Author's Note: I have ceased to use the name ‘John’ for the main character in this story. The character
is no longer a male. John is gone. Long live Bianca ‘Bebe’ Foley!
Please leave your comments and critiques. I promise you, I really do read them!!! ~Clara
This version of Bebe Goes To Hollywood: 7 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.
Chapter 7
'A point is all that you can score.'
~ from Two Tribes by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
There was something.
Something in the distance.
Something calling her name.
Something that wanted her attention.
Something she wanted to respond to.
Something she knew.
Something she loved.
Could she open her eyes?
She tried.
No.
She tried again and there was a flicker of light and a blur of color.
She tried again.
This time she got them open, but couldn't make out anything.
She worked to clear her vision.
Her eyes fluttered and fluttered and, slowly, cleared and then the voices in the distance became closer and more understandable.
Then she was awake.
"There she is." Ed smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"
Good question. How was she feeling?
"I don't know," she muttered as she tried to clear the cobwebs from her consciousness.
Then she felt the dull soreness between her legs. "Ooo. It hurts a bit."
Nancy appeared opposite Ed. "It will hurt for a few days, baby. Use your morphine button for now. If it starts to ache, push this button so you don't feel any pain. It'll be better in a day or so."
Fingers were pushing her hair from her face. She couldn't see who it was, but she knew that touch. It was Rose. She looked to the left of her head and saw Rose's beautiful face. She was smiling. "Hi, Beebs," she smiled and giggled at her as if she was a child. "You're a woman now. Really and truly a woman. How does it feel?"
She smiled at Rose. "It hurts a little, I guess."
"Haha," Nancy laughed as she smiled at Rose. "That's the understatement of the century. You'll feel much better very soon, honey. I promise."
Ed picked up her hand and kissed it. "We almost didn't get here in time. Do you remember talking to us on the way into surgery."
Bebe thought for a few moments, then smiled. "I do. At the door to the operating room, right? I thought it was dream."
Rose laughed. "Not a dream, Bebe. Your Uncle Ed performed a miracle and got us here on an Air Force plane."
Bebe blinked and processed that. "How?"
Ed laughed. "My cousin is a senior officer in the Air Force. I called her and explained the situation. She called a superior and, as it turns out, that person is a big fan of yours, and we got on a plane and got here just in time."
A moment later, Dr Martinez entered. "How's she doing?" He smiled.
"Good, Doctor," Nancy smiled. "She's a little dopey, but she's coherent."
"Excellent!" The doctor smiled as he looked at Bebe. He felt her forehead and looked at the monitors behind the bed. "Feeling a little beat up right now, Bebe?"
She smiled and nodded.
"You will for a day or so, but I think that you'll find that it's all worth it. Everything went perfectly and the construction of your vagina is, if I say so myself, a work of art. You just need to A) Give yourself time to heal and B) Follow the guidelines we'll be sending home with you, and you'll be feeling great in a couple of weeks. Ok?"
Bebe nodded.
"And don't be brave. Do you understand me? Any discomfort at all and I want you to push that morphine button. It will monitor your intake and we're not going to give you enough to do hurt you. It'll just numb the pain and let you rest. Ok?"
She nodded again.
"Good girl," he smiled. Then he leaned down and whispered, "Isn't it nice to think that you really are a girl, now? Congratulations, Bebe. Today is your Second-Birth-Day."
Bebe nodded, again, feeling very tired already.
The doctor stood and smiled. "I guess that it's ok to bring the rest of the family in, then. There's a couple of beautiful young women, and a handsome young man and his charming mother going a bit crazy out there. I understand that they have some news for you. I'll show them in."
After he had turned to leave, the doctor handed Bebe's chart to Nancy and said, quietly, "You're doing a very good job, Dr Foley. Let me know if she needs anything. I'll be on the floor most of the morning and in my office this afternoon."
"Thank you, Doctor," Nancy smiled. Praise on the hospital floor was rare and made her fell very good.
Ed ran the back of his finger along Bebe's cheek and he smiled. "We missed you, Bebe. Rose and I talked about you every, single day."
Bebe smiled again. Her thinking was clearing. "I was worried that you wouldn't make it before I went into surgery. I felt better when I saw you guys. Thanks."
Rose leaned over and kissed Bebe's cheek. "Your Uncle Ed is a superhero, Bebe. I think he's going to replace Tony Stark as the new Avenger." She smiled at her fiancé.
"Can we come in?" Joanne said from the door. Nancy held it open and waved them all in.
Blaine made a bee-line for the bed. "Hi," he said breathlessly.
"Hi," Bebe smiled. The smile spread and she looked at the boy with mischief in her eyes. Her smile brightened as she bit her lower lip. Everyone in the room knew what she was thinking. Things were different, now. She was really a girl and he was every inch a boy. She could be with him as his actual girlfriend and someday as his wife. In a way, it was very romantic. It was a private moment, but they were all sharing it.
"Feel ok?" Blaine asked.
"I'm fine. Or at least I will be in a few days."
Blaine leaned in and planted his lips on the beautiful little woman in the bed. He kissed her softLy, tenderly and long, until Ed put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "That's enough for now, lover boy. Let her up for air."
Ella and MK kissed Bebe's cheeks and told her how happy they were she was ok.
Finally, Joanne said, "We have some news."
Bebe and her friends quieted and everyone looked to Joanne. Something was going on. Everyone except Rose, Ed and Bebe seemed to know something.
Ed looked at the coy faces and said, "What's going on?"
"Don called mom a few minutes ago," Blaine smiled. "Guess what?"
Rose looked around and smiled at their face. "What?" She giggled.
MK smiled. "The Emmy Award nominations have been announced."
"And?" Ed asked.
"Go ahead, Ella," Joanne smiled.
Ella unfolded a piece of paper and read, "'Outstanding Writing on a Dramatic series,'" she paused and smiled, "'Civil Disobedience,' including Will Crocker, Larry Franks, Max Webber and Bianca Foley."
Bebe's jaw dropped.
"Bebe!" Rose shouted. "They gave you a writer-credit for all of your improves!"
"Well," Ed was equally surprised, "you certainly helped to shape the show and pointed it in a different direction! Congratulations, baby!"
"Wow!" Bebe muttered.
"That's not all," Ella continued. "'Outstanding Lead Actor in a Dramatic Series, Don Ferry in 'Civil Disobedience.'"
"Alright, Don!" Ed clapped his hands.
"'Outstanding Featured Actress in a Dramatic Series,' Marion Foreman, Civil Disobedience."
Ed and Rose and Bebe all looked to each other and smiled at Marion's good fortune. After all these years, she deserved some recognition.
"'Outstanding Dramatic Series,' Civil Disobedience."
"Oh, My God!" Ed hugged and kissed both Rose and Bebe.
Ella handed the list to MK, who cleared her throat and smiled. "'Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series,' Rose Mason, Civil Disobedience."
Rose's face went white as her hand shot to her mouth. "Oh, God!" she uttered.
"Rosie!" Ed lifted her right off the floor and spun her around.
Bebe held open her arms and hugged Rose. "Oh, Rose! Congratulations!!"
"I can't believe this," Rose could hardly breath. "I'll have to call my parents."
"I'm not done," MK said with mock irritation. "'Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Dramatic Series,' Edward McNeal, Civil Disobedience."
Now, Ed stood slack-jawed in shock. "That can't be right..." he breathed.
"Of course it's right, Uncle Ed!" Bebe said as she hugged his arm and kissed his hand. "This is amazing! We all got a nomination!"
MK handed the paper to Blaine, who said, "There's one more."
Everyone got quiet and waited.
Blaine couldn't contain his grin as he spoke. "'Outstanding LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMATIC SERIES..."
"Lead actress," Ed, Rose and Bebe all whispered at the same time.
"... Bianca Foley, Civil Disobedience."
"OH, MY GOD!" Rose was shouting, her voice a fifth higher than usual, without realizing it, "BEBE! LEAD ACTRESS! Lead, baby! They're calling you 'The Female Lead!' Can you believe it!?"
Ed was speechless for a few moments. "I wish I could pick you up and hug you, baby! I can't believe this! I'm so proud of you!"
The others all congratulated her as well. Bebe was nearly as high from the news as she was from the morphine. "Nan," Bebe called to her sister, "can you call mom so I can tell her?"
Nancy looked at her phone. "You can tell her when she gets here, Beebs. The planes were allowed to take off this morning. Mom and Joe are on their way here from the airport right now."
"Next question, please," the moderator of the press conference called. The studio had set this up the moment the Emmy Awards were announce. Don and Marion were handling the questions. "Yes, the woman with the purple top over there."
"Hi," the woman stood. "Your show received an astounding number of nominations - five for acting, three for writing, two for directing, Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Episode... the list goes on. How is the cast feeling about all of this positive feedback?"
Don indicted that Marion should speak first. "I think we all knew that we had something very special happening, even before the premiere. The show is so beautifully written, week after week, after week, and the show runner leaves us room to actually act - not just read the lines... it's a very positive and supportive set. We're very proud of our work and thrilled to have that work acknowledged."
She looked at Don, who's million-dollar-smile was shining brightly. "We keep telling the kids to enjoy this time," he chuckled. "Shows don't last forever and shows like this one don't come around very often. All the stars aligned for 'Civil Disobedience.' The right producers, directors and writers..."
"And Bebe!" Someone called from the audience, causing everyone to laugh.
"... and, of course, Bebe and that whole Massachusetts contingent. They are all great kids who work so well together. It wouldn't be the same show without them - and I mean that quite literally. The original script called for me to have two sons. We completely switched gears when we met Rose and Bebe. My partner was supposed to be a burned out guy, about to retire, and then I read with Ed and his energy was so infectious that I suddenly became the older cop. See, that's the kind of insight and creativity that our team is open to. We're really lucky to have all found each other. We really are just like a family."
"And where's the rest of the 'Civil Disobedience' family today?" A reporter called out.
"To tell you the truth," Don turned just a bit serious, "they're all at the hospital. Bebe had some surgery, nothing too serious, this morning, so Uncle Ed and Cousin Rose are with her."
"What's the surgery for, Don?" Asked another reporter.
"It's private, Frank, but nothing very serious. She'll be back on the set when we need her, you can count on that."
"Were you surprised," a familiar face from TMZ asked, "that Bebe received a nomination for Outstanding LEAD Actress in a Drama? I mean, she was never meant to be the 'lead' actress, was she? She's billed fifth in the opening crawl her role isn't what you'd call a typical 'lead' on a TV show."
Don laughed, "Well, Austen, you're absolutely correct. Bebe was meant to play 'Alex' who was expected to be a secondary character, but you've seen the show, I assume. She is anything but secondary to this show. I'm going to be very honest with you - if I'm lucky enough to be remembered for anything as an actor, it'll probably be for helping to discover Bebe Foley. This kid... I don't think I can explain how talented she is, can you Marion?"
Marion thought for a moment, then shook her head. "You really need to be on the set with her to understand how gifted she is, Austen. She's always prepared and motivated, which, of course, is what we expect from all of our colleagues, but frequently don't get. But... when the camera starts to roll, she's a completely different animal than anyone else I've ever met."
Don nodded. "That's a great way to say it, Marion. Bebe's instincts are always perfect and never what we expect. She's not the 'lead' of this show - she's the heart, the soul, the circulatory system, the consciousness... she is the show, Austen, and everyone seems to know that, except for Bebe. She's never the 'ball hog' on the team - she passes the ball. She waits for reactions. She's always thinking, but never calculating. None of this probably makes any sense, but it's the truth."
"So..." Meadows smirked, "do you feel you owe your nominations to Bebe's acting?"
That million-dollar-smile came back. "I do, Austen. Marion?"
"Mr Meadows," the older actress smiled, "I've been doing this for nearly forty years without any recognition whatsoever. Most years, I was just thrilled if I worked enough to keep my health insurance. Now... well, let's just say that she's revitalized my career. I can be in a scene with two lines and I feel like I'm playing Lady Macbeth as long as Bianca is with me."
Don nodded and looked back towards the reporters. "In short, Austen..." he winked at the reporter, "Life is good."
"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry that we weren't here for the surgery," Marilyn hugged her new daughter. "Do you feel ok?"
"A little achy and very tired, mom, but other than that, I'm ok. Thanks for coming, you too Joe. I didn't think you'd be able to make it."
"Our plans changed, honey, and Ed and Rose invited us to come. So, we wanted to surprise you before you went into surgery, but that stupid terrorist attacking Chicago messed us all up."
Despite the abundant size of the room, it was getting a little crowded with so many people coming by to wish Bebe well. Even Oscar and his daughters had been there for an hour or so, but they'd left just as Marilyn and Joe arrived.
"Mom," Bebe smiled, "I want you to meet my other mom. This is Joanne. Blaine's mom. She's been my 'Studio Mom' while we were filming the movie."
The two women said hello and were exchanging pleasantries when the door opened again and, even though she could not see the entry, Bebe could quite distinctly hear Don's voice as he kidded, "What is going on here!? Has anyone seen Bebe Foley in this room? I just wanted to see my favorite daughter for a moment, please."
"She's over here, Don," Joanne laughed. "Just push your way through!"
"Well, I would," Don pretended to shout, "but I have two other people with me who want to say 'hello!' as well. I don't think that we can all fit."
Joanne looked around and said, "Alright, kids. You all come with me and I'll buy you some lunch across the street and we'll come back later, ok?"
Ed spoke to Rose for a second, then said, "We'll join you guys. We haven't eaten since last night and we could use some protein."
Blaine peeked through the crowd and said to Bebe, "We'll be back. Love you."
Bebe's smile was broad and loving. "Ok. Love you, too."
As people headed out, Bebe could hear people talking out in the hall. Don must have brought a surprise. Maybe he'd brought Vivian or Marion.
Nancy kissed her mother and said, "I'm going to go down stairs and take care of a few things. You guys enjoy your visit and I'll be back in a half an hour or so."
As she reached the door, Don said, "I think you need to stay for a moment, Nancy. I held on to these two, as well." Ed and Rose stepped back in with big smiles on their faces.
"Ok," she laughed and stepped back to allow Don to enter with Chrissie and Terry in tow. Nancy covered the huge smile on her face. "Oh, my God!" She laughed. "You're... you're the Dusty Rose girls! I can't believe you're here."
Terry and Chris smiled. "Judging by the resemblance," Terry said, "my guess is that you must be Nancy, right?"
Nancy was completely taken off guard. "Umm... well... yes... I am... how... did you know my name?"
Chris smiled and looked at Bebe. "Bebe told us all about you. How you are taking care of her this summer and how you're doing your residency here. It was very nice of you to relocate your life just to help out your sister."
Nancy looked at Bebe and said, "Well, we take care of each other. Just like you and your sister do, right?"
Joe could tell that Marilyn was very touched by this remark. When he'd first started dating Marilyn, Nancy was struggling with her addiction and she resented brother-now-sister for interfering in her life. Now, it was clear that Marilyn's girls had a very healthy and loving relationship. He put his hand on his fiancé's shoulder.
"How are you feeling, Bebe?" Chris asked, coming to the side of the bed and kissing the young actress.
"Pretty good, under the circumstances," Bebe was thrilled to see the two musicians who'd so graciously helped him out last week.
"This is my mom and her fiancé, Joe."
They all exchanged pleasantries and talked a little about how Terry and Chris had saved Bebe on the set, a story which Chris and Terry insisted was overblown. Finally, Chrissie leaned down and whispered something to Bebe.
"You're kidding," Bebe's eyes were wide and her smile was huge.
"Nope. Everything worked out perfectly." Chris smiled, then looked at the other people in the room. "So, do you want to tell them or should Terry and I?"
"You can start."
"Ok," Chris smiled. "Terry?"
Theresa looked around the room and smiled. "Well, I understand that there are a couple of weddings coming up for this family."
The two couples took each other's hands and smiled.
"Well, we don't tour at Christmas time and we're taking a few months off in the spring because we're recording and album and, Margo, our bass player, is expecting a child and will be delivering right around that time, so..."
She let it hang there, but Bebe jumped in, "So... Dusty Rose is my wedding present to each of you."
There was confusion in the room.
"What do mean?" Rose asked first. "Like autographed albums or something?"
"No," Bebe giggled hilariously. "Dusty Rose is playing the receptions for your weddings."
"OH, MY GOD!" Rose shrieked, then hugged the person nearest her, who happened to be Terry. "I can't believe this!"
"Well," Chris smiled at everyone, "it's been a long time since any of us played a wedding, but I bet we can figure out how to play ‘The Bride Cuts The Cake,’ by December."
"And don’t worry," Terry smiled at the older couple. "If you’d just like some acoustic music, we can do that, too."
"Oh, no," Joe laughed. "We’re planning on having a really good time!"
Terry and Chris hugged everyone in the room, including a smiling Nancy.
"Nan," Bebe’s smile was even more mischievous than before. "When do you finish you residency, here?"
"Provided everything goes well," Nancy thought, "I guess I’ll be done in June of next year."
Chris looked at Bebe. "Perfect timing."
Bebe nodded as Nancy asked, "For what?"
"See," Chris took Nancy’s hand, "we’ve set up a charitable fund that has developed very, very well, and we have been working with a whole lot of other foundations, including ‘The Don Ferry, Civil Disobedience Foundation,’ to fund and build a hospital over near The Staples Center."
"We’re modeling it after The Mayo Center and St Jude’s Hospital," Terry explained. "No patient will pay for services."
"It will specialize in two fields, Childhood Cancer and LGBTQ issues – counseling services, health services, etc. We’ve talked to some of the most reputable health professionals in the world and we’re putting together one of the best medical staffs anywhere," Chris smiled.
"My Doctor, Dr Martinez, will be on staff there as well as here," Bebe offered.
"Anyway," Terry continued, "Bebe told us all about you, how dedicated you are and how well you’ve done since over coming your problems..."
"We also met with Dr Martinez and all of your immediate supervisors," Chris smiled.
"And, well, "Terry smiled at Nancy, "we’d like to offer you a position there when we open in July. If you say yes, you can join Dr Martinez’s team here so that you can move into the new hospital with a senior position – which, of course also would include the salary of a senior team member."
The room was quiet as everyone waited for Nancy’s response.
"Oh, my..." she muttered uncertainly. "... I don’t know..."
"What!?" Marilyn was shocked. "Nancy! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! A chance to pay off all those student loans and live well with a great job!"
"I know, mom..." Nancy considered her words, "... but I can’t just keep taking advantage of Bebe. I need to... I don’t know... do things on my own. Not rely on my baby sister. Thank you, Beebs, but..."
Bebe nodded, but looked disappointed.
Ed cleared his throat. "Look, Nancy, I know that we have never really gotten along all that well, but... think about this – None of us would be here if it weren’t for Bebe. She’s like a good luck charm. Rose and I wouldn’t know each other, I’d be packing for my senior year at Wentworth, Rose would be an Emerson grade, waiting tables in New York City while she looked for an acting gig, you’d still be living with that guy in Massachusetts... Even your mom and Joe might never have gotten together. Just being near her gives you an advantage. I wouldn’t just throw this chance away."
"And I never would have gotten through the movie shoot if it weren’t for Chris and Terry, Nancy. We all help each other out." Bebe tried to reason with his sister.
"Think it over, Nancy," Chris handed her a cell phone, "but look at these emails. There’s at least a dozen from your supervisors here and at the hospitals in Boston. They are all very frank about the problems you ran into when you got hooked on Percocet, but they all indicated that, when you are sober, you are one of the most promising young doctors they’ve ever seen."
"We would not be making this offer," Terry touched Nancy’s arm, "if we didn’t believe you could do it, Nancy. What really made us take notice was Bebe’s story about how you diagnosed her condition in your mom’s kitchen. That is an amazing story. You changed her life for the better."
"If you think about it," Bebe smiled, "none of us would be here if it weren’t for You, Nan. Please consider the job."
Nancy smiled. "It’s a very generous offer, Terry, Chris, and I appreciate it. Would you mind if I talked to Dr Martinez first?"
"Of course not," both replied.
"I know this may be an awkward thing to say at this moment," Ed chuckled, "but if I don’t get something to eat soon, I’m going to pass out, so...."
"Ed’s right," Rose agreed. "I’m starving. We’ll go meet the others."
"You know," Nancy smiled and patted Bebe’s hair, "she really should get some rest. Maybe we should all leave for a little while so she can sleep."
Everyone said their goodbyes, except for Chrissie, who said to Nancy, "May I speak to Bebe for just a few minutes? I promise I won’t be long?"
Nancy smiled at her sister. "I guess she’s not THAT tired. Sure." She bent and kissed Bebe’s forehead. "You get some sleep after Chrissie leaves. Understood?"
Bebe saluted, "Yes, sir."
Nancy laughed and left.
Chrissie pulled a rolling chair up next to the bed and said, "How do you feel?"
Bebe smiled, took a deep breath and sighed. "It’s hard to explain, but I feel... right... different. It doesn’t feel real, yet, but I know somethings have changed."
Chris smiled and took Bebe’s hand. She thought for a few moments, then said, "You know, Bebe... from the moment I met you, months ago, at The Staples Center, I felt a connection to you. I didn’t know why until last week when you told me about your surgery, but I knew that you were special... different."
Bebe smiled. "I’m glad, Chrissie. I feel the same way and after what you did for me last week... well, your friendship means the world to me."
Chrissie nodded. "Me too." She looked around the room and Bebe could tell that Chris was nervous about something. Whatever she was going to say, was obviously important. "Oh, Boy, this is harder than I thought it would be, but... I need to confess something to you, Bebe. Something you need to know."
Bebe waited, uncertain of what to say.
"See... I haven’t talked to anyone about this in, like, five years or so and... well, under the circumstances... well, it seems like I should talk to you about it."
"Of course, Chrissie. You’ve helped me so much, I’d love to return the favor, if I can. What can I do for you?"
Chris laughed. "Well, Nothing, really. It’s just... well, you know how I said that Margot would be having a child in the spring?"
"Yes."
"Well... see... I’m the father."
Bebe stared in disbelief. "You!? You mean... you’re a... you, too!?
Chris nodded and gave a guilty smile. "Me, too, but... well... I’m keeping my little secret in my panties. I don’t have a desire to be a real woman, but... I’m very happy this way. I should say, Margot and I are very happy with me this way."
Bebe looked at the beautiful young woman sitting beside him and he suddenly understood how everyone felt when he told them he was a boy. "But... how? Why are you living as a woman?"
Chris chuckled. "It’s a long story, Bebe. Would you like to hear it?"
"More than anything!"
"You’ve got ten minutes before I have to throw you out," Nancy smiled at Blaine, who, she knew, had been desperate all day to have a few minutes alone with Bebe. "So, I’ll leave the room, but when I knock, I expect you to come out immediately. Deal?"
"Deal!" Blaine smiled, then he kissed Nancy’s cheek to thank her. As far as Nancy could remember, Blaine had never even shaken her hand before. So, when he kissed her, what he really did was just shock her into standing still for another moment or two before leaving.
"Hi," Blaine smiled as he sat on the rolling stool and smiled at his girlfriend. Once he’d heard that Bebe had gone through the surgery with no complications and that she was fine, he’d felt a wave of joy and relief flow through him that had continued throughout the day.
"Hi," Bebe smiled and looked extremely pleased with herself. Her smile was nearly bubbling with happiness.
"So... how do you feel?"
"I’m good, I guess. Just sore."
"No..." Blaine chucked at the awkwardness of the situation. "... I mean... do you feel... like a girl?"
Now, Bebe laughed. "I do. I know it’s weird, because I haven’t felt like a boy for a long time, but... I feel really different. I can feel things I didn’t feel before and it feels good."
Blaine bent low, kissed her cheek, then remained very close to her. "I’m so glad you’re ok, Bebe. I hardly breathed during your surgery. My mom said I was driving her crazy, but... well, I’m just glad that you’re ok."
"I’m good, Blaine. I’m better than I’ve ever been. By the time school starts, I’ll be moving around just fine and I’ll be just like every other girl."
Blaine smiled even wider. "I’ve got news for you, Bebe. You will NEVER be like every other girl. That’s why I love you so much."
He leaned in closer and kissed Bebe with a soft, sweet, passionate kiss that lingered and lingered and lingered. Bebe’s arms didn’t wrap around his head tightly, but rather hung loosely on his shoulders as he softly inserted his tongue into her mouth and gently insinuated himself into her the only way he could, for now. The kiss lasted for a minute, then two, but then a knock came on the door.
Blaine pulled back just a few inches and Bebe, who tried to follow his lips, eventually fell backwards against her pillows.
"Gotta go," Blaine smiled, "but I’ll miss you. Love you."
"Blaine," Bebe said as Blaine headed to the door. He stopped and looked back at her, just as Nancy stuck her head in to see if he was coming. Bebe continued, "I love you. I love you more than anyone in the world and I am so happy that I did this. Not just for me... but for us."
Blaine glanced at Nancy for a moment, then back to Bebe. He smiled and said, "Me too, Beebs. I’m glad, too."
As Blaine passed her, Nancy stopped him and said, "Blaine..." she looked at the joy on the boy’s face. It was plain to anyone who looked at him that he was truly, madly, deeply in love. "... you’re a good kid, Blaine. Thanks for loving Bebe."
Blaine smiled at her, then he looked back at Bebe and said, "Like I have any choice."
The brief retrospective of the stunning, but, to date, brief career of Bianca ‘Bebe’ Foley flashed across the large screen in the editing room at the studios of TMZ. Austen Meadows, his producer, his photographer, his camera man and the editor all watched the presentation, complete with some video from ‘Civil Disobedience," many still photos and a few interviews, and they listened to Austen’s voiceover as it praised the talent of the young actress.
"That’s some good work, guys," the producer complimented them.
"Thanks," said the photographer, camera man and editor.
"You, too, Austen," the producer added. "It’s going to be a nice piece."
"It’s going to be a fluff piece," Meadows complained. "This isn’t what I do and you know it. I should be putting together a piece about how she abused a cashier or something. I don’t like playing-nice with anyone – especially successful people. But it’s like this kid is a nun, or something. She just works, goes to school and hangs out with the same three or four kids. It’s disgusting. I had her trailed by photographers for a month and all they got was one precious picture after another." He laughed at that. "If I keep my relationship going with that show, I’m going to get diabetes from all of the sweetness."
The producer chuckled. "You’ve got a good thing going over at that show, Austen. Keep it up. It’s going to be running for a long time. And besides... you’re going to be the only reporter allowed into ‘The Royal Wedding’ at Disney World in December. Everyone’s going to want your footage. It’s going to be a big, profitable story."
"Yeah, but I miss the drama of drug addicts, prostitutes and infidelity. Maybe they could get Charlie Sheen to play a recurring character or something, just to keep me going."
The producer slapped his shoulder. "I know it’s rough, pal, but you’ll survive. Alright, team. Let’s get this ready to air tonight."
"It’s a brand new school year, Ms Bebe. Are you ready?" Oscar seemed much more excited about the first day of school than Bebe did. It had been three weeks since her surgery, and she’d been barred from the first week of work on the set, but, somehow, everyone felt going to school was just fine. It’s not that she didn’t like school, she did, but between the movie and the surgery, she hadn’t had much time off and she craved the beach, the sunshine and freedom.
"I guess," she whined. "I miss having Kylie riding with us, though."
"Well, in a year or so, you can get your license and drive yourself to school, too."
"Why would I want a license when I have you?"
Oscar laughed. "We’ll see. We’ll see."
MK and Ella were waiting at the front door and greeted Bebe with excited hugs and kisses.
"Sophomore year!" MK said in an oddly triumphant manner. "We’re not the peons anymore. Let’s find some freshmen and beat them up."
"How about we just get to homeroom, big shot?" Emma looked at her schedule. "We’re all in Civics with Miss Roberta, right? That’s in C-21. Come on,"
Their route to homeroom brought them past the auditorium. "I wonder who they got to teach Theater this year?" Bebe said with genuine curiosity. "I hope she’s good."
"And not a criminal mastermind," Ella shook her head.
"Some mastermind," MK laughed. "Sent to jail twice in six months."
"Well, let’s at least hope that she’s not a criminal." Ella laughed.
The incoming freshmen had all been sent to the auditorium to attend a welcoming assembly and receive their schedules, so there were quite a few young faces in that area. As Bebe and her friends approached, the faces of the freshmen girls turned towards them. They began to stare, as amazed voices started to whisper, "That’s her. That’s Bebe. That’s the girl from the show. That’s her. That’s her. It’s her."
Bebe tried to be as bright and cheery as possible as she passed, but the crowd started moving in her direction, slowing their progress.
"It’s a like a zombie hoard," MK teased. "Back, you mindless freshmen!" She was joking, but the crowd continued to close around them.
"Bebe!" The girls were calling to her now.
"Um, this is an issue," Ella was suddenly concerned.
"Hi," a pretty little girl in pigtails was suddenly in Bebe’s face. "I love you. I actually came to Notre Dame just because you go here. Could I, maybe, get an autograph?"
Bebe looked around for a teacher, but none were present. "Well," she said to the child, "maybe when it’s not quite so crowded..."
"Please," another, nearly identical, freshman girl insinuated herself into Bebe’s personal space. "My mom told me I’d see you here. Please, can I take a selfie with you?"
"Ok, little people," MK called out in a very authoritative voice, "move! Go into the auditorium or something, but let us get passed. Go on! Move!"
But the crowd grew bigger. Now, there were well over a hundred freshmen girls in the small lobby of the auditorium, pushing towards Ella, MK and Bebe.
"Ok," Ella was getting genuinely frightened, "this isn’t funny, any more. Let us through! Right now!" Her shouts were ignored, though.
It just got worse. More girls gathered and the crush towards Bebe got tighter.
On the outskirts of the crowd, some upperclassmen tried to move the freshmen into the auditorium, but the freshmen were not paying attention.
"Karen!" MK called to one of the seniors who was trying to gain control of the situation. "Go get a teacher, PLEASE!" It was getting very scary.
Finally, a man’s voice boomed over the crowd. "What’s going on here?" Mr Carlin, the headmaster hollered. "All of you freshmen – into the auditorium, NOW, and take a seat in the first twenty rows, or you’ll begin your tenure at Notre Dame with a three day suspension!"
Immediately, the crowd began to move into the wide doors of the auditorium, disappointed grumbling could be heard as they moved.
"Are you guys ok?" The girl named Karen asked. The three girls nodded. "That was nuts!"
"It certainly, was," Mr Carlin agreed. "You two," he indicated MK and Ella, "get to homeroom. Ms Foley," he looked at Bebe, "to my office immediately."
Bebe was shocked, but MK spoke first. "Mr Carlin, this wasn’t Bebe’s fault. All she did was walk down the hallway."
Mr Carlin turned his furrowed brow towards her. "I am aware of that, thank you, but I’m not going to have this happen every time Ms Foley needs to move from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. Go wait in my office, Ms Foley. We need to work out something that will maintain your safety and allow this school to function without the kind of upset we just witnessed. Now... all of you... get going."
"What a great way to start the school year!" MK said loud enough for the headmaster to hear.
"Do you want to challenge me, young lady?" Mr Carlin turned to face her. "Because my day has already been a difficult one. If you’d like me to take out all of my frustration on you, then I’m perfectly willing to do so."
"No, sir," MK sounded contrite. "Sorry, sir."
The headmaster spun on his heels and stormed into the auditorium, leaving just the three girls, a few helpful seniors and an older woman in the lobby.
The seniors dispersed, Ella and MK kissed Bebe goodbye and wished her good luck, and as Bebe turned to head to the office, the older woman stepped into her way.
"Bebe?" The woman said.
"Yes?" Bebe replied.
"I’m Miss Alexandra. I’m the new theater teacher. I just wanted to say, ‘hello.’"
"Oh," Bebe was relieved. "Very nice to meet you, Miss."
"I have to admit," the teacher smiled, "when I found out that you were a student here, I did feel a bit intimidated at the prospect of having you in class."
Bebe squinted as she considered this. "Why, Miss? I’m not going to be a problem."
Miss Alexandra laughed at that. "I didn’t think you would be, Bebe, but if you were to take a look at my resume and yours, I’m sure that mine would pale in comparison. I have a PhD in Dramaturgy from Harvard and I’ve worked behind the scenes at some impressive theaters, but... Bebe... I had the privilege of seeing you playing Bianca on The Cape last year and I’ve seen your work on ‘Civil Disobedience.’ You’re a Force Of Nature, Bebe. I’m not sure that I have much to teach you."
Bebe blushed, flattered. "Thank you, Miss... Umm... Oh, you’re a doctor, right. Should we call you ‘Doctor?’"
"‘Miss’ is fine," the teacher smiled. "You’d best be headed to the office before Mr Carlin comes back out. It was lovely to meet you, Bebe. I’ll see you sixth period."
"Nice to meet you, too, Miss."
Bebe headed to the office, where the secretary was waiting. "Starting the year off with a bang, I see," she shook her head in disgust. "You’re not a star here, Bianca. You’re just one of eight hundred students in a blue shirt and grey skirt. Get used to it." That statement actually resonated with Bebe for some reason. The secretary indicated a chair and snarled with contempt at the successful young woman. Bebe took the seat and waited.
"Thank you for seeing me, Dr Martinez," Nancy took a seat and smiled at the accomplished man across the desk.
"Always a pleasure, Dr Foley," he smiled. "Have you come to a decision?"
"Well..." Nancy was a bit uncomfortable in this position. "... yes and no, I guess."
Jorge laughed. "Meaning what, exactly?"
Nancy took a deep breath. "May I be very frank with you, Doctor?"
"I’d prefer it if you were."
"Ok..." Nancy thought for a moment. "I’ve spoken to my family, my sponsor from my support group and my therapist and... see... everyone thinks I’d be crazy to pass up this opportunity."
Jorge waited, but Nancy remained quiet, her eyes on the desk. "I sense that there is a ‘but’ in that sentence."
She nodded. "There is. Dr Martinez... I love my sister."
"Ok," he folded his arms and waited.
"And... well, when I has high... I treated her very badly. Worse than you can imagine. I knew that she was intersexed and I knew what she was going through and I threw all of it right in her face to make myself feel better."
"Understood," he said. "I’ve heard this from Bebe, too, you know? But, as you said, you were addicted to Percocet. You’re doing well in recovery, now, aren’t you?"
"Yeah, I am," she smiled, "and I want to continue doing well, but... Look, Dr Martinez, the reason I started taking Percocet was because I was over tired and over stressed and I hated who I became. I never want to be that woman, again, and... Jesus, I hate saying this out loud... I’m afraid that I may relapse some day. Not now, or even soon, but... what if I do and I’m in a high profile position like the one you and the Dusty Rose girls are offering me? It’d be bad enough to fail, but to be a public disgrace and to be an embarrassment to my sister... after all she’s done for me... I... I just couldn’t handle it."
He nodded and considered what Nancy had said. "So, what’s the plan? Complete your residency and retreat into a backwoods hospital in Appalachia where no one will notice if you fall off the wagon, or get hooked on alcohol, or opioids? Create a situation in which you’ll never find happiness just to punish yourself for a mistake? Or, maybe, just give up and prove everyone who doubted you right?"
She shrugged and kept her eyes down.
"Look, Dr Foley, What you did was wrong and you knew it was wrong. You abused your position, you consumed prescription drugs knowing their addictive qualities, you got involved with a drug dealer... I know all about all of this..., but you’re a good doctor who may just have a bright future if she makes good decisions about her life AND her career from now on. Running away and hiding is a sure-fire way to fail. If you want to stay out of sight and fumble along, hoping that you don’t fall on your face again, fine – I can’t talk you out of that – but if you want to be a good doctor, then grow up, accept the fact that you’re human and you’re going to have problems in the future, but if you remain in therapy and take jobs that allow you to live a lifestyle that makes you happy and proud... well, it seems to me that that could lead to some actual happiness in your future."
Nancy nodded. "So... I knew that you knew I took drugs, but you knew about Walter, my boyfriend-slash-drug-dealing-partner, too?"
He nodded. "It wasn’t hard to find out about him."
"And you still think you can trust me?"
"I’ll tell you something, Nancy... I could not possibly put more pressure on you than you are putting on yourself, so... yeah... I trust you – BUT – I expect you to stay sober, keep your support systems in tact and, above all, do your job and do it well. Can you do that?"
Nancy thought for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Jorge. "Yes. I can." The statement may have lacked the gusto of a ‘Hollywood Moment,’ but Nancy said it with enough confidence to convince Mr Martinez.
"Then you’ll take the job?"
"I will, Dr Martinez. Thank you. I won’t let you down."
"You’re damned right you won’t," Martinez laughed. "These are people’s lives that we deal with every single day. I’ll be watching you like a hawk – the same way I’ll be watching everyone else on my team."
He stood and extended his hand. "Welcome to the team, Dr. Foley."
The secretary fussed over papers, answered phone calls, sent parents in the right direction and, occasionally, made dismissive remarks about Bebe while she sat in the office and heard the bell that began homeroom.
Then the bell that began period one.
Then the bell that ended period two.
Then the bell that began period three.
"How long will Mr Carlin be?" Bebe asked.
"He’ll be as long as he’ll be," the secretary sneered, seeming to amuse herself with her disdain for the child currently in her care. "You’ll just have to sit and wait."
Finally, fifteen minutes into period two, Bebe stood and picked up her backpack and pocketbook.
"Sit back down, there!" The secretary snapped. "Where do you think you’re going?"
"To see Mr Carlin and resolve all of this," Bebe said and she headed around the counter and towards the auditorium.
The secretary ran to the counter and called down the hall, "This is not a good way to begin the year, Ms Foley! Your uncle is not going to be happy when he receives a call from the headmaster!"
But Bebe ignored her and kept walking.
"How’s my eldest doing?" Don teased as he met Rose on the set.
"Happy to be back to work, I guess," she smiled and accepted a kiss on her cheek.
"So, what do your folks think about your EMMY Award nomination?"
Rose laughed. "I think their excited – maybe even proud – but it doesn’t mean an awful lot to them. To them, acting isn’t a real job. It’s something their daughter does and happens to make money doing it, you know?"
"I do, and thank heavens we can get away with it!" He laughed at his own joke. "I’ve haven’t had a REAL job since I was sixteen. I got a small part as a waiter in a weird little comedy that got a little bit of critical notice when I was seventeen. I didn’t even audition for it – the director came into the store where I was bagging groceries, thought I looked right and offered me a job. I took it more seriously than anyone expected me to and... cut to twenty eight years later and I still don’t have a REAL job."
Rose liked the story and smiled. "They don’t like that Ed and I bought a house on The Cape, either, so there’s a little friction there, too."
"Why?"
"Well, because we bought it before we got married for one thing, but also because it cost more than three times what they paid for their house. We’re too young, we’re not married, we have no concept of what money really is... stuff like that."
"Ok, tell you what you need to do," Don smiled. "Buy a stupidly expensive dress and sinfully high heeled shoes. Get some jewelry store to let you wear a diamond necklace that costs more than the national budget and walk down the red carpet a week from Sunday looking like the biggest star on television, because that’s who you are. I guarantee that they’ll take notice."
This made Rose laugh out loud. "Oh, Yeah. The biggest star on television!"
"That’s who you are, sweetheart."
"No, that’s who Bebe is. I’m just set-dressing compared to Beebs."
"No, Rosie. We’re a team. You, me, Ed, Marion and Bebe. If we keep an ‘all for one and one for all’ attitude, this show could run long enough to make us all obscenely rich and embarrassingly famous. You are just as big a deal as Bebe."
She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Don, but I’d rather be a supporting actress, like the nomination says. I’ll let Bebe be my leader."
Don considered that and heaved a big sigh. "Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should do the same thing."
"Regarding after school activities, including sports, dances and performances, if you are not in school on the day of the sporting event, dance or performance, you are not eligible to participate in that evening’s event. The only exception to this rule is if you are out of school on school business, such as representing the school in the community..." Mr Carlin droned on and on as the girls in the audience glazed over in boredom. They’d been in the auditorium for over two hours, now, and they were having a hard time focusing.
First, Mr Carlin had laid into them about what had happened in the foyer when Bebe Foley had appeared. Then, they’d gotten their schedules and were grouped into their home rooms within the auditorium, and, for the last half an hour, the headmaster had been reading them the school handbook.
They were done with listening. It was all so boring.
Finally, Mr Carlin seemed to wrapping up his presentation. Maybe they’d be able to stand up and stretch a little, soon.
"Alright, ladies," Mr Carlin spoke into the microphone, "in a couple of moments, I’m going to let you go to your classes and get to know your teachers..."
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the audience and people started applauding. Uncertain of what was going on, Mr Carlin looked around and was shocked to see Bianca Foley stepping out of the curtains on stage right and headed towards him at the podium. His first reaction was to take a stand and send the sophomore back to his office, but she wore a very confident smile that belayed him shouting. Then he noticed that the other young woman from Bebe’s show, Kylie ‘Something,’ was with her.
The girls in the audience began applauding for the celebrities, as Mr Carlin covered the microphone with his left hand and he said to the two girls on stage, "What is going on, here?"
Bebe smiled at him and said, quietly, "I’m going to be sure that what happened before never happens again."
"How?" He asked.
"May just use the microphone?"
The headmaster shrugged and stepped back, allowing Bebe to pull the cordless microphone from its holder. Once it was free, she grabbed a chair that was on the stage and moved it to the apron. Kylie did the same thing.
"Hi, girls," Bebe said as she and Kylie sat. "Welcome to Notre Dame!"
The girls applauded wildly while they hooted and hollered.
"Ok, ok," Bebe smiled at them. "Let’s all sit down and talk, ok?"
Gradually, the girls sat and quieted.
From the side of the stage, Mr Carlin appeared and handed Kylie another wireless microphone.
"Ok," Bebe smiled, "so, my name is Bebe."
The girls cheered.
"And I’m Kylie," Kylie said and the girls cheered, again.
"Listen, girls," Bebe continued, "I want you all to take a look at what you’re wearing. See? Kylie and I are wearing the same thing, too, right? See? When we’re here, at Notre Dame, we’re not Kylie and Bebe from ‘Civil Disobedience.’ We’re just Kylie and Bebe – your classmates – and we’d like to get to know you. Kylie, why don’t you tell them about yourself."
Kylie smiled and said, "Well, ok. My name is Kylie and I’m from LA." The girls applauded for Los Angeles. "I met Bebe at an audition for ‘Civil Disobedience,’ and she really helped me out. I was cast as the daughter of the next door neighbors and it’s been a lot of fun."
The girls applauded.
"And now she’s the spokeswoman for a line of cosmetics for teenagers." Bebe threw in and the girls applauded more.
When it had quieted, again, Bebe said, "And I’m Bianca Foley and I’m from Worcester, Massachusetts." When that didn’t get a response, Bebe smiled and said, "Well, that didn’t get the same response as LA did." That generated a giggle.
"Alright, girls, now, this morning, out in the foyer, my friends and I got a little scared when we got crowded by so many people. So, I’d like to get to know you all so that we don’t have that happen again. Ok? So, as you know, we’re both actresses, but so are a lot of you, I’m sure. So, we’re nothing special while we’re here and we can’t block the hallway to take selfies, or anything like that. So, let’s make it so that we’re all just friends."
For the next few minutes, Kylie and Bebe talked about themselves and joked about working together. Then Bebe turned to the girls in the audience and asked, "Do you guys have any questions for us?"
And they did.
"What’s it like to be famous?" Asked one girl.
"I’ll let Bebe take that question," Kylie laughed. "I’m ‘recognizable. She’s ‘famous.’"
Bebe smiled. "Well, there’s a lot of great things that come from being famous. I mean, I have money and nice things and stuff like that, but there’s some things that are kind of hard to deal with, too. Like, when I go somewhere... don’t get me wrong, I appreciate how much people love the show and all, but... when I go somewhere, everyone knows who I am. I have to always be on my best behavior. There’s always someone with a phone or a camera ready to catch me getting upset about something, or looking sloppy, or getting into an argument with my boyfriend... Unless I’m at home, with the blinds drawn, I don’t really have any privacy anymore. I’m not complaining, I’m just saying how it is."
"And then," Bebe looked at the girls in the audience with a more serious expression, "there’s things like what happened this morning. That was scary. I know that you guys were just excited – first day, new school, stuff like that – but my friends and I got pretty freaked out. I mean, there were an awful lot of you guys and just three of us."
"That’s, kinda, why we’re talking to you, today," Kylie added. "We’d love to get to know you as the year goes along, but, please understand, we are all just students here. You’re here to learn. I’m here to learn. Bebe’s here to learn. So, please, treat us like your friends or your classmates and everything will be great, ok?"
From the wings, Miss Alexandra appeared and took the microphone from Bebe. "Hi, girls. I’m Miss Alexandra, your new Theater teacher. I hope that a lot of you will be in my classes this year. I’ll tell you what - I’m going to talk to these two lovely ladies and I’m going to ask them to come and visit our freshman classes from time to time to discuss their experiences on the set of their TV show. How does that sound?"
The girls cheered.
"Excellent," Mr Carlin took the microphone from Kylie and spoke to the assembled girls. "I’m going to have you all exit with your teachers. Welcome to Notre Dame, girls. I hope that you make the most of your time at our school." He smiled. "Teachers, thank you."
As the girls rose to follow their teachers, Bebe and Kylie waved and turned to leave, but Mr Carlin held out his arm in front of them. "No, no. Just wait here. We need to talk." His smile remained plastered onto his face and he watched the freshmen all file out of the room.
When the auditorium was empty, Mr Carlin took the microphones, shut them off and walked to stage left to put them away. "You were supposed to wait in my office, Bianca. Did I say anything that would have confused you regarding that?"
"No, Mr Carlin, sir," Bebe replied.
He closed the AV cabinet and turned. "And you, Kylie? Why are you here?"
Kylie glance at Bebe for a moment. "Because Bebe came to my classroom and asked me to come."
He folded his arms and looked at Kylie, appraisingly. "At the risk of sounding like a teacher from the nineteen fifties, ‘If Bianca jumped off a bridge, would you?’"
Kylie glanced to her right, again, smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mr Carlin, I would. Bebe helped me when I needed her help and now I’m helping her."
He nodded and turned to Bebe with his best schoolmaster’s scolding expression. "Explain yourself before I call your Uncle."
Bebe didn’t flinch, but didn’t look very confident, either. "I had been sitting in the office waiting for you for an hour and a half and I figured that the best way too keep something like what happened this morning from happening was to just tell the freshmen that we’re all just students here and to point out how dangerous it was and just have Kylie and me introduce ourselves. So, I went to Kylie’s class and got her then came here."
Mr Carlin nodded. "And did it occur to you, Ms Foley, that you are not the headmaster of this school, but I am? Don’t you think I may have had a plan to deal with this morning’s incident?"
"I’m not trying to be a brat or a diva, Mr Carlin, but I figured that, since your were busy with the freshmen, you probably hadn’t had much time to think about a solution. I wasn’t trying to make you mad, sir, I was just trying to help you out."
He nodded and looked both girls in the eye. "What would you say if I decided to start your new school years with three days of suspension, young ladies."
"You’ve got to be kidding!" Kylie nearly shouted.
"I beg your pardon!?" Mr Carlin asked firmly.
"Oh," Kylie sputtered, "I’m sorry. You’ve got to be kidding... sir," she said with much more control.
Carlin shook his head. "Day one, year two, Ms Foley. Is this how the entirety of the next three years is going to be? Daily challenges from you and upheaval around you?"
"I sincerely hope not, Mr Carlin, sir, and that is the truth. I was only trying to help." Bebe looked a bit concerned about the consequences of her actions at the moment.
Slowly, the headmaster’s angry demeanor grew warmer until it became a smile. "Honest to God, Bianca, you are going to take a decade off of my life. Please, Bianca... please don’t... HELP... me anymore, ok? It doesn’t look good to have a student running the school. I’m sure my secretary will be giving me an earful when I get back to the office."
Bebe and Kylie looked at each other and smiled, relieved.
"Now, both of you, get back to your classes and let’s move on from here."
"Thank you, Mr Carlin," Bebe said.
"Thank you," Kylie agreed.
As they headed towards the stage doors, the headmaster called, "Oh, and Bebe. You’ve come a long way. Just a few months ago, you would have just stayed in my office and cried until your Uncle got here, but, this time, you handled everything by yourself. Well done. I’m very proud of you."
Bebe smiled and blushed a bit. "Thank you, Mr Carlin, sir. That means a lot to me."
The girls exited through the double doors backstage and headed down the hallway. "Well, well, well," Kylie teased. "Look who grew a pair."
Bebe laughed out loud.
"What about something like this one?" Rose asked as she turned the screen of her iPad towards Bebe. "It’s designed by ‘Eve of Milady.’ Do you like it?"
Bebe cuddled close to her ‘cousin’ as the lay on the bed in the darkened bedroom that Rose and Ed shared and looked at the glorious bridal gown on the tablet. "I love it, Rose. You’d look beautiful in it. You’d look beautiful in any of them."
Ed was working late. They were filming a lot of the ‘work’ segments of the show while Bebe recovered.
Rose smiled and kissed Bebe’s head. "You’re sweet. You’re ok with all of this, right?"
"Of course," Bebe smiled. "Why?"
"Because... well, because of us... before."
Bebe laid her head on Rose’s shoulder. "I couldn’t be happier for you, Rose. I love you both and I’m glad you’re happy... and I want to wear that dress." She pointed to a Maid of Honor dress that was extravagant in the extreme. Long red, silk that clung to the model’s upper body and flowed down into elegant, billowing skirts.
Rose chuckled. "That’s too grown up for you."
"I could make it work," Bebe said.
Rose smiled, enjoying being with her little charge once again.
"Have you... you know..." Rose always found this conversation silly and embarrassing, "... taken care of things, today."
Bebe laughed and bit her lip. "You mean, have I masturbated with my dildo?" She laughed harder and leaned harder against Rose.
Rose chuckled, too, "Yes. That’s what I mean, you little wiseass. Have you?"
"I have."
"Good girl," Rose smiled as she scrolled through the pictures of gowns on the screen. She pushed the button to load a new page and she thought for a moment about Bebe and how she’d changed. "Is everything healing ok?" She asked.
Bebe nodded.
"How does it feel?"
"How does what feel? My new vagina?"
"Yeah. And how does it feel when you use your... thing?"
My dildo?" Bebe laughed.
"Oh, you’re such a little pain in the ass," Rose laughed. "Yes. Does it feel... nice?... good?... when you use your... dildo?"
"It feels..." Bebe kissed Rose’s cheek. "It feels... wonderful and... good."
Rose could not contain either her humor at this weird conversation. "Good?"
"It feels great, Rose. It’s...exciting and it feels... amazing. And I don’t even have as many nerve endings as you have! I can’t imagine what it feels like when you do it with Uncle Ed!"
"Oh, my God!" Rose laughed with shock. "You had better NOT ever imagine ANYTHING about what your Uncle and I do!"
She their laughter subsided, Rose asked, "So, you’re happy you did it?"
"I’ve never been happier about anything I’ve ever done."
"Good," Rose said as she buried her nose in Bebe’s dark, soft, fragrant hair. "I’m glad. You know... we both love you, Beebs. We love you like crazy. Like you’re my little sister, or my own daughter. I can barely remember what life was like before we were all together. I think we were meant to be together. You and me and Ed."
"And Blaine," Bebe agreed.
"And Blaine," Rose kissed the soft hair. "We should get to bed, soon. Tomorrow’s a big day. Our first award show."
To Be Continued...
