Chapter Six

Right now, it is still the Sunday night of previous where we found a very tired and lazy Simone and Kay huddled up in their dorm room. After Simone’s Dad left she continued to dose off into tv land. At this moment, though she could be found coming in from the soda machines, with cans of pepsi and sprite in her hands, she couldn’t wait to try out her new mini-fridge. Appearing in the door, she glanced over at Kay who was still snoring up a storm. “Kay!” she said. “Come on, Kay.” “Wake up!”
“You’re going to sleep the whole day away.” “Well, night actually.” she stated, looking at her watch.

Kay murmured to herself still in a deep trance. “What?” she managed to say.
“Wake up, please!” Simone replies sitting at the bottom of her bed.
“Come on, I want to show you something.” “It’s really cool.” she says.
“Okay, Simone I’m up!” “What is it that you want to show me?” Kay asked opening her sleepy eyes.
“Look!” Simone said happily standing by the fridge.
Kay stared hard at the object in front of her. “Oh, wow!” “You woke me up to look at a mini-fridge!” Kay said sarcastically.
“Isn’t it great!” Simone remarked. “My parents just bought it over for us, see now we have something that will go perfectly with the microwave that your parents gave you.”

“Yup,” Kay stated going towards the bathroom. She reappeared with a toothbrush in her hands. “See, Simone this just proves my point.” “Your parents truly care about you, especially Dr. Russell.” “I mean, around this time doesn’t she always take you and Whitney out for a day of shopping for the new school year?”
“Yeah, she does.” “She calls it Girls Day!” Simone replied softly with a smile pondering the question.
“Well, I can only dream that my Mom were nice to me like that but, of course not, she’s too busy fawning over Charity!” Kay said.
“Oh no.” “Kay, were not going to have a pity party tonight!” Simone stated.
“Look, I’m going to get some popcorn from the machines and then we’ll see what’s on tv.” “I heard that there’s going to be an all night Godfather marathon on the Bravo channel!” Simone continues.
“All right, I guess hearing Marlon Brando’s ‘I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse!’ would cheer me up, hey do you think that he looks a little like Miguel?” she asked.
Simone just rolled her eyes, and walked out the door. . .

Back at the Carrington family dinner, a wide-eyed Gabe joins his family in some ‘quality’ time. After seeing his parents Lane and Julia and meeting up with his stubborn, old-fashioned grandfather Edward, a very surprised Gabe runs into in his sister who is obviously going through some kind of emotional stress. When we last saw the two, she had fell into his arms upon seeing her curly haired younger brother. Let’s meet up with them again shall we. . .

“Blair what’s wrong?” Gabe asks.
Blair takes a deep breathe, “Everything, everything’s wrong!” she says.
She closes her eyes as tears slowly trickle down her cheeks, “Ever since, we got here I knew that things wouldn’t go well.” “I mean, it’s just a given, myself plus small town does not equal up to good when it comes to the real world!” she says sitting down on a step of the front door’s entrance.
“I really must have been blind, or just stupid to think that everything would work out!” she continues.
“Blair, hold on okay.” “You’re losing me, what are you talking about?” Gabe asks taking a seat beside her on the step. “And why are you crying?” he says wiping her tears.

“Gabe, I was fine.” “I was perfectly fine until this afternoon, when everything just went straight to hell!” she says upset.
“What happened this afternoon?”
Blair looks up into the distance, and then says “One word, Daniel!”
“I went to see him at the airport.”
“Yeah, I heard and. .” Gabe said.
“And so we meet and everything’s fine.” “Were getting reacquainted and all.” “When he lays it on me.” “Everything that he’s been keeping in.” “He starts off by saying that this past summer I’ve been distant.” “And how, with us moving out here that he doesn’t think we should see each other anymore!”

“Can you believe that?” “He calls me, distant!” “Me, but I wasn’t the one who left to pursue his football training!” “Or take summer classes at Columbia!” “I think that I was the one doing all of the comprising in our relationship!” “Who was it, that invited him on Daddy’s boat during the fourth of July?” “Me!” “It all just makes me sick when I think about it.” she shouts. “Gabe, I was so stupid!”

“Don’t say that, you didn’t know that he was going to be a jerk!” Gabe says trying to comfort her.
“And so, he just said that you were distant, that’s it?” he asks.
“Yes, oh and not only am I distant.” “He called me superficial and materialistic!” “He claimed that I don’t treat common people with decently and respect.” “Like I’m some pampered princess!” Blair states.
“Soon, all of his bull turned to insults. . .”
“What, did he say?” Gabe said rubbing her back.
“He then went on to say that my mixed background only feeds into the hype, that I’m just a little black girl trying to fit into a white society of frat parties and sorority cliques!” “He claims that my ethnicity isn’t true to heart, that I really don’t know where I came from, or who I am, and that I exude this cold and icy exterior.”

“So, did someone help him with all the big words or what?” “Because that really doesn’t sound like Daniel.” Gabe states.
“I know can you believe that!” Blair says. “Instead of breaking up with me for valid, rational reasons, he takes the coward’s way out and blames it on me being distant and my background.” she continues.
“Look, Blair he is a coward and an ass!” “I’m sorry, he fooled me too into thinking that he was a good guy, and if I see him I’ll tell him just that!” Gabe replies.

“Save you breath, little brother.” “He’s not worth it!” Blair states.
“Yeah he’s not and you, should forget him okay, save your tears for someone who matters!” Gabe says wiping her face.
“Thanks, but that’s not why I’m crying.” “I’m crying because I’m just so angry at how much time I invested in this relationship, way too long!”
“Oh and the irony of it all Gabe!” “Is that this guy wants to question my blackness, my race just because I grew up in a privileged society.”
“It’s all so crazy, don’t you think?” she asks.
“Of, course it is!” Gabe replies.
“You know what, I even met him at a FRAT party!” Blair states. “Yet, all of this came from a guy who questions my race but who has a Tommy Hilger bedroom décor and who’s only true legacy to ‘blackness’ is from wearing Sean Jean clothes!”

“That’s a true coward, Blair.” “I mean who does that?” “I really can’t believe that he said all of that to you.” “That coward, he can’t break up with a girl in a decent way so he makes up a whole bunch of bull to cover his tracks!” Gabe says now standing.
Standing there his mind wonders, he then turns away from Blair.
“Hey, where is he now?”. . “Is he still in town?” he asks
“He left,” Blair answers. “We met up at the airport remember?” “After his speech he got on a plane and left!”
“Yup, he’s a coward like I thought.” “Let him say those same words to me and see if he gets to leave so quickly!” Gabe says upset with his arms folded up.

The pair then got really quiet, each of their minds racing with thoughts until Blair speaks, “You know what!” “I know that I keep repeating myself but the only thing, that bothers me about all of this is that I put so much into this relationship!” “I mean, I’m glad to find out that he’s a bigot!” “But I wonder if, my leaving New York was either his way out of the relationship or just another factor in why men want to leave me!”
“Blair. .” Gabe starts up.

“I know, I know stop feeling sorry for yourself.” “But, Gabe I’m just facing reality here!” “I mean, as fabulous as I am this isn’t the first time some guy has ended a relationship with me on spite of them calling me a snob or something!” “I don’t know, maybe something is wrong with me?” she questions.
“Look, Blair I love you.” “And trust me when I say don’t doubt yourself, forget them okay.” “Forget Daniel and the rest of those losers!” “They are not worth your time.” “Now come on, show me that feisty Blair!” “The one that idolized Scarlett O’ Hara and never says never!” Gabe tells her.
“Blair, just think that maybe, just maybe, you haven’t found that guy who really is going to love you the way we both know you need to be loved!” he says. “Blair look, you’re only twenty-two!” “And think about it, can you really say that you were in love with any of those guys.”
“I guess not,” she replies.
“See, so don’t worry Blair Bear your prince will come!” “Till then, I guess you’re stuck with me!” he says with a smile making her laugh.
“Now come on, let’s get up and compose ourselves and go to dinner before everyone starts to worry about us!” he says lifting her from the front step.
“Oh, yeah I forget about dinner?” Blair says wiping her face. “I can’t afford for grandfather to see me a mess!” she says swinging her long raven tresses over her shoulder.
“No, you can’t.” “Now, compose yourself Ms. Carrington!” Gabe says with a smirk.

The two then, walk on into the house and the first to greet them is their grandfather. “Blair, my sweet how are you?” he asks.
“I’m wonderful, grandfather!” Blair replies embracing him in a deep hug.
“Good, I was starting to worry about you out there.” he says.
“Oh, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.” “I ran into some murderous traffic with the locals of this God awful town!” she states.
“Oh, well I understand that.” Edward responds as he escorts her into the dining room.

With Gabe following behind them, he quietly whispers in his sister’s ear. “Real Smooth!”
“What was that Gabriel?” his grandfather asked.
“Oh, I was just telling Blair I wonder what’s for dinner.” Gabe responds.
“Well Kate is fixing her famous roasted lamb chops, garlic mashed potatoes and one of your favorites Blair, crème brume.”

The dinner begins, and the Carrington family connects the only way they know how. With Blair and Gabe right in the middle of all the action and details, this family had much more to show than meets eye. With all of their pasts and futures already mapped out and planned. Now it was up to the family to deal with the present and living altogether in the town of Harmony. It will be interesting to see where this leads . . .

It is now the very first, officially day of classes and Simone being a little nervous about her first day of class couldn’t sleep the whole night before and ended up oversleeping. So, now she could be found making mad dash to the school’s dining hall for a bite of breakfast before her nine-thirty class. As she did, she found the place overcrowded with college kids. But soon, found in her sights on the very last blueberry muffin left of the day.

Quickly, she reaches for it, but as she did so did someone else too.
“Oh, go on ahead you can have it.” the person said.
“No, you can have it.” Simone said seeing the guy face to face.
“No, I’ll get something else.” the guy insisted looking at her with a sweet smile.
“Are you sure?” Simone said smiling back.
“Yeah, I’ll get something else.” he said. “Hey look, an apple!”
“It’s delicious and fat free, the perfect combination.” he continued jokily.

Simone laughs, and says “Are you really, sure now?”
“Yes, I’m positive.” “Take it!” the guy replies.
So, she went ahead took the muffin and got some coffee before her first class of the day.

After getting through her first dry run of the semester. Simone’s new quest on her first day back was having to get her new textbooks for classes and dealing with homework assignments on the first day. It was a horrible feeling, feeling as though your summer freedom was finally cut short. But that’s life, so she dealt with it. As the week moves along, Simone was finally getting use to her schedule of school. When she wasn’t studying or working she could be found hanging out with buds at the Book Café.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While her sister, Whitney also began to adjust to her junior year at Harmony University. She liked the freedom that being an upper classmen allowed, now she was finally able to take some of the classes she wanted to take. But appearing on the campus lately felt a little strange to her. She kept thinking that she would run into Simone at every corner. Before all of the drama, whenever she would see her sister on campus everything was fine. But now, she wondered if she was to see her what she’d say or how would Simone react. It was all a guessing game now, or as Theresa would say, Whitney thought “All up to fates!” So, during this pelicuar day Whitney stopped by the Book café to meet up with Theresa and little Ethan for a cup of Joe, and her favorite Danish. There she ran into Liz, she and Liz had a good relationship mainly because she was the only one who supported her relationship with Chad.

“Good Morning, Whitney.” Liz says with a smile seeing her.
“Hi, Liz.” Whitney responds sweetly.
“In for a strawberry Danish, I see.” Liz says.
“Yeah, is it that obvious.” Whitney says with a laugh.
“Kind of well, you’re in luck.” “I just finished baking a fresh batch!”
“Great,” Whitney says. As Liz begins to pour her a cup of coffee.
“So, how are you?” Liz inquires.

“Oh, I’m fine.” “Um, so have you heard anything from Chad lately?” Whitney asks.
“Well, actually I did.” “He called just last night, telling me the latest on his fabulous life as one of Hollywood’s newest music producer’s!” “But he did ask about you, I told him to give you a call.” Liz replies handing her her order.
“Thanks,” Whitney responds as she then spots Theresa coming in.
“No problem, I’ll see you later then.” Liz says sweetly.
“Okay.” Whitney says turning towards her best friend.

Later on that same day, we find Simone on her way home to the Russell Household. She had remembered that she left some items that she needed for the dorms back at the garage apartment. So, after classes she quickly stopped home to pick them up. As she finished getting the last box of items from the garage apartment, she soon notices that Whitney is coming home too. Trying to avoid an argument she decides to take the back way out. But of course, Whitney soon spots her and they both end up face to face in the Russell backyard, with no one else home to referee.

Whitney goes up to Simone crossing her path. “Hey, Simone.” she says softly. “Um, how have you been?”
“Fine.” Simone says barely making eye contact with her.
“Look, I have to go!” she responds attempting to walk away.
“Simone, wait.” “Please, wait.” “Please!” Whitney says grabbing her arm.
Simone stops dropping the box she was carrying and glares at her, from Whitney’s hand on her arm up towards Whitney’s face.
Whitney soon backs away and slightly lets her sister’s arm loose.
“Look, I just want to talk to you okay.” “Just talk!”
“Why?” Simone asks in shock. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Simone, come on just talk to me.” “Help me out here, I just want us to get past all of this tension between us.” Whitney replies. “Please!” she begs.
“Look, Whitney. .” Simone begins.
“No, wait!” “Simone, sweetie. .Um how many times do you want me to say it.” “I mean, how many times exactly do I have to keep telling you how sorry I am about all of this!” “For you to believe me?”

“Forever!” Simone says with anger. “That’s my answer, forever!”
“But, . .” Whitney says with a whimper.
“But what?” Simone shouts.
“Simone, honey I love you.”
“What?” “Whitney, you don’t even know the meaning of the word.”
“Look I really miss you okay, I mean everyone does Mom and Dad too!” “Please forgive me, okay.” Whitney says.
“Look, Simone says with a heavy sigh.” “Save it okay, save your pathetic tears, pleads, everything, just save it!” “I really don’t care how much you miss me, or love me because if you truly did you wouldn’t have double-crossed me like that!” Simone snaps.

“Simone, come on.” “When are you going to let all of this go?” Whitney asked nearly on the verge of tears.
“Never, Whitney.” “Never!” “Not until you finally face up to what you did or who you’ve become.” Simone replies.
“What?” “Simone, what are you talking about?” “Who’ve I’ve become, Simone I’m still me.” “I’m still your sister, I haven’t changed and either have you.” “Were still family!” Whitney states.
“Oh, no!” “You have changed Whitney.” “You really have, you’re not the sister that I grew up with, the person that I loved and admired.”
“No, you’ve become a liar, and a deceiving, manipulative, backstabbing bitch!” Simone yells trying her best to beat the temptation to slap her.

“Simone, that’s so cold and hurtful!” Whitney says in shock at her sister’s words.
“Oh, you want hurtful Whitney.” “Try living with you for the past eighteen years now that’s truly hurtful to have a slut for a sister!” Simone yells.
“But, hey you know what.” “The only thing, which I have to be thankful for through this hell you put me through, is that I truly know who you are finally.” “No, not my sister or even a friend anymore, but a stranger who I just happen to share the same DNA with.” “So, thanks for the memories sis!” “Hey, they were really sweet up until this point!” Simone says getting into Whitney’s face.

“Simone, just stop it okay.” “Stop saying these things, stop this hate you have for me!” Whitney responds tearfully.
“What, you can’t take the truth, Whitney?” “To hard for you to shallow!”
“No, I just I can’t stand listening to this anymore.” “It’s way too harsh and ugly!” Whitney says fiercely.
“Well, I can’t take how you betrayal me.” Simone says breathless.
“Simone, please see the reality of this!” “It wasn’t my intention to hurt you.” “I never wanted to destroy you this way, to destroy our relationship!” “But I had to follow my heart.” “Just this once I had to stop thinking about everyone else and say what I wanted, I just had too.” Whitney replies wiping her tears.

“Well, congratulations look at what it cost you.” “Everything!” Simone states.
“Simone, please can’t we just bury all of this and start over?” “I really hate how we’re becoming.” “I mean this summer alone, we were under the same roof and I barely saw you!” “I haven’t talked to you in months, and it’s really killing me.” “You’re my baby sister and I hate seeing you this way!” Whitney pleads.
“Well,” Simone says folding her arms.

“Simone, look don’t you realize that as time passes more and more.” “That you’re only going to grow, more bitter each day and I don’t want to see you that way.” “I do care about you, I really do.” “And I just pray that one day you’ll forgive me for what I did.” Whitney tells her.
“Forgive you, forgive you!” “How do you expect me to forgive you after what you did?” “You are so destructive, Whitney!” “To me, Mom and Dad, everyone, because you’re sad.” “You’re a sad, pitiful excuse for a so-called sister!” Simone snaps.

“Yet, there’s one good thing that I have learned through this mess you put me through and that is that I’ve changed too.” “Yeah, you’ve become a slut and I’ve realized that I’m not looking up to you anymore.” “Trying to be like you, why it’s just stupid to try to become as tainted as you.” “But for a while, I was like everyone else.” “I was a fool, I praised you my big sister!”
Whitney lowers her head in guilt, listening to every word.
“I put you up on a pedestal just like Mom and Dad!” “But now, it’s my turn!” “It’s my turn to live, my life that way I want too.” “Without you!”
“So, please save your tears because I want to do with you.” “You’ve hurt me way too much to go back into that fantasy of what you call real sisterhood!” Simone starts up.

“So, yes you’re right.” “As time passes we will change and grow further apart.” “But it’s only because of you, it’s your fault!” “Your selfishness, and greed turned me like this!” Simone says stopping for a moment, to wipe away tears that were forming in her eyes.
“I really don’t know what’s wrong with you, Whitney?” “I mean, how’d you become so selfish.” “How’d you think I would forgive you so easily?” “You lied to me, for over a year or more.” “And I thought we were closer than that!” Simone says upset.
“Simone, we are!” Whitney replies.
“No, weren’t not!” “I mean, it’s like you don’t even realize how much you’ve hurt me.” “Or, don’t you care at all?”
“Of course, I do Simone.” Whitney says still crying.

“Oh, well you’ve a funny way of showing it.” “Don’t you understand that that night wounded me.” “I had nightmares about seeing you two together over and over in mind for weeks!” “Some nights, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like I was in some alternate world!” “Where I didn’t see, my own sister sleeping with the guy I cared about!” Simone states her voice breaking.
“I kept saying no.” “Not my own flesh and blood wouldn’t do this to me!” “Not Whitney!” “And still till this day, you have nothing to say to redeem yourself!” she stated heartbroken.
“Simone, I said that I was sorry.” Whitney says wiping the underlying of her nose.
“Well, sorry’s not good enough this time!”
“Simone, please!” Whitney tries to say.
“No, you listen to me for a change.” Simone says. “Do that one thing for me!” she states.
“Okay,” Whitney says softly nodding her head.
“Whitney, do you know what’s it’s like to have your heart ripped out of you?” “Well, it’s painful!” Simone says calmly.
“Do you have any idea of how it is to be me?” she asks.
“To try to live up to the perfect sister, who gets everything!” “Every little bit of happiness, true happiness for herself.” “And I get whatever is leftover!” “I mean, being me isn’t that easy, I. .I.” “Oh, why am I doing this?” she says in mid sentence.
“Why, am I trying to explain myself to you?” “You don’t care about me!” “You don’t love me!” Simone says.
“Yes, I do Simone.” “I do!” Whitney interrupts crying heavily.

Simone stood there, with her arms folded crutching herself in shock of her actions. “Why do I keep doing this to myself?” she says out loud brushing tears from her eyes.
“Doing what, Simone?” Whitney asks concerned.
“I keep letting you get to me, like you matter.” “You don’t, you don’t matter!” she says crying.
“Simone, you matter to me.” Whitney says softly approaching her sister touching her shoulder.
“Please,” Simone says turning away from her in disbelief.
Whitney, takes a deep breathe “Simone,” she starts.
“What?” Simone says softly in an annoyed tone. “What do you want from me, Whitney?”

“I want my sister back!” Whitney yells. “Look, I just want things to be like they were before all of this.” “I just miss having my little sister around okay!” “I miss seeing you, having you around to talk, everything.” “And I know I’ve hurt you, but. .Simone I love you.” Whitney states holding back tears. “You know, Simone you’ve said about all there’s to say about how horrible I am.” “And you’re right, I was selfish and hurtful.”

“And it probably wasn’t easy being my sister, I understand that.” “You’ve proved your point okay.” “But honey, I care about you and I just don’t want anymore time to past and you’re still being mad at me.”
“Simone, you’ve changed so much, lately.” “I hardly recognize you anymore!” Whitney states. She swallows hard and then states, “Look at you, you ran off and move out of the house and after all this time, this summer and everything.” “You still have so much intense hostility towards me!”

“What, did you expect me to do?” “Continue to be a doormat!” Simone replies.
“No, I don’t.” “I know that you needed space and I know you’re strong but. .I’m just asking could we please start over and be sisters again?” Whitney asked sincerely.
Simone stares at her in awe, “How?” she asks. “Whitney, I don’t trust you.” “And where’s there’s no trust there’s no family, no love and definitely no hope of being sisters again!” “And the only reason, why I moved out is because it was my only way of surviving.” “My only way, to get away from you.”

“Simone, come on!” Whitney begs.
“No, go away Whitney.” “Okay, I’m done with you trying to ruin my life!”
“But yet you keep doing it, don’t you?” “You’re never done, are you?”
“Oh, no because you’re Whitney!” “Miss perfect in everyway, and you have to have everyone adoring you, don’t you?” “You have to always have people eating out of the palm of your hands, being your best friend!” “Well, Whitney I’m not going to play that role anymore.” Simone said eyeing her sister.

“Simone, that’s not true!” Whitney snaps.
“Yes, it is.” “Okay, now go away!” “Stop bothering me, were no longer sisters, family or anything else for that matter.” “So, you live your life and I’ll live mine.” “But hey, I’ll call you if I ever need a kidney!” Simone says picking up her box from before. “Otherwise, I’m better off!” she replies storming off.
“Simone, wait!” . . “Simone, please don’t leave like this!” Whitney yells as she keeps going leaving her in the yard alone.

Soon Whitney runs into the house, she appears in the kitchen and begins to pace around back and forth. She stops and stares out the window, reliving all she and Simone had just said to one another. She was hurt, and didn’t know what to do. How to fix all of this? If Simone couldn’t forgive her after three months when would she ever? Whitney stood there paralyzed by her and Simone’s broken relationship. Inside, she knew they were both truly hurting. Soon, she ran upstairs pulling out Chad’s mixed cd he gave her; it was the only thing that could calm her down. . .

Both sisters needed closure and relieve. It’s one thing, to deal with a broken heart when it’s one person, but the question is, “What do you do when the people with the broken hearts are sisters?” “How do you mend a family?” “Does one person have to keep saying sorry?” “And if so, when should the other forgive? They say time heals all wounds. But what if that cut, that wound had been inflicted on you through your own blood. “Should you forgive so easily?” “Would you forgive a friend as easily?” “How do you stop the pain from spreading deeper within your life?” Time will only tell. . .