The Sunny Chronicles: Chapter Twenty
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" David asks his daughter in a hushed voice.
Babe simply smiles in response.
"But, Maggie is …" he starts.
"Oh, I know about Maggie," she interrupts. "I'm not afraid of her. Besides, a little competition could be fun."
"You think this is fun?" he growls. "Babe, you're playing with people's affections here!"
"I'm not playing," she stresses. "I really care about Bianca. I'm doing this all for her."
"What exactly is it that you're doing?"
"Relax, Pops," she soothes. "I'm not doing anything that couldn't have happened on it's own."
"Let me guess," he says. "You're just pushing things along?"
She spots Bianca coming out of the restroom to her right and grins ear to ear.
"Full steam ahead," she tells him before running towards her distraught friend.
David shakes his head in worry and turns away from the scene, disappearing into the shadows.
"You see, Greenlee?" Kendall exclaims once Bianca has gone. "Do you see now what a rotten little liar your sister is?"
"Oh, Kendall, will you shut your trap?" groans Greenlee as she moves to stand beside her sister. "If anyone is going to judge my sister, it'll be me."
"Greenlee, will you give me a minute alone with Amber?" Sunny asks.
"Don't you think you'd better clear that with Amber first?" warns Amber.
"I want to get things straight between us," Sunny explains.
Amber folds her arms. "Who's stopping you? I don't know about you, but I have nothing to hide."
"Fine," sighs Sunny. "You really want the truth, Amber?"
"That would be nice," she replies dryly.
"Okay … The truth is, I was never planning on coming home. I sold the studio to Randy. I just didn't tell you because … well, I do love you, Amber. And, I couldn't bear to break your heart again."
Amber slaps her. "You love me? Give me a break, Sunny. You love that studio more than you love me, and you sold it!"
Sunny rubs the red spot on her cheek. "I'm sorry! I don't know what else to say. I'm … I'm just not ready for a commitment."
"But you were for my sister?" Kendall questions.
"No," Sunny answers. "No … I wasn't, okay? But, we were managing to keep things slow … until this happened. Now she just thinks I'm a freaking liar!"
"Good!" exclaims Kendall. "Maybe she's finally seeing how things really are!"
"Will you get lost already?" Greenlee demands. "Please, Kendall. Just this once … trust me to take care of something."
"Fine," she agrees after a considerate pause. "Maggie, can I give you a lift home?"
"No …" she says, as if on autopilot. "I'm not ready to go … home."
"Well, call me if you need anything," Kendall tells her before turning to leave.
Greenlee puts an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Come on," she coaxes. "Let's get out of here."
Sunny looks back at Amber mournfully before walking away. "I'm so sorry, Amber. I really am."
"Yeah? Well, that makes two of us," she says.
Sunny bows her head and allows Greenlee to lead her away, leaving Maggie and Amber alone to stare at the floor together.
Babe rushes to Bianca's side and gently lays a hand on her arm. "Honey, what's wrong?" she asks, peering deeply into her friend's tired eyes, as if the answer might be found there.
Bianca takes a deep breath and sighs. "I wouldn't even know where to start. I just … I need to get out of here."
"But, we just got here."
"A lot's happened in a half hour," she tells Babe.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Not here," she says.
"The car's still right outside … Do you want to go home?"
"NO!" responds Bianca, laughing a little at the absurdity of that idea. "I don't want to see Maggie or Sunny right now. I wish I could be a thousand miles away from this whole town."
"Well, I'm not sure I can help you there," says Babe. "But … I think I know a place where we could feel a thousand miles away. Want me to take you?"
"Please," she replies with desperation in her voice.
Babe takes her hand and smiles reassuringly. "Come on. We can stop somewhere on the way and pick up some eats."
As they are exiting out the lobby doors, Kendall comes out of the restroom and runs after them, calling, "Bianca!" But neither of them turns around. She stops at the doors and watches them climb into the limo, thinking to herself that she can trust Babe to take good care of her sister. And, seeing no reason to worry over her any longer, she turns to search out Ryan … so that they too can leave this fiasco of a party behind.
Amber glances up from the floor of the restroom long enough to check Maggie's dazed expression. It hasn't changed much in the last few minutes, which have ticked by like hours. She still looks like someone who has just survived a natural disaster and is waiting for the next one to hit. Amber pushes the pause button on her own grief and cautiously takes a step towards her, nervously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Are you all right?" she asks.
"What?" replies Maggie, looking up as if she's surprised to see someone else standing in front of her. "Oh … Yeah, I'll be okay. What about you?"
"I've been better," Amber admits.
Maggie's shoulders slump. "Yeah … me too. Actually, to be honest, I don't think I've ever been worse."
Amber cocks her head, giving her an empathetic expression. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"
"For me? Nah. But, I'd be glad to beat up your girlfriend … you know, for your sake."
Amber laughs. "I'm a pacifist."
"And, you can't break that, just this once?"
"Afraid not," she tells her, still smiling. "Besides, I know Sunny and I have a lot of problems, but I really do care about her. We've been tight for a very long time. And, no matter what happens, we always seem to find our way back to each other."
Maggie is suddenly drawn in. "Really? How can you live like that?"
"I love her," Amber says. "I think it's really simple, actually. When you really love someone, you can put up with a lot. Especially their fear."
Maggie looks doubtful. "That's what you attribute Sunny's behavior to? Fear?"
"Well, yeah," Amber answers. "How else could you explain it? Sunny's not a bad person … she's just really afraid. She's lost a lot, and it scares the hell out of her to think that she could lose more."
"But … she's already lost you," says Maggie.
Amber smiles good-naturedly. "No, she hasn't. She's only pushed me away. She knows I'll be there whenever she's ready."
"So, you're just going to wait for her to grow up and act like an adult?"
"Mmm … I wouldn't call it waiting," Amber tells her. "Sunny knows too, that when she runs away from me, I make sure I don't get bored while she's gone."
"Wow. How Californian of you."
Amber laughs. "You're pretty funny, you know that? How do you fit in with all this drama? Please tell me I'm not having this conversation with an innocent bystander."
"Oh, definitely not innocent, by any means," replies Maggie, who offers Amber her hand. "I'm Maggie Stone; one of Bianca's friends."
Amber gladly shakes her hand, saying, "nice to meet you. Sorry it had to be in a bathroom."
"I'm just sorry we both had to go through all this. And, here I thought that tonight would be the most romantic night of my life."
"Hmm … Is there a boy waiting for you somewhere?"
"No. It's Bianca," she explains. "I told her I was in love with her, right before you arrived … She didn't take it too well."
"My goodness," Amber says. "So you and my girlfriend are after the same girl?"
"You could say that."
"Well, Maggie, I realize I don't know you very well yet, but may I say… I hope you win."
Maggie smiles and sighs at the same time. "Thanks … So, what will you do now? Are you headed back to San Diego?"
"Most likely," Amber shrugs. "I see no point in hanging around here. Sunny knows where to find me … when she's ready."
"Do you have to leave right now?" Maggie asks. "I have this feeling like Bianca isn't coming home tonight, and I'm not sure it's a good idea for Sunny and I to be alone in the same house."
"No, probably not," she agrees with a laugh. "I could probably stay for a little while. I'm sure you and I can find plenty to talk about."
"You can say that again."
"Come on," Amber says with a smile. "I can drive us in my van."