Dalice Snippet!
As promised ~
Enjoy!!
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I found her. She was sitting on the swings and staring into space. Like she always does when something is wrong.
May as well ask. "What's up?"
I got a simple (and expected) response.
"Nothing."
That was clearly a lie. But that's alright. Alice talks when she wants to... and that's practically all the time. She'll open up when she feels ready to.
"Ok." I sat down on the empty swing next to her. "You sure?"
"Yeah," Alice replied. Her voice sounded weird. Hurt. Kind of hollow-sounding, and completely devoid of emotion. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."
Don't we all... especially lately. We've all been through so much since Steph came back into our lives. Most of it has been bad. Not saying that it's all been Steph's fault or anything. It just mostly is.
"Me too."
"Yeah?"
I don't really want to talk about the most obvious thing. The thing she's clearly thinking about. It's too complicated. Too hard. I decided to bring up something else. Something else that's almost equally as hard. It's been weighing on me for far too long, though. "I can't help but wonder whether we're making a mistake here."
Alice broke eye contact with the empty air in front of her when I said that. She turned to face me (finally) and asked me what I meant by that. To which I hesitated briefly, before responding with this: "I feel like we're rushing into this too fast."
Alice frowned. "What are you saying, Dylan? You don't want to be with me?"
"No, no! Of course, I want to be with you," I quickly tried to save the situation. "How could I not, right?"
Alice laughed at this. Mission accomplished.
Hearing her laugh almost makes me feel lighter. Like all the problems and worries weighing on my mind lift off slightly, if only for a short while.
"I just can't help but wonder whether this is the right time or not," I tried to explain. "I mean, I've literally just broken up with Aisha, and we're both still grieving Mary. Are we even seeing each other for the correct reasons?"
Alice nodded thoughtfully, taking in everything I just said. "I see," she said. "I've wondered that, too. Between my sister's death and Aisha, it really does feel like we're both trying to fill voids in our lives, doesn't it?"
The mental weight was coming back. I went on. "I think you deserve better than that, that's all. Something real. You shouldn't feel like the only reason I'm with you is because I need rebound or anything."
"Oh, I don't feel like that, Dylan."
"I know, but- wait, really?"
"No," Alice shrugged. "I mean, we liked each other long before any of this started."
That is true.
I guess I'd just been feeling guilty this whole time. Seeing Ally made me feel better about all the difficult stuff we've been facing lately. She was like a safe haven from all the darkness that keeps flooding into my life, which is useful when trying to turn over a new leaf and be a better and more patient, happy person. I started only really seeing her as that. A tool. Safety. Seeing her purely in this light was starting to bother me... it weirdly made me forget what led to me falling for her in the first place.
Luckily for me, she is pretty good at reminding people of what they forgot.
"We can just continue how we were. Like we always have been," Alice went on. "We can still like each other and be there for each other. Like the calm in each other's storms, you know? It doesn't have to be about filling voids; maybe it's just about finding comfort in each other."
"That sounds good to me," I smiled.
So that's one problem taken care of.
"Me too," Alice smiled back at me. "I mean, when you're surrounded by people that do nothing but lie and betray everyone around them, you need people close to you that you can trust."
...Alright then. That wasn't subtle at all.
I knew we needed to address the other big problem. The one I didn't want to address. The drama between Bret, Stephanie, and the rest of the group had been quietly hanging over us since we found out about it not too long ago. Alice's anger, especially toward Steph, was palpable.
I still really, really didn't want to go into it. But I knew that I had to do something, so I said this: "Sometimes I feel like our lives would make an epic soap opera."
Alice chuckled. "A show that never ends. Steph's bullcrap could provide content that could probably last a whole lifetime of quality television."
We both uncomfortably laughed at this. Because on the one hand, it is funny! Kind of. But it's also so... so damn hard. I love Stephanie, but it sucks to be her friend sometimes.
"Ally?"
"Yeah?"
I sighed. I had no idea where to start, but I just knew that this had to be said. For her, but also for me. We both needed to hear this. "You know we're not them, right? Just because we're friends with Bret and Steph doesn't mean that we need to feel guilty. Or responsible for all the bad choices they make. We are our own people. We can make our own choices."
Alice's hollow, pained voice came back as she said, "I know. I just hate this so much."
"Me too."
"What the hell were they thinking?!"
Good question, Ally. I'm still searching for the answer to that myself. I didn't say that, though. Didn't think it would be helpful here... the girl clearly needs to rant.
She shook her head, struggling to find the right words. "I cannot believe Stephanie. How could she do this to Ben?! I love Ben so much... he's such a good guy. He's like, the closest thing I've ever had to a brother. And he was such a great husband to Steph, too. He doesn't deserve any of this, and she just-"
"I mean, it's not just her. Bret's involved, too."
"Oh, do NOT get me started on him. We'll be here all day."
"Ok."
She sighed. "I just don't get it. Nothing is ever good enough for her, is it? She can't just have one practically perfect husband - she needs her best friend's boyfriend as well. Bret and Elise were great together, and now it's just... it's all wrong."
"Look, Ally. I'm not defending what they did, but you know Steph. You know how she is. She's got this tangled web of her own, and sometimes, she doesn't see the damage until it's too late," I said, trying to offer a new perspective.
"Doesn't make it right!"
"I know, I know. I'm just saying."
"It hurts to see Ben like this, that's all. El, too. She loved Bret so much, and Steph was her best friend. Imagine your best friend betraying you like that, Dylan."
"El technically broke up with Bret before he and Steph did their thing, though."
"Why are you doing this?
I was super confused by her sudden anger. "What?"
"Taking their side! They're literally tearing us apart!"
Not entirely a wrong way to think. Because hell, they are tearing us apart. Ben left home and has yet to even tell us where he's at. And I'm pretty sure they broke Ellie. I don't know how to explain it, but everything about her seems wrong now. Her eyes don't have any light behind them anymore, her demeanour seems devoid of any genuine joy or energy. She's become a shell of her old self.
Sometimes I miss the old days when our friend group could be a source of strength and support. Coming together to make each other better, instead of causing each other pain.
"Ok... I get it, Ally. I do. But Bret's our friend too."
"Is he?"
Yes, Alice. He is. And Steph... well, she's got her own demons. They're not perfect-"
"Damn right, they're not. Far from it."
"None of us are. But we're friends, and I believe they're capable of coming back from this. They may not be innocent, but they're not irredeemable either."
And it's true. They're not!
At least, I hope they're not.
Alice had only one thing to say in response to that.
"You're a much better person than me, bro."
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BAD SISTERS (2022-)
“We just look out for each other, like we always have. Right?”
“Always.”
[ID: ten gifs from Bad Sisters showing various scenes in which the sisters are comforting one another. ID credit to @dagswaniels!
A shot of Becka and Eva. Becka is teary and leaning into Eva who has her arms around her, a protective look on her face.
By the Forty Foot, Eva gets up from where she sits and Bibi hugs her.
Ursula and Grace are sitting beside one another at the dining room table in Eva's house. Grace is leaned over, her head on folded arms, and Ursula reaches out to gently grasp Grace's arm.
On a park bench, Ursula is wiping tears from her eyes as a sympathetic Becka sits next to her, arms around Ursula's shoulders as she leans into her shoulder.
At Eva's table again, a shot shows Grace with Becka and Ursula on either side of her. Becka, whose arm is hooked in Graces, pulls Grace closer so she can lean on her shoulder. Simultaneously, Ursula reaches out for Grace's other hand. Grace lets out a small chuckle of relief at the gestures.
Becka and Bibi are standing in a hospital. Becka holds Bibi's hand which Bibi initially seems surprised by but allows.
After a funeral, Bibi, who is holding hands with Nora, approaches Grace. Bibi wraps an arm around Grace's waist and Grace lays an arm over Bibi's shoulder, both of them side embracing.
Eva, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka are standing in a closet. As Eva and Becka argue in the foreground, Ursula has a hand on Bibi's wrist for comfort as she and Bibi listen.
On the road to the Forty Foot, Eva pulls Ursula into a hug.
A close-up of Grace's face as she hugs Eva. Grace closes her eyes for a moment as the two embrace, and gently rubs a hand over Eva's head.
end ID]
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