We were in public, so I asked who it was right then. You said-"

"I said you." I turned around, seeing the broken look on Mamrie's face. "I said you were the prettiest girl in the room."

"It scared me, Hannah." She let out a small laugh. "19 years old and my best friend has just expressed even the slightest crush on me. How was I supposed to feel?"

"Except," I took a step towards her. "I didn't have a crush on you. I loved you, that's for sure. But not like that. Your know who I did have a crush on? Lindsay. Do you even remember Lindsay?"

She burst into laughter. "Lindsay? Lindsay Johnson? As in, Tim Helbig's fiancé Lindsay Johnson?"

"You're kidding? Grace's brother?" I started laughing hysterically. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope. They're getting married next month." We both stopped laughing almost immediately.

"That's why we stopped being friends? Why you didn't let me work at your bar? You thought I was in love with you?" I stared at her with complete disbelief.

"Well, yeah. I was 19. I didn't understand. You made my skin crawl a bit." She genuinely looked apologetic.

"Mamrie, it's okay. I've hated you all these years because I thought you had decided you were too cool for me." I smiled at her and gestured for her to come with me.

"Are you sure Grace isn't mad at me?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Oh, she definitely is." I laughed. "But if you apologize, I'm sure it'll be alright."

"Okay." As we walked over to Grace, I smiled reassuringly at her so she'd know everything was fine.

"What do you say we blow this joint?" Mamrie suggested. "We already missed the show and I know this great bar downtown."

"Sounds good to me." I smiled and placed my arm around Grace. "Grace?"

"Yeah, I guess." She said uncomfortably.

"Good. Because you," she looked at Grace as she opened the car door. "deserve a drink.