Are You Now Or Have You Ever BeenJust Friends?

by caitlin-jayne

Alice & Dana and the old question: Are they really just friends?

2. Chapter 2

Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been…Just Friends Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been…Just Friends ?

Episode 2: Home, Sweet Home

ALICE'S APARTMENT

Alice returns home from work. Dana is standing in the kitchen, making dinner.

Dana: "Hey."

Alice: "Hey."

Dana: "How was your day?"

Alice: "Aside from the fact that Melanie loaded a ton of work on me today, my day was good?"

Dana: "Who's Melanie?"

Alice: "My boss."

Dana: "I thought Joan was your boss."

Alice: "Joan is my boss at KCRW, Melanie my boss at L.A. Magazine."

Dana: "I see."

Alice: "And what have you been up to?"

Dana: "I've been looking at a few apartments today."

Alice: "Any luck?"

Dana: "No. They were either too small or too expensive."

Alice: "Or too small and too expensive."

Dana: "Exactly. It's unbelievable what kind of hellholes they offer you."

Alice: "Yeah. I know all about that."

Dana: "I just hope I get lucky tomorrow."

Alice: "You might."

Dana: "Knock on wood…Keep your fingers crossed."

Alice: "Wow. Is it that bad here? You sound desperate to get out of here."

Dana: "No, I'm not. It's just, I can't stay on your couch forever."

Alice: "Well, I don't mind. And Mary isn't complaining either."

Dana: "Yes, but still. At some point I want my own bed. And a place to put all my stuff."

Alice: "All you have are two suitcases of clothes. I think we have enough space for that."

Dana: "Funny, Al. You know what I mean. The stuff that only gets here when I have a place to live."

Alice: "Yes, I know…Don't worry, you'll find something."

Dana: "Yeah."

Alice smiles at Dana.

Alice: "So, you need any help with that dinner?"

Dana: "Not really. You can set the table though."

Alice: "Alrighty."

While Alice sets the table Dana finishes cooking the dinner. A few minutes later Mary comes home. The three girls sit down at the table and start eating dinner.

Mary: "So, Dana, how'd the apartment hunt go today?"

Dana: "I had no luck."

Mary: "Okay. But don't worry, soon you'll find a nice place. And until then you can stay here with us."

Dana: "Thanks."

Mary: "You're welcome."

Alice: "See."

Dana smiles at Alice.

Mary: "By the way, this dinner is delicious. It's good to have someone else cooking around here."

Dana: "Thanks."

Alice: "Hey! I cook too."

Mary: "Heating up food from a can is not cooking."

Alice: "It's still food, isn't it?"

Dana and Mary laugh.

Alice: "Well, at least you're having fun."

Dana: "Come on, Al. We're just joking around."

Alice: "Yeah, I know."

Mary: "Maybe Dana and I can show you a few tricks some time."

Dana: "Yeah, that'd be fun."

Alice: "Sure, why not."

The three girls finish dinner.

Mary: "Well, again, Dana. Dinner was delicious."

Dana: "And again. Thanks."

Alice: "So, what are you girls up for? Go to a club? Have a few drinks, a little dancing?

Mary: "I'm pretty beat. I just wanna stay in and watch some tv or so."

Dana: "Yeah, I wanna stay in too, I'm not in the mood for going out."

Alice: "Thank god. Me neither."

Dana: "Okay, let's watch tv then. Anybody knows what's on tonight?"

Alice: "I believe they're showing ER re-runs."

Dana: "Cool."

Mary starts laughing. Dana and Alice look at her.

Alice: "What's so funny?"

Mary: "Do you remember when you wanted to join the cast of ER? And you were rehearsing this one speech?"

Alice: "Oh my god. I do. I was going insane with that."

Mary: "You really were."

Dana: "I can't believe that."

Mary: "Oh you better."

Dana: "And did you go to any audition?"

Alice: "No. But that speech is now stuck forever in my memory."

Mary: "Are you saying you could still do it?"

Alice: "I believe I could."

Dana: "Well, let's hear it then."

Alice: "Are you serious?"

Dana: "I am."

Alice: "Okay."

Dana and Mary sit down on the couch and look at Alice, full of expectation. Alice clears her throat.

Alice: "Here we go…65-year-old male with severe vascular disease manifested by claudiction of the left calf. Ten days post-op from Mercy General after an aorta-bifemoral bypass. Normal post-op course until six hours ago when he began to experience lower left quadrant pain without palliative or provoking factors. BP 120/ 80, pulse 112, respiration 68. Diminished breath sounds were noted over the base of the patient's right lung. Intrigued, I tested vocal fremitus per Bates, second edition leading me to a diagnosis of pleural effusion, confirmed by this radiograph which shows fluid in the patient's right costophrenic sulcus."

Astonished Dana and Mary look at Alice.

Alice: "Or something like that."

Dana: "Wow."

Mary: "That was…"

Dana: "Wow."

Mary: "Yeah."

Alice: "So, can we watch tv now."

Still looking astonished, Dana and Mary nod. Alice sits down on the couch with them and switches the tv on.

A While Later

The phone rings.

Alice: "I'll get it."

Alice gets up to answer the phone.

Alice: "Hello?…Hey…Yeah, hold on a sec…Mary, it's for you. It's Liz. She sounds excited."

Mary walks over to Alice. She hands her the phone.

Mary: "Hey, babe. What's up?…What?…That's great…Where?…Where?!…Okay, and are you gonna take it?…When do you have to make a decision?…That's soon…Well, I don't know. It's your call………Okay…Call me later, okay?…Alright…Love you too…Bye, hon."

Mary hangs up and sits back on the couch.

Mary: "Liz got a job offer."

Alice: "Well, that's great."

Mary: "Yeah."

Dana: "Where?"

Mary: "In Seattle."

Dana: "Oh."

Mary: "Yeah."

Alice: "Is she gonna take it?"

Mary: "She doesn't know yet. She has to decide within the next ten days though."

Alice: "Oh okay."

Mary: "I mean, it's a great opportunity for her. And I'm happy for her if she takes it. But Seattle?"

Alice: "Yeah, I know."

A Few Days Later

PLANET

Alice and Shane are sitting inside the Planet.

Alice: "I'm just wondering why we choose from just two people for president and from 50 for Miss America. Something just seems a little wrong in this country."

Shane: "I know, Alice."

Bette and Tina walk in.

Tina: "Hey, girls."

Bette: "Hi."

Alice/ Shane: "Hey."

Tina: "Coffee for you?"

Bette: "Yes, please."

Tina: "Anything for you two?"

Shane: "No, thanks."

Alice: "I'm fine."

Tina: "Okay."

Tina walks to the counter. Bette sits down.

Bette: "So, what are you two up to?"

Shane: "Alice here, is wondering why we only have two candidates to choose from for president but 50 for Miss America."

Bette: "Yeah, that's really strange. I mean something is going seriously wrong in this country."

Alice: "That's what I said."

Shane: "Yeah, I remember."

Tina returns to the girls, puts the cups of coffee on the table and sits down.

Tina: "Where's Dana?"

Alice: "She should be here any minute. She's looking at an apartment."

Tina: "Still hasn't found anything?"

Alice: "No, not yet. And she's getting frustrated."

Tina: "I can imagine."

Shane: "Maybe she had luck today."

Alice: "Yeah, maybe."

Dana enters the Planet. She walks up to the girls.

Dana: "Hey."

All: "Hey."

Alice: "How'd it go?"

Dana: "Total waste of time."

Alice: "I'm sorry."

Dana: "Yeah, well."

Shane: "Don't worry, you'll find something."

Dana: "Yeah…I need a coffee. Any of you need anything?"

They shake their heads.

Dana: "Okay. Be right back."

Dana walks to the counter.

Bette: "So, I guess she'll be staying a bit longer with you then."

Alice: "Of course."

Shane: "Huh."

Alice: "What? She has to stay somewhere, right?"

Shane: "Sure."

The girls smirk.

Alice: "Guys, what's the big deal? There's nothing to it. I'm just helping out a friend."

Tina: "Yeah, we know."

Bette: "We know."

Shane: "Yeah."

The girls continue to smirk at Alice.

Alice: "Fine. Think what you want."

Dana returns to the group. She sits down on the chair next to Alice.

Dana: "You know, looking for an apartment gets frustrating."

Tina: "Tell me about it. I remember when Bette and I were looking. It took us weeks to find the right place."

Dana: "Weeks? Oh my."

Bette: "Yeah, but don't worry you'll find a nice place."

Shane: "And thank god you can stay with Alice until then. So you don't have to worry too much."

Dana looks at Alice, then puts her arm around her.

Dana: "Yeah. Al's the best."

The girls grin.

A Few Days Later

ALICE'S APARTMENT

Alice comes home. She throws her keys aside.

Alice: " 'That article wasn't your best,' she says. 'You need to work on that,' she says. I hate that Melanie. Who the hell does she think she is?"

Alice looks around the apartment.

Alice: "Who the hell am I talking to?"

Alice walks into the kitchen and gets a beer out of the refrigerator. She opens it and takes a sip. Alice walks back into the living room and sits down on the couch.

A few minutes later Dana comes in. She throws her key aside.

Dana: "Hey."

Alice: "Hey."

Dana: "I hate looking for an apartment. There are no good ones in all Los Angeles. That sucks."

Alice: "Yeah."

Dana walks into the kitchen and gets a beer out of the refrigerator. She opens it and takes a sip. Dana walks back into the living room and sits down on the couch, next to Alice.

Dana: "How was your day?"

Alice: "Don't ask."

A few minutes later Mary comes home. She throws her keys aside.

Mary: "Hey."

Alice/ Dana: "Hey."

Mary: "I can't believe it. Liz is taking that job. She's moving to Seattle. That's like……very far way from here. Can you believe that? I hate Seattle."

Alice/ Dana: "Yeah."

Mary walks into the kitchen and gets a beer out of the refrigerator. She opens it and takes a sip. Mary walks back into the living room and sits down on the couch with Alice and Dana.

Mary: "How was your day?"

Alice/ Dana: "Don't ask."

Alice, Dana and Mary take a sip from their beer.

Next Day

Alice's is sitting in the living room, typing on her computer. Mary walks in.

Mary: "Hey."

Alice: "Hey."

Mary: "Guess what."

Alice: "What?"

Mary: "Oh, come on, guess."

Alice: "I don't know. I don't want to."

Mary: "Come on."

Alice: "Mary, I suck at this game. Can you please just tell me."

Mary: "I'm moving to Seattle."

Alice: "What?"

Mary: "I'm moving to Seattle."

Alice: "I thought you hate Seattle."

Mary: "Only when my girlfriend is moving there without me."

Alice: "Wow. When?"

Mary: "Next week."

Alice: "Next week?"

Mary: "Yep…I'm so excited."

Alice: "I can imagine…God, that's so great. I'm so happy for you."

Mary: "Thanks, me too."

Mary and Alice hug.

Mary: "Where's Dana?"

Alice: "In the tub."

Mary: "You should tell her the great news."

Alice: "I think the news will still be great when she comes out of there."

Mary: "Did she find an apartment today?"

Alice: "No. And she's a little upset about that."

Mary: "Then you should tell her now."

Alice: "You think if I tell her that you're moving to Seattle that'll cheer her up immediately?"

Mary: "Alice, are you just acting stupid or…?"

Alice: "What are you talking about?"

Mary: "Oh boy…Okay. So, here we are…in a two bedroom apartment. And I'm moving out of one of them. You do the math."

Alice: "Oh my god."

Mary: "Now you got it."

Alice: "I have to find a new roommate."

Mary: What?"

Alice: "Just kidding…I have to tell her now."

Mary: "That's what I'm talking about."

Alice walks towards the bathroom.

Alice: "Dane, I got great news."

Alice storms into the bathroom when Dana just gets out of the tub.

Alice: "Sorry."

Alice turns around.

Dana: "It's okay."

Alice: "I can wait outside."

Dana: "Don't be ridiculous. Like this is the first time you've seen me naked."

Alice: "I know…I was just a little shocked."

Dana: "Shocked? Well, thanks, Al."

Alice: "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

Dana wraps a towel around her.

Dana: "You can turn back, I'm covered."

Alice turns around, her eyes closed.

Dana: "Funny, Alice. Open your damn eyes."

Alice opens her eyes. Grinning at Dana.

Dana: "So?"

Alice: "So?"

Dana: "The great news."

Alice: "Oh right…I know a place for you to live."

Dana: "Really?"

Alice: "Yeah. It's perfect."

Dana: "Where?"

Alice: "Here."

Dana: "What?"

Alice: "Here. Mary is moving to Seattle with Liz."

Dana: "Are you serious?"

Alice: "Absolutely."

Dana: "Oh my god."

Dana hugs Alice.

Dana: "That is so great."

Alice: "It is."

Next Day

PLANET

Alice, Shane, Bette and Tina are sitting at a table inside the Planet.

Tina: "So, Mary is moving to Seattle?"

Alice: "Yes."

Bette: "And Dana is moving in with you?"

Alice: "Yes."

The girls smirk at Alice.

Alice: "You know, that gets old after a while."

Shane: "Not really."

Alice: "Well, it certainly gets annoying."

The girls still smirk at Alice.

Alice: "Come on guys. Stop that. Dana and I are…"

All: "…just friends."

Alice: "Yeah."

The girls continue to smirk.