Chapter 7

"I called Ash today," Susanne said. They were all sprawled about in the living room, with empty popcorn bowls, candy wrappers, and half-full chip bags strewn among them. "That's okay, right, Jess? We only talked for ten minutes or so. It shouldn't cost that much." In response, Jess shrugged. She couldn't do much else, considering she was in the middle of trying to fit as many pieces of popcorn in her mouth as possible. Betsy held the record at 40, and it was taking Jess an extra long time, because she kept laughing, and almost choked twice.

"You guys are all going to die if you don't stop that," warned Pam from her spot on the couch.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Katrie asked. She had tried to play earlier, but had given up on account of laughing and coughing hard enough to turn beet red. "I think we'd be able to save Jess' life if she started choking. Don't you?"

"Probably not, since none of us ever learned CPR," Pam said.

"Actually, if I remember correctly, didn't we all sign up for that class back in college?" asked Susanne. "But then it turned out that it was on the same day as a concert that Jess really wanted to go to, so she convinced us all to ditch and go there instead?"

"Her past sins will be her own undoing," Betsy replied. "Poor Jess." The woman in question was narrowing her eyes at the others. If she wasn't a mere nine kernels away from beating the record, she probably would've spit her mouth contents at them.

@*@*@

"May I ask you something, Bets?" It was the next afternoon, and Susanne had just barged in on Betsy in Jess' library/computer/work room. She had been lounging at the long computer desk, skimming over childhood memory type books and feeling very cozy in her flannel pajamas and slippers.

"Anything, Susie-Q," Bets replied, looking up from the book. Susanne cringed at the much hated nickname, but continued on anyway.

"What's with the pajamas? It's already one thirty in the afternoon, for crying out loud," she asked.

"It's one of those days, I think," Betsy said, adding a certain whimsical tone to her voice. "One where not only can you not bear to change your clothes, you actually change back into your PJ's after you take a shower. It's all in the mind set. Today's destined to be a lazy day."

"All right, whatever you say." Susanne, who was dressed to lie around anyway, with a purple sweatshirt and blue jeans, had lost interest in the subject at hand, and began studying the books on the shelves lining the walls. "Where did she get all these books?"

Betsy smiled and closed the book she had been reading. "I know, isn't it amazing? I mean, she has every book she ever loved as a kid- Dr. Suess, Roald Dahl, Padington Bear, Winnie the Pooh, Betsy Tacy and Tib, Alice in Wonderland, the Grimm Brothers and all that stuff, and then she has everything by Salinger, those weird "Ishmael" books she couldn't get enough of, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, tons of Madeline L'Engle and Anne McCaffrey and Maeve Binchy, Jane Austin..."

"Except for Sense and Sensibility. She always hated that story, remember?"

"How could I forget? There's also every single Star Wars series, and a bunch of Orson Scott Card, I think," Betsy finished, and Susanne turned to give her a slightly quizzical look. "OK, so I've been looking at her books all day. So sue me." Instead, Susanne giggled and turned back.

"Hm, that's interesting," she murmured, after skimming the books next to the Jane Austin collection.

"What?" Betsy hadn't noticed anything 'interesting' about them at all, besides the fact that they were there in the first place, so her curiosity was peaked.

"Well, she has the Anne of Green Gables series here, but it's not complete. She's missing the last book," Susanne replied.

"So? I don't see why that's so interesting."

"All her other series are complete, I just find it odd that this one isn't it. It was one of her favorites, after all," she said. "She practically saw herself as Anne, you know."

"Didn't we all, though?" Betsy asked. "Or at least wish to be? Back then, anything was better than cramming for tests and taking notes. Especially when your mind's alternative was moving to the country and picking flowers for a living. And that Gilbert Blithe- what girl didn't want him? The name says it all, don't you think?"

"Now you're just being silly, pajama girl." The voice at the door startled them, and they both gave little yelps of fear. "And what are you two doing, snooping around my book shelves and mocking my Gilbert?"

"Just wondering why you don't have the last book to that series, Jess," Susanne replied.

"I can't believe you noticed that, Susie," Jess said. "There's no real reason. I just haven't picked it up anywhere in the last three years. I always mean to, though. It is the best book of the entire series, I think."

"And why is that?" Betsy asked. "I never really read past the first one, and I would hate it if it turned out I started at the wrong end of the story."

"Oh, no, the first one's all well and good for the person who never read the second through the fifth," Jess replied, laughing. "But the sixth wraps it up. This is when Anne and Gilbert get their perfect house and start a family, and open a whole new beautiful chapter in their lives. It's so much fun to read, because you can always dream about how one day it will all happen to you, and you'll live happily ever after in a house will an awesome name just like Anne did. Very romantic, I think." Susanne and Betsy were looking at her critically. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you just really have to get out of the house more, darling," Susanne said, resting an arm on Jess' shoulder in mock-support.

"Oh, leave me alone," cried Jess. "It's healthy to have dreams, isn't it?"

"Sure, but geez, Jess," replied Betsy. "This is a dream, you know?"

"This coming from someone who's been in Africa for the past two years?" Betsy was obviously taken aback, and spent a moment trying to come back with an intelligent response. Finally, she settled for a scowl of resentment before all three burst into laughter.

@*@*@

"What are they cackling about now?" Pam sat back on her heels and looked up at the open window above them.

"Who knows?" replied Katrie, looking up from where she was playing tug-a-war with one of the pups. "When have they ever needed a reason to cackle?"

"True." She picked up the dog sniffing her knees and held it to her face. "Too, too true."

"So you most definitely quit, then?" Katrie asked, making a very quick change of subjects.

"That's right." Pam smiled. "I'm officially on my own. A free agent, if you will."

"And now you're going to become one of those introverted, moody, starving artist types, right?"

"Is there any other way to live?" asked Pam.

"What kind of stuff are you going to write?" asked Katrie, smiling. "Poetry? Prose? Science fiction? Fantasy? Non-fiction? Drama? Comedy?" She paused here, looking at the smirk on her friend's face. "Oh, come on. I know you've thought about it. Tell me what you're writing!"

"Well, I was considering this one idea, but I don't know if I can actually write it or not," Pam said as she put down the puppy and watched it run to its siblings. "It's silly, I think. Straight from a heart-warming children's novel or something. Except this would have to be for a more...intellectual audience, I think."

"Would you stop criticizing it and tell me, for Christ sake?" Katrie exclaimed.

"Oh my, I suppose I'd better if you're going to get so pushy about it," Pam replied. "OK, so I was thinking about it a lot last night, and I finally decided to write about the one thing I know all about."

"Oh, no. I am not letting you write a book on politics," Katrie warned. "I'm sorry, but it is not happening, deary."

"Not politics!" Pam cried. "Ugh, anything but that! No, I wanted to write a book about friendship. You know, a really sappy novel based on our group. Wouldn't it be incredible?"

After a second of careful consideration, Katrie burst out laughing. "And you think this would be geared toward an 'intellectual' audience? It's a great idea, but it sounds very 'Judy Blume' to me, don't you think?"

"No, I think intellectuals will have the most to gain from it," argued Pam. "At least, the way I'm planning on telling it." Her eyes lit up, and a devilish chuckle escaped from her lips.

"Oh really?" Katrie was suspicious. "Do tell."

"Well, it's not going to be exactly our tale, you understand," Pam replied, with a scholarly tone to her voice. "I'm considering adding some action. You know, something simple. Murder, mystery, intrigue, romance, super-secret agents, plots for world-domination- your basic thriller. Adds some spice to what would otherwise be a rather dull read, don't you think?"

"As long as you let us be the good guys and change our bodies if you decide to put us in Spandex," Katrie said. "I'm fine with whatever your wacky mind thinks up."

"Good," Pam replied. "So I guess that means you won't mind if I decide to let your character be kidnapped by traveling gypsies, and then fall in love with their secret alien leader, right?" Katrie's eyes widened a bit, and she was dumbfounded for a minute.

"Well, is he cute?" The puppies cocked their heads at the loud noises suddenly erupting from the human's mouths.

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