Chapter Twenty-Eight: Stand By Me

There had been tension at Beverly Ann's house every since everyone had learned of Blair's robbery and Rick's interrogation. The phones had been tapped but there had been no phone call from neither Jo nor Blair, which was baffling to everyone except Natalie.

"It's obvious," Natalie had stated that evening as she and Tootie washed dishes together. "I bet they're aware by now that we've been notified by the police and that's why they don't want to call us."

Tootie frowned. "You really think so, Nat?" She asked.

"Absolutely. They probably don't want to involve us. I mean, look what happened to Rick!"

Tootie sighed sadly. "Yeah," she agreed, thinking back to Rick's call back to everyone, explaining what had happened to him at the police station. "I guess it wouldn't be wise to involve us and become possible accessories to a crime." Tootie wiped a dish dry with her towel rag and set the dish inside a cupboard. She then bit her lip thoughtfully. "Although, I must say it was incredibly terrible for Jo and Blair to use Rick like that! And then Blair fooling around in the backseat of a car with a guy who turned out to be an armed robber! Then Blair actually goes and robs a store herself and to make matters worse, they might be involved in killing somebody! Just listening and talking about it…I just can't believe it!"

Tears suddenly flooded Tootie's eyes. "Just can't help but think to myself…are these the same girls I was friends with all these years?" She asked. "I thought I knew Jo and Blair, Nat!"

Natalie couldn't believe her ears. "Tootie, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for everything that's happened," she reassured, thinking back to her suspicions about Jo's mother and her phone call to Rollins behind Tootie's back. "Yes, I do agree that this does seem a little out-of-character for them but these are our friends! We can't turn our backs on them!"

Tootie wiped her tears away. "I don't know, Nat. Right now, it just seems so hard to even consider them my friends anymore. They seem like total strangers now."

Natalie's mouth widened in shock. "Dorothy Louise Ramsey, I don't fucking believe you!" She yelled, throwing her wet dish rag on the floor angrily. "How the fuck can you say some shit like that? What the fuck happened to the Four Musketeers? What kind of friend are you?"

"Well, you tell me, Natalie!" Tootie retorted. "If Rick wasn't in the picture, I bet they'd be calling us, trying to use us! Don't you get it? Rick could've gone to fucking jail as an accessory! They involved him and lied to him so Jo could get her life savings from him! If they did that to him, they easily could've treated us like that!"

"Tootie, would you please listen to yourself?" Natalie pleaded. "There has to be a reasonable explanation for everything that's happened – I know there is!"

Tootie only rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt it," she scoffed. "And if I were you, Nat, I think I'd question if Jo and Blair are really the two people we thought they were because it seems to me, they aren't."

With that, Tootie tossed her dishrag into the sink and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Natalie in the kitchen alone.

Natalie gulped. Is Tootie actually right? She thought as she slumped into a chair. I know something happened to them for this to happen! I know it!

"I know them," she said out loud, to herself as she felt tears fall down her face.

Blair sipped her mini bottle of Southern Comfort, staring into space thoughtfully as she and Jo continued their drive through the darkness.

"So now what?" She asked aloud, thinking of the phone call between Jo and the police.

"Now what what?" Jo asked in confusion.

"I mean what are we gonna do?" Blair asked as if she had asked an obvious question.

Jo only shrugged. "Eh, I don't know, Blair," She said, giving Blair a playful smirk. "Maybe we could turn ourselves in. We could spend our lives tradin' cigarettes for mascara and lipstick so we look real nice when our families come to see us on Saturday. Hell, maybe we could even pop out a few kids with the prison guards."

Blair gave Jo a disgusted look. "I'm not suggesting that! I'm not going back, no matter what happens! So don't worry about me."

Blair then stayed quiet, taking a long sip from her tiny bottle of liquor.

"You got anymore of those?" Jo asked her.

Blair chuckled. "Of course," she said, handing Jo a bottle.

"Thanks," Jo said gratefully, taking a sip from her bottle.

The car then remained quiet except for the low hum coming from the radio, which was playing oldies but goodies.

Blair sighed comfortably. Something about the music, the drive down the dark road in the deserts of New Mexico with Jo driving made Blair incredibly content.

She didn't know if it was the alcohol but Blair suddenly felt herself wanting to keep talking.

"Jo? Can I ask sort of a weird question?" Blair asked softly.

Jo turned to Blair. "Yeah. I guess so," she said.

"Out of all the things in the world, what's the thing that scares you most?"

Jo gave Blair a perplexed look. What would make her ask that? She thought.

"Uh…ya mean now or before?" Jo found herself asking.

"Before," Blair answered.

Jo then shrugged her shoulders. "To be completely honest, I guess I always thought the worst thing that could've ever happened to me would be to end up old and alone in some crappy apartment with one of those weird-lookin' dogs."

Blair looked confused. "What weird-looking dogs?" She asked.

"Ya know, those little dogs ya see people with?"

"You're going to have to narrow that category down just a little bit, Jo," Blair replied. "Like Chihuahuas?"

"Those too. But I'm talkin' about the little hairy ones. They have flat faces and have those ugly teeth?"

"Oh! I know what you mean now! Those are pekapoos!" Blair exclaimed.

"Yeah, those," Jo replied. She then shuddered. "Damn, those are some of the most ugly-ass dogs I've ever seen in my life. They always put the fear of God in me. What about you?"

Blair chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Well, quite honestly, I always used to think growing old was something to fear. But then I realized, the idea of growing old with Casey actually really scared me."

Jo nodded. "Yeah…I could see that," she said.

"I've seen pictures of him when he was in high school. He looked so much more different then. I mean…it's bad enough I have to grow old but if I had to do it with Casey would've just made it ten times worst."

Wouldn't have minded growing old with you, Blair thought, casting a small glance in Jo's direction.

"Well, maybe ya won't have to," Jo said quietly.

Blair raised an eyebrow quizzically. What does she mean? She wondered.

Blair found herself blushing at Jo's words. "Well, you sure know how to look at the bright side of things, don't you?" She asked, smiling.

The two women then kept quiet, gazing out at the desert of Monument Valley lit up by the moonlight.

Holy cow, this is so gorgeous! Blair thought. I hope Jo sees just how beautiful this is!

"This is so beautiful," Blair said breathlessly. "Isn't it, Jo?"

Jo's eyes widened as her eyes explored Monument Valley for the first time.

"Gosh…it sure is," she said, her voice low in awe.

"You know, I've done my fair share of travel and seen tons of beautiful places but this…I don't think this compares," Blair said. "I don't think anything could."

"Well, looks like ya right, Blair," Jo said, turning to her, smiling. She's so damn beautiful like this, Jo thought, appreciating how Blair's face looked in near darkness.

Blair smiled back. She's so beautiful, she thought. Especially how her eyes look in the moonlight.

The radio was playing Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" softly in the background. Blair couldn't imagine a more perfect song for their current situation.

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

Jo then stopped the car, which made Blair raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Why did we st_" Blair began to question.

Her voice was then interrupted by the touch of Jo's soft lips upon her own as she cupped her face with her hands.