An extra chapter in between Chapter 18 and 19 of the first book in the series
If you have read the first book of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, then skip the next bit and start reading!
For those that haven't read the book, here's a little summary:
Disclaimer:This is from a Wikipedia page
Bridget Vreeland
Shortly after arriving at soccer camp in Baja California, Mexico, Bridget develops a crush on one of the coaches, Eric Richman. She reveals to Eric and the audience that a psychiatrist who evaluated her following her mother's suicide described her as "single-minded to the point of recklessness," presumably as a way of avoiding dealing with her mother's death. This statement aptly describes Bridget's pursuit of Eric, despite the fact that flings between coaches and campers are forbidden. She flirts with Eric, shows off for him during games, and more.
When Bridget's turn with the Traveling Pants finally comes, she puts them on that night and walks around outside Eric's cabin, leading him to the beach. It is implied in the movie (and confirmed in the book) that Bridget loses her virginity to Eric. The event leaves Bridget feeling empty and listless, even once she returns home.
Carmen Lowell
During the summer Carmen goes to her dad's house in South Carolina. On arrival, she is shocked when her dad immediately introduces her to a new family that he is about to marry into; they are blonde White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, unlike Carmen who was raised by her Puerto Rican mother. During her time there her father and her new family neglect her emotionally, driving her to throw a stone through their dining room window, and catch a bus back to Maryland. At home she tells Tibby about her time with her dad and Tibby convinces her to confront her father with a phone call and finally tell him that she's mad at him. Carmen tells her father and he apologizes. Her summer ends with the four of them returning south where she is an attendant at her father's wedding, where at the reception he makes a public apology for having snubbed her.
Lena Kaligaris
Lena spends the summer with her grandparents in Santorini, Greece. While there, she meets Kostos, the grandson of some of Lena's grandparents friends, and he becomes interested in Lena. Though she does reciprocate his feelings, she is shy and is unable to express them. Lena goes skinny-dipping and is accidentally seen by Kostos, and her grandparents assume she has been assaulted by him when she is unable to explain what happened. Later in the summer, Lena explains what happened in order to repair the rift between her and Kostos' grandparents, and confesses to Kostos how she feels about him.
The grass tickled her feet and made swishing sounds all around her. It sounded to Bridget as if they were sighing. She lay in this sea of green and closed her eyes, wishing she could go to sleep like this and never wake up.
A sudden feeling of nostalgia came over her and the faces of her friends and family swirled around in front of her. For some strange reason, one particular face took up all the space, demanding her attention.
Bridget smiled tiredly. "Hey mum," she whispered. "Remember when you told me that sometimes people just get tired and give up? Well, I kinda feel like that right now. Can you tell me why?Please?"
She looked up at the sky, trying to find pictures in the clouds like she had with her brother when they were little. The sky was too smooth, too empty. It reminded Bridget of herself. Shaking her head in disgust, she picked herself up and walked back to the main camp. She needed to do something.
"…Yeah and could you help with the younger kids? They'll probably need a hand with the equipment." Molly's voice drifted over from the back of the office. Bridget's head snapped towards the direction of the noise and instantly veered away into another room.
The sound of footsteps echoed loudly as they headed closer to Bridget's hiding place and she tensed. The footsteps stopped suddenly, dangerously close by.
"Eric?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sure, no problem," the familiar voice replied not more than a few metres away.
"And Eric? …I need to talk to you."
Without waiting for his reply, Molly barged on.
"I've been a coach here for quite a while and well, it's just…it's about Bridget. I've never seen such a girl like her. She's been listless lately and you know what happened during the finals. I don't know whether this is just frustration at me holding her back for this whole time or… something more."
Bridget strained hard for his answer. Eric was silent. So was her heart. Then he replied slowly, "Bridget and I have talked. There were some problems. Our feelings got a little muddled. I'm not sure if she has fully recovered and I'm not sure if she'll ever fully be recovered. He drew a long breath. "But I'll take full responsibility, should there… be a need to."
Molly seemed to be considering his answer. "You know what Eric?" she said thoughtfully, "I respect you as a person and coach and this is your business. I hope you deal with it your way and maybe everything will turn out alright. I'm not going to report you or anything of that sort. I'll leave it to you. I trust you enough that I know you will be able to handle this issue properly."
"Thank you." Eric replied fervently, his voice low and sincere. "That's all I can ask." His footsteps quickly disappeared down the hallway.
"Hey pumpkin! It's time for dinner!" Carmen's father called from the doorway of their house.
"Coming Dad," she replied as she said goodbye to some new-found friends of Krista and headed back to the house.
The wedding had been a huge success and Lydia had come back with flushed cheeks and a huge smile on her face. Everyone was excited and talking at the same time. The guests were impressed with the setting up and Lydia and Rick had gotten congratulated so many times Carmen had stopped keeping track.
Dinner was a quieter affair. They sat and ate, talking occasionally about the honeymoon and how the kids would have to behave themselves while the adults were gone. Carmen just mostly sat and watched the new family. She realised how much they suited each other and combined as a unit. Any hate or jealousy that floated to the top was gone and Carmen felt like she could say that she was at least… half-good now.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe, they could be friends. Maybe she would even become close friends with Krista and Paul. Help one other with their problems. She was glad that her dad was happy. And so, in that way, she was happy too.
Afterwards, Carmen reflected that if all this hadn't happened. If her father had never brought her to see his family, then neither of them would have learnt their lesson. They were both changed people now. Perhaps, once in a while, she would think about the good old times. But for now, she would think about moving forward.
Paul came to say goodbye, even though he was supposed to be visiting his father. He said that he would leave right after he had seen Carmen off. She was pleased that Paul had made that effort. To her, Paul was a sort of mystery. Someone caring, yet so quiet and unassuming. He was a star athlete, yet he wasn't full of himself. Carmen decided that she liked him for that. She wanted to figure him out. To understand him. He had helped her up, both literally and figuratively and she wanted to give something back in return.
Lena didn't want to go. She knew that she obviously had to. Otherwise it would be ridiculous. Yet, she could feel this strong desire to stay here and bask in that cocooning warmth until she suffocated in the love potion atmosphere.
Kostos was by her side, watching her quietly, observing her little movements, his eyes tracing the curves of her face. They sat there, in comfortable silence, until finally; Lena was forced to be the one to stand up.
She sighed. "I have to go now. But I promise I'll come back later." She blushed, wondering if she sounded too sure that Kostos would want her to come back. She turned to leave but she felt her hand being grabbed in Kostos' large warm ones. She turned back to face him and was startled by the intensity of his gaze. He looked deep into her eyes and Lena fancied that she could see little flecks of green in the rich hazel.
"Good. I'll be waiting."
He smiled at her, slightly wistful.
Lena reddened. She just couldn't help it.
"Okay," she half-whispered.
He watched as she left the room and gradually faded into the distance.
She was skipping and twisting and doing absolutely ridiculous things that she wouldn't be caught dead doing back in Maryland, but she was just so exceedingly happy she couldn't contain herself.
"Well, well, well." said a suddenly frighteningly familiar voice.
Effie rounded the corner and smirked at Lena, who was frozen in mid prance.
She quickly changed back to a more composed position and tried to rearrange her facial features into what she thought had been approximately the way her face had looked; that is, before this afternoon.
It was no use of course. Effie suddenly burst into pealing laughter, doubling over and clutching her sides.
"I can't, believe, that you've … heeeheeeheeehe… finally done it. Look at you, prancing around like an idiot. It's outrageous."
Lena glared at her little sister with as much hatred as she could muster. Burning two holes in Effie's head with laser eyes, she stalked off, trying to regain as much dignity as possible.
She cursed herself for not being able to control herself. She just hoped that no one else had seen her doing the crazy dance. A horrible thought occurred to her. What if Kostos had followed her and seen her? He would think she was the most immature and queerest person he had ever seen! Lena's breathing turned into ragged puffs and she looked around, peering into the many Greek alleyways.
Wait, stop. Calm down. It is highly unlikely that Kostos would have followed her. Why did she think of such a preposterous thing, indeed? Silly paranoid Lena. If her friends had seen her in this panic state, they would have shaken their heads at the absurdity of their sadly misguided friend.
Thankfully, she managed to make it back to Nanna's place without any more mishaps, although she admitted that her pride probably had been the most damaged.
"Hi Grandma," she said, greeting her nonna as she strolled through the door.
"Hello darling,' she replied, looking up from behind the counter. "Dinner vill be ready soon. How about you go upstairs to change and ven it is time, I vill call you."
"Sure" Lena replied as she proceeded up the stairs to her room.
When she reached the top, she went to the windowsill and flung the wooden shutters wide open. Shimmering dark water paired with the even darker evening sky greeted her, making her heart ache with the beauty and serenity of the night. Tonight, she thought about her friends, waiting for her to come back. She knew she was leaving soon and she wasn't sad to. She knew that one day, she would come back. And even take her friends with her. Who knows? Then she would visit Kostos and have another day of sitting by the forge.
That was the future. For now, she would think about surviving, keeping her promises, to others and to herself. And delicious dolmades and olives of course.
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