DISCLAIMER: I do not own Beverly Hills 90210 or any of the characters involved in this story.
A/N: Okay, practically this entire chapter is an idea that came to me last night after I posted the previous chapter. I spent most of last night, and nearly all day today writing it because I wanted to get it up as quickly as possible. Because the more time I'm given to think about it, the more likely I am to come up with reasons not to post this chapter.
This entire chapter is basically devoted to Kelly. It's also a bit of a diversion from the main plot of this story. But after I thought about it, the more I wanted to write it. And once I started typing, I just found that I wasn't able to stop. I'm both excited and fearful about this chapter because it's really different from any of the previous chapters I've written so far.
A good chunk of this story will be told in flash back mode, using actual scenes from Beverly Hills 90210 episodes. I had wanted to try my hand out at flash back sequences, but never really saw where to fit one in until now. That's part of the reason I wrote this chapter. The text that is italicized are the flashback sequences, everything in regular font is currently happening.
"Come on, Kelly. Breathe." says an intense and focused Scott, clearly zoomed in on just one thing. He hasn't even noticed that everyone from the party has come out back and they are all standing around the parking lot, in a state of awe and shock.
Brenda holds onto Dylan, squeezing his arm tightly while he hugs her. Tears are streaming down Brenda's face. Hard to believe that only a few minutes ago, she was so angry at Kelly. Dylan just watches as Scott performs CPR on his girlfriend. He has a million emotions running through his mind, and instantly he starts to imagine the worst possible scenario.
Brandon just stares down like a statue. His eyes are hardened. Donna has her head buried in David's shoulder, totally unable to watch and in total break down mode. David just looks on in total disbelief. He had forgotten that Scott's mother had taken him to those summer CPR classes. Andrea and Jordan just stand there watching, unable to speak.
Nat is knelt over on one knee with his hands folded as he watches the situation unfold before his very eyes. He loves each and every one of these kids and the idea of one of them dying at his joint is his worst possible fear. The only one absent is Steve, who still has not arrived from his date with Celeste Lundy, the girl he won a date with on the game show.
As Scott breathes into Kelly's mouth one more time, he reaches onto her wrist and feels again for a pulse. He feels a very faint pulse, then he listens in with his ear and can hear her start to breathe again.
"I got a pulse." Scott yells. "And she's breathing."
You can literally hear everyone exhale at that point. Dylan hugs onto Brenda tighter, while David smiles a slight grin.
"Oh thank God." cries Donna.
"She's not out of the woods yet though." says Scott.
At that moment, the ambulance sirens are heard and the flashing red and yellow lights strobe all around the Peach Pit parking lot. The ambulance pulls up to the scene and the EMTs jump out and rush over to Kelly.
"Okay, what's the situation here?" yells the head EMT.
"We found my friend unconscious here in the parking a lot few minutes ago." cries an emotional Brenda. The head EMT sees Scott knelt on his knees beside Kelly and runs over to him.
"How's she doing?" asks the EMT.
"When I found her she didn't have a pulse and wasn't breathing. I got a pulse now, though it's very faint. And she seems to be breathing slightly." says Scott.
The medics check for a pulse and listen to her breathing. "It looks like she's ODed. Do any of you know if she's been on any type of medication?" asks the head EMT.
Everyone shakes their heads no, but Donna speaks up.
"Yes." says Donna. "She's been taking some over the counter diet pills for the past few weeks." Everyone turns and looks at Donna shocked as most of them had no idea. "She uhm, didn't want anybody to know about it."
Dylan turns to look at Donna. "You should have told me." says Dylan to her.
"Yes, I should have, Dylan. I'm sorry. What do you want me to do?" cries Donna with tears rolling out of her eyes.
"I think she'll be okay, but we need to get her on a respirator." says the head EMT. "Prepare an Ivey stat." he yells to the EMT team.
As they put Kelly on a gurney and load her into the ambulance, everyone else watches in horror. A mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted Scott picks himself up off the pavement and slowly walks over to Brenda who releases from her hug with Dylan after several minutes and goes over to hug Scott as she closes her eyes. The head EMT goes over to Scott and pats him on the back.
"You did good, son." he says to Scott.
"Is she going to be alright?" asks Dylan
"I don't want to speculate just yet." says the EMT. "But I'd say the odds are in her favor."
Dylan closes his eyes and ducks his head. "Damn." he whispers to himself. Brenda reaches out and draws Dylan back into a hug with one arm while keeping the other arm around Scott.
"We should get to the hospital." says Donna.
"Somebody needs to call Jackie and tell her what's happened." says Andrea.
"I guess I'd better do that." says David. "Nat, can I use your phone?" asks David. Nat doesn't respond at first, as he is totally overwhelmed with emotion. "Nat." says David in a louder voice.
"Oh, sure David, sure." says Nat, barely able to speak.
As everyone else is overwhelmed with emotion and prepares to head to the hospital, Kelly is in a state of comatose. Not knowing where she is, or what has happened, she opens her eyes. She looks around and sees the faces of everyone. She sees Brenda, Dylan, Brandon, David, Donna, Andrea, Scott, Jordan, and Nat all looking down at her with worried looks on their faces.
"What happened?" Kelly yells out loud. "Dylan, what's going on?" says Kelly directly to Dylan.
Dylan gives absolutely no reaction what so ever to Kelly's question and just stands there in hug with Brenda, almost as if he can't hear a thing Kelly is saying. A fearful Kelly looks around and sees everyone else and focuses in on Brandon.
"Brandon, where are they taking me?" asks Kelly. Just like Dylan, Brandon just stands there totally unresponsive, like Kelly isn't even there, but he continues to look at her completely worried.
"What's going on? Why aren't you guys saying anything to me?" cries Kelly. "SOMEBODY TALK TO ME, PLEASE." she screams. Kelly's face turns completely fearful at that point as she wonders what is happening and why nobody is answering her. At that point she hears a familiar female voice that she hasn't heard in a very long time.
"Well, Well, it looks like you've gotten yourself into a fine mess." says the voice.
"Who said that?" asks Kelly. "I know that voice."
"Of course you do." replies the voice. "You better."
Kelly looks around to try to find out where the voice is coming from. She sees a dark shadow in a trench coat out in the parking lot. She can't make out the face yet, but she knows that's where the voice is coming from. The figure gets closer and closer to Kelly as she lifts her head up from the gurney to try to make out who it is. The figure then comes into the bright yellow light of the Peach Pit parking lot and at that point Kelly recognizes who it is.
"Hello Kelly, it's good to see you." says Amanda Peyser.
Kelly sits up from the gurney and rises to her feet, walking over to Amanda. She blinks a couple of times to make sure she sees what she's really seeing. Amanda still looks exactly the same as she did the last time Kelly saw her, at Brenda's slumber party two years ago.
"Amanda, what are you doing here?" asks Kelly.
Amanda rolls her eyes and snickers. "Oh please, Kelly. Don't flatter yourself. This isn't really me. You have no idea where the real me is at because you lost touch with me two years ago. I could be in China for all you know. This is just your image of what I once was to you." says Amanda.
"And what's that?" asks Kelly
"Why your best friend, of course." replies Amanda.
"Amanda, what's going on? How come nobody is answering me when I talk to them?" asks Kelly in a panic.
"Because my dear friend Kelly, they can't see or hear you right now. You've been abusing your body for too long with those stupid diet pills, and now you've paid the ultimate price for it." says Amanda.
"What do you mean?" asks Kelly.
"See for yourself." says Amanda as she points at the EMTs in the ambulance. Kelly looks and much to her shock, she sees what is really going on. She sees her very own unconscious body on a gurney, being loaded into the ambulance. She looks around and sees everyone standing over her with tears in their eyes, looking sad. She goes running up to everyone.
"Guys, I'm right here. Seriously I'm fine." screams Kelly. Her eyes focus in on Dylan, who's still hugging Brenda with a lost look of sadness in his eyes. "Dylan, it's okay. I'm alright." she says to him, but still gets no reaction.
"Forget it, Kelly." says Amanda. "He can't hear you. Nobody can."
Kelly turns to look at Amanda. The seriousness of the situation is etched on her face. "Am I dead?" she asks Amanda.
Amanda begins to laugh in an almost wicked manner. "No, you're not dead." replies Amanda. "But trust me, when you wake up and feel what you've done to your body, you are probably going to wish you were."
Kelly slowly walks back over to Amanda. "So what's going on? Amanda, why are you here?" asks Kelly.
Amanda's seemingly wicked smile and laughter turns into a serious look on her face. "I already told you, I'm not Amanda. You're in a coma sweetheart, and I'm just your image of Amanda." she says. "And I'm here because somebody needs to show you how you are systematically ruining your entire life. And what better person to do that then somebody who's walked down that very same road?" says Amanda.
Kelly's emotions turn from fear to annoyance. "Look Amanda, or whoever you are, my life is just fine, thank you very much." barks Kelly in a bitchy tone. "And what the hell right do you have to lecture me about anything? Now why don't you make like a banana and split." says Kelly as she folds her arms with a nasty scowl.
Amanda just stands there and laughs at Kelly, almost tauntingly. "What the hell is so funny?" asks Kelly.
"You, Kelly. You're hilarious." says Amanda. "Do you seriously think you can out bitch me? It's been a while, and I guess you forgot who it is that you are talking to. Guess you need a little reminder." says Amanda.
Kelly just looks at Amanda, totally confused by what she is saying. Amanda reaches out for Kelly's hand. "Here, come with me." says Amanda.
Kelly turns and looks back at the ambulance as it drives off, and she sees Brenda and the rest of the gang disperse to get in their own cars and follow the ambulance to the hospital where they are taking Kelly.
"Don't worry. We got the time. It's going to be a while before you wake up, so you might as well make the most of it." says Amanda. Amanda snaps her fingers and a huge cloud of fog comes up from out of the ground and begins to surround the two girls. The fog grows thicker and thicker until eventually Kelly can't see the Peach Pit or the parking lot anymore. All she can see is a thick cloud of fog.
"What do you think?" asks a grinning Amanda. "Pretty cool, huh. Too bad we can't travel like this in real life." Amanda lightly grabs Kelly by the arm and guides her into the fog.
"Amanda, where are we going?" asks Kelly.
"You'll see." replies Amanda.
As the fog breaks up, Kelly finds herself in a new surrounding, one that is familiar to her. She finds herself and Amanda in the Walsh family living room. She looks around and immediately recognizes her surroundings.
"Why are we at the Walsh house?" Kelly asks Amanda.
Amanda straightens out her trench coat and looks over at Kelly. "The issue here isn't where we are at, but when we are at." Amanda replies.
At that moment Kelly hears Billy Idol's song "Mony, Mony" begin to play really loud. She looks up again and sees Andrea, Donna, Brenda, and herself in night shirts and pajamas as they begin to dance crazily in the living room. Cindy Walsh walks in bringing a bowl of snacks, and the girls drag her into the room and convince her to dance. At that moment, Kelly realizes what is going on.
"Oh my god." says Kelly. "This is Brenda's slumber party, two years ago, isn't it? The one you were at?" she asks Amanda.
"Very perceptive of you, Kelly." says Amanda. "You got a good memory. Looks like you all were having a pretty good time here." Amanda adds. Kelly just grins as she watches this flashback of herself and her three friends dancing with Cindy Walsh in the living room. She smiles as she remembers the good times.
"Yeah, we were." answers Kelly.
"Yeah, well unfortunately for you guys, I had to show up and be the party crasher." Amanda points to herself from 2 years ago as she is shown walking into the house while the girls are dancing, and leaning up against the doorway with her arms folded, looking unhappy and uncomfortable to be there.
"Hello?" says Amanda softly, trying to get somebody's attention over the roar of the music.
Kelly notices her and stops dancing, walking over in her direction. "Amanda, Hi." shouts Kelly. "Uhm Amanda, this is Brenda, Donna, Andrea, and Mrs. Walsh." Says Kelly as they all wave and say hi.
"Hello everyone." replies Amanda as she waves nonchalantly. "I thought you said this wasn't a slumber party." Amanda whispers to Kelly.
Cindy politely dismisses herself and heads off to bed. Brenda then walks over to Amanda.
"Uhm, Amanda if you need a night shirt or something, I have some extras upstairs." offers Brenda.
"How sweet of you, Brenda. Do you mind if I talk to Kelly for a minute?" says Amanda sarcastically as she grabs Kelly by the arm and pulls her off to the side.
"Kelly you can't be serious." whispers Amanda. "The Pioneers at USC are having the most amazing party tonight. We got to be there."
"But we planned on being here, remember?" replies Kelly.
"That was before this." cries Amanda. "Come on, Kelly. I can't put on a night gown and run around like a school girl."
"You are a school girl. Unless you suddenly graduated and forgot to clue me." replies Kelly.
"Well I guess I'm a school girl who gets invited to the best frat parties in town." says Amanda.
"Well have fun." says Kelly.
"So basically, you were willing to ditch me and a hot frat party, to hang out with Brenda who you had known for less than a year, and run around in your pajamas and stuff your face full of junk food all night. Now do you remember why that was?" asks Amanda.
Kelly thinks for a moment. "Yeah, I do. It was because you seemed like you had such a stuck up attitude that when given a choice between having a slumber party with Brenda and going to a frat party with you, it was pretty much a no brainer." replies Kelly.
Amanda grins seductively. "You hit the nail right on the head, Kelly. No matter how stupid or immature something seems, it's always more pleasurable than being in the company of a stuck up snob who acts like a total bitch. It doesn't matter if it's a slumber party or a kid's soccer game." Kelly thinks for a moment about how what Amanda is saying is relating to the way she acted on Saturday when she went to Scott's kid brother's soccer game with Brenda, Dylan, and him.
"I guess you're right." says Kelly softly.
"I know I'm right Kelly. It's a total turn off to anybody when you do nothing but bitch and moan about everything. You don't have to work very hard to make people hate you. And if you remember, as that night progressed, it didn't take very long for the four of you to wind up hating me." says Amanda. Amanda snaps her fingers and everything in the room begins to fast forward, like hitting the FF button on a VCR remote.
"How do you do that?" asks Kelly.
"Beats me." replies Amanda as she shrugs. "But it's pretty cool, huh?" Kelly watches as another flashback plays out in front of her.
Amanda looks at her watch with a look of disgust on her face. "Damnit." she whispers to herself.
"What?" asks Kelly.
"It's after midnight." replies Amanda.
"So what? Do frat boys turn into pumpkins?" asks Brenda.
"No. They turn into drunken slobs." answers Amanda. "You sure made my night."
"Amanda, you didn't have to come." says an impatient Kelly.
"What, and miss all the fun, the party games?" says Amanda in a harshly sarcastic voice.
"Then why don't you just leave." says Kelly.
"No, I don't want to." replies Amanda. "Besides, everyone's ruined my night. It's my turn to ruin theirs."
"You remember what happened next, don't you?" asks Amanda to Kelly.
"Unfortunately, I do. The skeletons in the closet game that nearly ruined the whole night for everyone." answers Kelly.
"You got it." answer Amanda. "I set out to destroy the evening for you girls that night. And I damn near succeeded, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did." answers Kelly.
"See Kelly the only thing that turns people off more than acting like a bitch, is when you intentionally set out to act like a bitch. And why do you think I intentionally wanted to be a bitch and make you all hate me that night?" asks Amanda.
"I don't know." replies Kelly as she thinks for a moment. "You said that you wanted revenge for us ruining your evening."
"Yeah, but that wasn't the real reason. The real reason was I was being selfish. I thought of nobody but myself and what I wanted. I made everything about me. I could have made some good friends that night with Brenda, Donna, and Andrea. But I let my own self centeredness and bitchy pride stand in the way." says Amanda.
"Now wait a minute, Amanda." cries Kelly. "If I recall, you were like this because you were taking too many diet pills."
"You're right, Kelly. I was taking too many diet pills as you all discovered at the end." says Amanda as she snaps her fingers again and causes the living flashback to fast forward and play out again.
As Brenda, Kelly, Donna, and Andrea have an emotional group hug in the middle of the living room, they don't notice at first that Amanda has left. Brenda suddenly looks up.
"Hey where did Amanda go?" asks Brenda.
"She left" says Kelly. "Good riddance."
Andrea notices her purse on the desk. "She left her purse." says Andrea giggling.
"Good." says Donna. "Let's throw it out the window."
Donna goes and picks up Amanda's purse, but accidentally drops it while it's still open as the diet pills spill out all over the floor.
"See Kelly. Just like you, I was never satisfied with how I looked. No matter how thin, or how beautiful I was, I always thought I could look better. You guys discovered it that night and you helped set me straight. Amanda snaps her fingers again as it fast forwards to Amanda returning for her purse.
"Give me that, I can't believe you guys went through my purse." says a shocked and angry Amanda
"Amanda, when's the last time you ate?" asks Kelly.
"What?" asks Amanda.
"My mom use to pop these like candy. They kill your appetite and murder your personality." says Kelly.
"Just give me my stuff." says Amanda.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" asks Kelly.
"Look, I'm just not lucky enough to be born as beautiful as you. I have to work at it alright." Replies Amanda.
"You are beautiful, Amanda."
Amanda snickers. "Remember me in the 8th grade? Was I beautiful then?"
"Yes, you were pretty." replies Kelly.
"I was fat, Kelly." says Amanda.
"And then you went on a diet and you lost all that weight." says Kelly.
"That's right. And I swore that no matter what I would never be that way again, no matter what." says Amanda sternly.
"Even if it's turned you into a total bitch?" asks Kelly.
Amanda begins to break down, as she gets all teary eyes. "So what do you want me to do, blimp out? Guys don't go for fat chicks. Everyone knows that."
"I'm not saying you have to be fat. But why don't you just relax and be whoever you're going to be, without all these pills." answers Kelly.
"I wish I could do that. I really wish I could." cries Amanda.
"That was some pretty good advice you gave me that night. Now why couldn't you follow it yourself?" says Amanda.
"Why do you keep bringing this up?" asks Kelly. "Everything ended well that night as I recall. You realized your mistake and you stayed and had a good time in the end."
"Oh yeah. Brenda said she wanted me to stay with the rest of you." says Amanda. "For a moment, that made me happy. It made me feel like I actually had friends. But let me ask you this. After the next day when we all woke up and went home, how many times did you guys ever hang out with me again after that?"
Kelly knows what the answer is, but is ashamed to say it. "Uhm, I don't really recall. Once or twice, maybe?" she says.
Amanda's face turns stone cold. "Try zero. Did any of you ever pick up the phone and give me a call when you were going to the Peach Pit, or going to have a girls night out?" Amanda asks. "No. Of course you didn't. You didn't even come to my graduation, Kelly. Our whole friendship ended after that night, and you know why it ended?" asks Amanda.
Kelly shrugs. "I guess we just went our separate ways."
"It ended because after that night, I went back to being my bitchy self again. I didn't learn my lesson. I was so into having my own way and being popular, that I never sought you guys out again, or say hi to you in the hallway. You all seemed too immature for me, the same way people like Scott seem immature to you now. And you guys certainly didn't want me around after that night. That one night left such a lasting impression on the four of you, that you never wanted me to hang out with you again. And if I ever came up in conversation amongst the four of you, I almost bet it was about what a horrible bitch I was that night. Am I right?" says Amanda.
Kelly nods her head. "Look, I'm sorry Amanda. I should have made more of an effort to stay in touch with you." she says.
"No you shouldn't have. I never gave you a reason too. And besides, you had already made a new best friend. You had Brenda now who was a lot nicer and a much better friend to you than I was. You and Brenda were more than just friends, weren't you? You were almost sisters." asks Amanda.
Kelly nods her head.
"But somewhere along the line that went sour too, didn't it?" asks Amanda.
"Um, yeah, I guess so." replies Kelly
"You guess so?" asks Amanda. "Perhaps it's time we move somewhere else."
Amanda snaps her fingers again as fog once again comes out from the floor and grows thicker and thicker until you can no longer see the image of the five girls in the flash back and the entire Walsh living room disappears. Amanda grabs Kelly's arm and guides her once again.
When the fog lifts, Kelly finds herself on the beach at night. There is a campfire on the beach. When she looks closer she sees Dylan lying on the beach with a thermos, drinking a cup of coffee and starring at the fire.
"Know where we're at now?" asks Amanda.
"Of course I do." replies Kelly. "This was this past summer, the last night Brenda was in Paris when Dylan and I spent the night together on the beach."
"Very good." replies Amanda. "This was when you reached the point of no return. You forever crossed the line that the separates friendship from affairs and you forever stabbed a knife in your best friend's back.
"Who ordered the pizza?" asks Kelly as she comes walking up to Dylan with a pizza box.
"Hi." says Dylan as he puts the cup down and stands up.
"Hi." replies Kelly. Dylan grabs the pizza box. "I thought you might be hungry."
"Yeah. Of all the beaches, in all the towns, in all the worlds, she walks into mine." says Dylan.
"I don't even know what I'm doing here." says Kelly as she sits down on a blanket in the sand. Dylan sits beside her.
"I do" says Dylan.
"Yeah? Then why don't you tell me?" says Kelly.
"Because you know this is the last chance that we'll ever have to be alone like this." answers Dylan.
Kelly looks out at the sky above the beach. "Wow, you were right. Look at all the stars." says Kelly. "Did you see that? It's a shooting star."
"You saw that?" asks Dylan.
"Yeah." answers Kelly. "Wow that was so beautiful."
"You know what they say about shooting stars? You can't share them with a friend." says Dylan.
"Well, they obviously weren't talking about us." says Kelly.
Kelly leans over into Dylan as he wraps his arms around her and lies there in his arms on the beach.
"I think you've seen enough." says Amanda as she snaps her fingers again and the fog once again comes out of the ground and covers the flashback, getting thicker and thicker until they are unable to see the beach or the flash back of Kelly and Dylan lying on it.
"Amanda, why are you showing me all this?" asks Kelly. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"
"Do you feel guilty?" asks Amanda. "Why?"
"Well why should I feel guilty?" asks Kelly.
"Oh, I don't know." says a sarcastic Amanda. "Maybe because you were sneaking around with your best friend's boyfriend while she was off in Paris. Or perhaps because you were taking away the one thing she had that was more precious to her than anything."
"Alright!" screams Kelly. "You know I thought of this a million times already. Why are you bringing it up again?"
"Cause I want you to answer me one very simple question. You knew damn well that if Brenda ever found out about you sneaking around with Dylan it would hurt her very badly." says Amanda. "But you went ahead and you did it anyways. Why? Why did you do it?"
Kelly takes a deep breathe. "Because, I've had a big crush on Dylan my whole life. And I knew I couldn't let this opportunity to be with him pass me by."
"Even if it meant hurting your best friend? Did you stop and think of that?" asks Amanda.
"Yes Amanda, I did. But that didn't matter to me at the time." says Kelly.
"Because you had to have what you wanted? It was all about Kelly Taylor, and to hell with everyone else. Is that correct?" asks Amanda.
"Yes." Kelly says as she frowns. "But I didn't want to hurt Brenda."
"Well Kelly, you did. Because just being with Dylan that one night wasn't enough for you, was it? You thought you could just leave well enough alone. You could have had any guy in school go out with you, but you just had to have the one who belonged to your best friend. Well eventually you got him, and Brenda found out the truth. Remember that?" says Amanda
"I'm trying to forget." replies Kelly.
"Well let's just refresh your memory then." says Amanda as she snaps her fingers again.
"No Amanda, please. I've had enough of this." cries Kelly. The fog begins to lift and Kelly finds herself in the park on a sunny afternoon. She sees herself and Dylan walking with Brenda, the day that they told Brenda that Dylan had chosen Kelly and about the affair they had the previous summer.
"No Amanda, not here. I don't need to see this again." says Kelly.
"Oh I think you do." says Amanda.
"This Summer, while you were in Paris." says Kelly.
"Look, I told you I was with a girl, right? Kelly was the girl." says Dylan softly.
Brenda looks at both of them with a look of complete hurt and devastation on her face. "I thought you guys were my friends. I love you. I trusted you both."
"Brenda please." says Kelly.
"We didn't plan this, Bren." says Dylan
"No of course you didn't plan this Dylan. You just let it happen. And you lied to me both of you, for months and months. You know, when I broke up with you, you made it seem like Kelly was just some girl you picked to go out with. You made it seem so innocent like it was my fault." cries Brenda
"Neither of us wanted to hurt you." says Kelly.
"You didn't care about how I felt at all, Kelly." retorts Brenda.
"That's not true." says Dylan.
Brenda turns her attention back to Dylan. "Did you two sleep together?" she asks.
"No." answers Kelly.
"And why should I believe you?" asks Brenda
"Because it's the truth." says Dylan, raising his voice.
"Why are you doing this to me?" asks a tearful Brenda, the pain in her voice becoming more apparent.
"Because we owe it to you, Bren. I mean don't you think we all owe ourselves a little something more than this, that maybe we can start again from someplace a little more honest?" says Dylan.
"Honesty? Is that what you think this is about, Dylan? I don't think so." says Brenda with aggression and hatred as both Kelly and Dylan look at the ground.
"Look, I hate you both, never talk to me again!" snarls Brenda as she walks away with her head hanging. Kelly and Dylan just stare at her for a moment.
"She'll be all right." says Dylan.
"I hope so." replies Kelly. "Will we?"
"Okay, I think that's enough." says Amanda as she snaps her fingers and the fog comes up from beneath the ground again. "Well it's been over a month now since that day in the park. Is Brenda alright? Are you and Dylan?"
Kelly wipes away a tear from her eyes. Watching this scene unfold again has apparently gotten to her. "I don't know Amanda. I don't know what you are trying to do to me here." cries Kelly.
"Really? You don't know?" says Amanda. "Because it seems to me like Brenda's doing just fine. She's made a new friend and has picked herself up and kept on going. And she's just as beloved as ever by everyone else, and you know why?"
"I don't know, Amanda. I obviously don't have your wisdom on this, so why don't you just enlighten me." snarls Kelly with an attitude.
"Don't you get an attitude with me, Kelly. I'm only trying to help. It's because Brenda has made a habit of thinking about other people before herself. Why do you think she wants to help those underprivileged kids in school or see that some unpopular kid helps gain self confidence? It's because she acts selflessly, and that's why everyone loves her. You have no reason to worry about Brenda Walsh. She'll make friends wherever she goes. You, on the other hand, I have serious doubts about. Why? Because I'm sorry to say you are more and more like me." says Amanda.
"No Amanda. I'm nothing like you." says Kelly. "I got friends, alright. I got lots of them."
"Like who? Like Dylan? You said it yourself that you think it's only a matter of time before you guys are history. David? He use to worship the ground you walk on, but he's grown tired of your selfish attitude lately. His heart wasn't into throwing you a party. He just went along with it for Jackie's sake. You've been giving Steve the run around for years, why would he want anything to do with you. Hell, even Donna has become fed up with you lately, Kelly." says Amanda.
"Okay, Amanda, Okay!" cries Kelly. "What about everyone who came to my birthday party?"
"Pfft." Amanda snickers. "Oh please, you think they came there for you? Hell no. Who's going to turn down free food at the Peach Pit? And they can tell everyone else they went to Kelly Taylor's birthday party. Those aren't your friends Kelly, they're people who are either afraid of you or using you to boost their own social status at West Beverly. I had all kinds of those when I was in high school. But how many of them do you think kept in touch with me after I graduated? I guarantee you, none of them."
"Alright!" screams Kelly. "What do you want me to do? Say that I'm a horrible person. Okay, I'm a bitch. I'm a self-centred, diet pill addicted bitch, Amanda. Are you happy now?" says Kelly.
Amanda shakes her head. "You still don't get it, do you Kelly? This isn't about your diet pill addiction. That's just the tip of the iceberg and has magnified the true underlying problem."
"And what problem might that be?" asks Kelly, wiping away another tear.
"That you think about nobody but yourself. You never stop to think about other people. Everything is about you. I'm telling you, Kelly. I was the same way. And until you change that, you are never going to be happy, no matter what you get in life. You thought getting Dylan as your boyfriend would make you happy? Well you have him now, and are you happy?' asks Amanda.
"No, I'm anything but happy." says Kelly.
"My point exactly. And until you change that, you're never going to make any true friends, and you're going to wind up in a very cold and dark place." says Amanda as she snaps her fingers once more.
The fog begins to lift and Kelly's focus comes on a place that is unrecognizable to her. She sees herself sitting in a room in a small apartment. She is alone, and watching a movie on her bed. There is a pizza box with a half eaten pizza inside on the night stand next to her. She has a Twinkie with one candle on top that has been blown out.
"Where are we now?" asks Kelly. "I don't recognize this place."
"Of course you don't." says Amanda. "This is you, 3 years from now. It's your 21st birthday."
"It's my birthday?" asks Kelly. "But that can't be? Where are all my friends? Where's my mother? Where's Erin?"
"What friends are you talking about?" says Amanda. "The ones you've put down and stomped on. An ex-boyfriend who only liked you for the sex, but hated spending any time with you? Or maybe you are talking about the once best friend you had who has now moved on to bigger and better things and left you in the dust. I'm sorry, Kel. But you don't have any friends. And as for you mother, she's out taking Erin to a photo shoot. Guess your birthday just slipped her mind. When you spend all your time arguing and fighting with somebody, like you have with your mother, they tend to make it a point to forget about your birthdays."
"No." says Kelly softly. "NO!" she screams once more. "This can't be!"
Amanda turns and looks at Kelly. "Kelly, don't you get it? It doesn't have to be like this. But this is what is going to happen if you don't change. You are going to wind up being one very lonely woman for the rest of your life. Is that what you want?"
"No Amanda. That's not what I want. That's not what I want at all."
Kelly cries as she walks over to Amanda for comfort, but to much her surprise, Amanda has completely disappeared. She is gone. Kelly looks around and realizes her settings have changed. She is now in a dark cavern that is almost pitched black. She is all alone, and nobody is there with her to help her.
"Help me! Somebody help me, please!" Kelly cries out.
As Kelly looks around and tries to figure out where she is, she suddenly starts to feel a pain sensation in her body. All of a sudden, she begins to hear a steady beep. At that point, the total darkness turns into a bright white light as Kelly awakens.
Kelly slowly opens her eyes, barely able to move. The first thing she sees is the face of her mother, Jackie, sitting there right beside her in the chair.
Jackie's face begins to glow with a ray of hope.
"Kelly." Jackie whispers to her daughter. "Oh Kelly, I'm so glad you're back." she says with tears streaming down her face.
"Mom?" says Kelly, barely able to speak as she looks around and realizes she's in a hospital bed.
"Yes baby, it's me." says Jackie. "Everything's going to be fine, now. Everything's going to be just fine."
Kelly looks down and sees that her mother has been holding her hand. Still woozy and out of it, Kelly lies her head back on the pillow and stares straight up at the hospital ceiling. Jackie gets up and heads out to the waiting area that's just outside.
In the waiting area sit Brandon, Brenda, Dylan, David, Donna, Scott, Andrea, and Jordan. Steve is just arriving after hearing from Nat what had happened.
Everyone gets up and walks over to Jackie to hear the latest news on Kelly.
"Kelly's awake. The doctor says she's going to be fine." says Jackie with a smile. Everyone looks relieved and starts hugging each other. Back in the room, Kelly hears the happy commotion of her friends just outside the door and smiles as she puts her head back down on the pillow and rests.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: I partly wanted to write this episode because I wanted to pay tribute to what to this day remains my favorite episode from the 1st season, Slumber Party, also one of my favourite episodes of the entire series as well. For those who are familiar with the 1st season, nearly all the episodes were done as one episode storylines in which all the problems would be solved by the end of it. And during this time there were a ton of one episode guest stars that their characters were never seen or heard of ever again after the episode that they appeared in.
One of these characters that I absolutely loved was Amanda Peyser, played by Michele Abrams. She was the original self-centered bitch, long before Kelly turned bad in season 3. For me, she made that entire episode. The way she added that element of nasty bitchiness to all the lovey dovey female bonding of the slumber party just made her character awesome. I always thought the writers made a mistake by not bring her character back for future episodes, as I thought she was very dynamic and definitely could have added something to the show. But alas, it wasn't meant to be, and like so many other guest stars from season 1 who came and went in one episode, we're left to wonder what ever happened to them.
This chapter pays tribute to the whole Slumber Party episode and to Amanda Peyser, a short lived but amazing character in my book.
We'll pick up with where I intended to go in the next chapter. But for now, I could really use as much feedback as possible from you guys on this chapter and whether you feel it's a good addition or a terrible idea. I basically wanted to go with my gut, before my head had too much of a chance to change my mind.