The Breaking of the Sisterhood

Bee, Tibby, Lena and Carmen are all gone to college, however, every weekend they meet up and do some Pantsy-Affairs. What happens when one of them breaks away?

Prologue-A Meeting at Gilda's

CARMEN-The Summer Before

There we were, all sitting in Gilda's for the usual Traveling Pants ritual. We (by this, I mean Bee, Lena, Tibby and me:Carmen—we've been "we" for as long as I can remember) all chewed hard on our gummy bears and thought about what we had to say.

Tibby opened up the ceremony. She said, "After this summer, we are all going to different colleges in different towns."

Bee followed, "We won't be seeing much of each other anymore."

Lena continued, "How to preserve our friendship?"

I concluded, "By passing the Pants around, of course."

Bee spoke to put down my idea. She seemed irritable and annoyed. "But Carmen," she said pointedly, "we can't WASH the Pants."

"SO?" I half-yelled, "what difference does that make? The Pants keep us together when we're apart! We're all going to different colleges! The Pants will keep us together!"

"Really?" said Bridget sarcastically, "so we're all going to keep passing the Pants around and each of us is going to wear it all year round for four years? Don't you think, my dear Carmen that the Pants are going to stink up if we keep wearing it so often? And we can't WASH it, remember!"

I paused.

And then Lena spoke, "GUYS! STOP ARGUING!"

"Yeah," Tibby said, "this is our last day together. Don't ruin it."

I hung my head, ashamed, "Sorry. It's just—" my voice caught. "We'll—we'll never see each other again and I—"

"It's OK, Carma!" Tibby consoled, "we'll find a way to still be together!"

"Yes," said Lena, all business-like now, "but, you know Bee's right. We can't keep passing the Pants around and don't WASH it! And the Pants are strictly for summers only!"

I felt a little ashamed. I had been fighting with Bee. ME! I'm supposed to be the glue that holds us together!

"Sorry, Carma," Bee said quietly.

I apologized back to her.

Chapter 1-The Seventh Weekend

CARMEN-WHERE ARE THEY?

That was that. The summer before we split up. Today is Saturday. The Saturday of the seventh weekend since we've been apart. Bee went to soccer school. Tibby went to film-making school. Lena decided to go into the art-design industry. And what about me? I just went to boring old business school. My mother thought it was best since I didn't have any special talent or ambition.

I took the bus back to Bethesda. We decided that every second Saturday we would come to see each other. No Pants. The Pants are still in my cupboard at home, waiting for the Summer.

"BETHESDA!" the bus conductor yelled, "BETHESDA, GET OFF HERE!"

I marched off the bus as it zoomed away.

Ah. Back home. I took in the fresh air and continued back to my apartment where I embraced warmly with my mother, Christina and her husband David.

"I'm going to—to meet the rest, Mum," I said and set off for Gilda's where we always meet.

I brought my stash of gummy bears and nachos and sat down on the cool dark wooden floor. It was nine o' clock. We always meet at nine.

I sat there and waited in vain for my friends.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" I yelled at nine thirty. STILL nobody.

At nine forty-five, Lena jogged in, sweaty and panting, with her radio—the music.

"Sorry, Carma!" she apologized at once seeing my huffy face, "where's the rest?"

"NOT HERE YET!" I exploded, "I'm the ONLY one who came on time, at nine! You—nine forty-five! Tibba-dee and Bee? NO SHOW YET!"

"SORRY! There was this BEAUTIFUL art piece I had to finish! It's off the lake in Greece! Honestly, Carmen, I lost track of time!"

At ten fifteen, Tibby came in.

She saw me and Lena.

"SORRY!" Tibby yelled, "Mr. Michigan—our director, I mean, INSISTED I stay in and finish the shooting off the guys coz he said I was the best!"

"LENA AND I HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE DOING NOTHING FOR ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES!" I shouted, "AND LENA ONLY CAME AT NINE FORTY-FIVE! AND BEE STILL HASN'T SHOWN UP!"

No sooner had I said that, Bridget strolled into the room, in full sporting gear—sports bra and micro-mini shorts. Her face was all red.

"Sorry, guys!" she said, "there was a soccer tournament no one told me about! And the Honey Bees—that's my team after the real live one in Alabama—INSISTED I play!"

"REALLY?" I screeched, "I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAME ON TIME AND THE REST OF YOU JUST LAZE OFF AND MAKE EXCUSES AND COME ONE AND A HALF HOURS LATE!"

nest chapter up soon!