Some twenty minutes after the alarm had gone off, Jeanette finally managed to force herself to get out of bed. After spending a few minutes in the bathroom, splashing cold water into her face, and getting herself dressed for the day, a very appetizing smell lingered up into Jeanette's little nostrils. She walked into the kitchen, and was surprised to find Roberta cooking.
"Someone's in the kitchen with Robbie, someone's in the kitchen I gue-eh-eh-ess..." Roberta sang.
"Get a load of this." Jeanette said.
"Ah, I see you finally managed to get yourself out of bed!" Roberta said. "Just in time, I cooked us some breakfast."
"I didn't know you could cook." Jeanette said, as she took a seat at the table.
"I kinda had to teach myself over the years," Roberta mentioned, "my parents often let us go hungry, and Derrick was a lousy cook... so, I just took upon myself to learn."
Roberta placed a couple of plates with steaming scrambbled eggs on the table.
"Well, this smells delicious!" Jeanette said.
"I have a feeling you'll especially like these..." Roberta said, handing Jeanette a fork.
Jeanette took the fork, and sampled a bite of the eggs, after a few chews, Jeanette's senses were alert with excitment.
"Wow Roberta," Jeanette said, before swallowing, "these are incredibly tasty... in fact... believe it or not... these almost tast like something my sister Eleanor would have cooked up."
Roberta smiled. "That's the big surprise. See, back in high school... during those years you were missing... I asked Eleanor if she could give me a few pointers, and she shared a bunch of her recipes with me... including this one for scrambbled eggs, mixed with a pinch of mozzerella and a dash peppercorn."
Jeanette smiled. "This reminds me of home."
"You have to remind me," Roberta continued, as she sat down, "isn't yours and your sisters birthday... February or so?"
"March, actually." Jeanette said.
"I'll make sure I whip up a big juicy cake, seven layers of lucious devil's food, with globs of frosting." Roberta said.
Jeanette began to let out moans of pleasure just thinking about it. "Boy you know the way to my heart... chocolate has always been a big weakness of mine... I try not to eat too much of it though, it makes my face break out."
After breakfast.
"Well, what do you feel like doing today?" Roberta asked.
"Oh... I really don't know, I hadn't really planned anything, I guess..." Jeanette said.
"All this vacation talk and everything's got me in the mood for doing something... anything..." Roberta said.
"Maybe we could take a weekend trip somewhere?" Jeanette suggested.
"That sounds like fun," Roberta said, "where should we go?"
Jeanette say and pondered for a moment. At first, she thought about taking a trip over to the beach, but then she wasn't so sure if walking around in a swimsuit in front of Roberta was such a good idea. She then thought about driving through the mountains above town and taking scenic hikes.
"What if we went to Vegas?" Roberta asked.
"Vegas?!" Jeanette repeated.
"Just for something fun to do, you only live once, you know." Roberta said.
"Yeah, but Vegas is expensive, Roberta, I'm not made of money." Jeanette said.
"Heh, me either." Roberta said.
"Why don't we just go to the beach, or the mountains or something?" Jeanette suggested.
"Fair enough." Roberta said. "Maybe the mountains, I'd like some nice and peaceful scenery."
"Sounds good." Jeanette said. "Oh gee..."
"What?"
"Oh, I just got to thinking, I really should be getting around to visiting Lori, I've been putting it off for awhile now." Jeanette said.
"You're still talking to her?" Roberta asked.
"There's something intriguing about her," Jeanette said, "she fascinates me."
"You certainly do have a way with reaching people," Roberta said, "have you ever considered becoming a therapist?"
"Me? A therapist?" Jeanette asked. "I don't know about that."
"I think you should take it into consideration," Roberta said, "just look at the lives you've changed, you've helped turn Lori's life around, you helped give that other guy a new lease on life. I'm certainly a different person today, a better person in fact, because of you."
"Aren't you exaggerating just a little bit?" Jeanette asked.
"Not at all." Roberta said. "I never bothered having anything to do with people, and nobody ever wanted to have anything to do with me. And then you came into my life, you reached out to me, you rose me out of my dispair, and for once, I knew what it felt like to have someone, what it felt like to have care, what it felt like to have compassion, what it felt like to have a friend. It's almost as if one day, god decided to send me an angel... and you were the angel."
Jeanette was at a loss for word. "I don't know what to say, Roberta."
Roberta grabbed their plates, and walked into the kitchen. Later still, the two of them gathering bottles of water, among other items, in the living room to take with them on their trip through the mountains.
"Maybe we could swing by a pay Lori a quick visit on our way to the mountains." Roberta said.
"If you want." Jeanette said.
Before they left, the door bell rang, so Jeanette answered the door to find Brittany.
"I certainly hope you got the package I sent you!" Brittany said.
"Brittany!" Jeanette squealed, as she threw her arms around her older sister. "Simon and I listened to your CD when it arrived, it's great!"
"I know, isn't it?" Brittany remarked, still as eogtistical as ever.
"I've been pinching myself till I've turned blue," Jeanette said, "I still can't believe after all these years, you've finally released your first solo album!"
"Yeah, it would have been released a month or two sooner, but there were a few contractual issues I had to get resolved, so yeah, it's a little fashionably late," Brittany glanced off to the side, and noticed Roberta, "and fashionably lame too."
"Good to see you Brittany, and may I say, you're fashionably smart." Said Roberta, sarcastically.
"No doubt." Brittany responded, just as sarcastically. The friction between the two of them was still as thick as ever. Brittany still didn't approve of Jeanette being friends with Roberta, still due to her own homophobia, and especially knowing Roberta has expressed interest in Jeanette before. "So, what's going on here?"
"Oh," Jeanette said, "Roberta and I were about to take a weekend trip, we decided the boys shouldn't have all the fun."
"Don't tell me the two of you are going to a bed and breakfast or something." Brittany said, while both Jeanette and Roberta rolled their eyes at her.
"Brittany, can't you understand that a straight woman and a gay woman can be friends without it turning into 'When Hariette Met Sally'?" Jeanette asked.
"Hey, you can't blame me for wanting to keep an eye on my little sister and make sure nothing happens to her, can you?" Brittany asked.
Roberta chuckled nervously, making mental note that she makes sure she keeps the tape she shot safely tucked into the bottom of her suitcase until she goes home.
"Well, knowing the guys went on a vacation with Dave for the weekend, I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing." Brittany admitted.
"I'm okay," Jeanette said, "I was a little anxious about spending the weekend by myself, but I wasn't sure if you were presently busy with the studio or not, and Ellie's concentrating on transition from basketball to soccer right now, so I invited Roberta over to spend the weekend. We were just about to take a drive through the mountains, you can come along if you want."
"Naw," Brittany said, "not really my thing."
"I'll drop by your place and visit next chance you get some free time from recording." Jeanette said.
"Good, because you owe me, sister!" Brittany said, with a laugh.
The sisters hugged, before Brittany went about her way. Shortly thereafter, Jeanette drove down through a sea of condos until she pulled up in front of Lori's. Jeanette and Roberta approached the door, to which Jeanette proceeded to knock, but there wasn't an answer.
"Looks like nobody's home." Roberta said.
"I don't know." Jeanette said, as she knocked again, and called out Lori's name.
The door was opened just the slightest cracked.
"Jeanette?" Lori answered, softly. "Jeanette, is that you?"
"Yeah," Jeanette said, "a friend of mine and I decided to drop by and see how you were doing."
"Fine. Great. Go away." Lori said, still softly.
"Is something wrong?" Jeanette asked.
Across the road, a man sat in a car, eyeballing what was happening before him. The fact that the two chipmunk girls were still standing there, and appeared to be talking to someone on the other side of the door was a good sign to him.
"You just need to get out of here, right now, it isn't safe." Lori said.
"Are you in some kind of trouble, Lori?" Jeanette asked.
"I'll explain it to you later, just please, get out of here! Now!" Lori insisted.
"Well... okay then..." Jeanette said, as she and Roberta exchanged looks with one another before returning to Jeanette's car.
"What do you think is going on?" Roberta asked.
"I don't know, but I get the feeling she's in some kind of trouble." Jeanette said.
"What do you think it could be?" Roberta asked.
"Not sure," Jeanette said, "but... knowing her kind of past, I can only assume maybe she's got a guy mad at her over something."
Jeanette pulled out into the road, and slowly drove away, but she noticed in her rear view mirror a rather muscular looking middle aged man get out of his car, run across the road, and bang on Lori's front door. Jeanette immediately slammed on her brakes.
"What'd you stop for?" Roberta asked, as the seat belt nearly choked her.
"I think our question has just been answered." Jeanette said.
The two turned their heads and watched as the man continually pounded on Lori's front door. "Lori! Lori! I know you in there Lori, you better open this door!"
"Should we try and intervene?" Roberta asked.
Still a timid soul by nature, Jeanette's gut told her not to get involved. But her head told her otherwise. "What kind of a friend would I be to sit aside and not do anything?"
Jeanette parked the car again, and the two jumped out and ran over to the scene.
"Open up, Lori!" the man continued screaming, "Open up!"
"What's going on here?" Jeanette asked, as she and Roberta ran up to the man.
"Scram, beat it!" The man said.
"Not until you tell us what's going on here." Roberta said.
"I said get lost!" The man said, "this doesn't concern the two of you, this is between me and my daughter."
Oh crap, Jeanette's mind screamed. She remembered the story Lori had told her about her father sexually assaulting her as a teenager, and how his abusive ways practically messed her up for life. Jeanette couldn't believe that this was happening. Lori opened the door, but still had the chain lock in place.
"Jeanette!" Lori called out. "I told you, get out of here, it's me he wants."
Lori's father took advantage of Lori's actions, and tried to break his way through the door, though Lori kept trying to push it closed again, but it wasn't of much use, as her father was bigger, and far more stonger than she was. As this was happening, something happened inside Roberta. She began having flashbacks to a time when she was a little girl, and her own father went on a violent rampage. She tried locking herself in her bedroom, while her father tried to break the door down. Leave me alone, daddy, little Roberta pleaded, as her father kept breaking the door down. All the while, her older brother Derrick stood aside, watching, knowing there was nothing he could possibly do. The worst that had happened was Roberta's father broke the door down, grabbed her from under her bed, and spanked her until her rear was nearly blood red. Roberta reached a breaking point, and snapped.
"You've got no business being here," Roberta yelled, "leave her alone!"
Adrenaline pumping through her system, Roberta amazing found the strength to grab Lori's father by the wrist, yanking him away from the door, and to the ground below them, stunning both Lori and Jeanette. While he was still down, Roberta took a swift kick at his face, knowing that since she was wearing her trademark boots, it would be especially painful. The man wiped the blood from his lip, and worked his way up to his feet.
"Why you little bitch..." he mumbled.
He then grabbed Roberta by her neck, lifting her off the ground, and started strangling her.
"Leave my friend alone, you big bully!" Jeanette said, as she too started kicking at him, but lacking the strength and force in her little shoe that Roberta had with her boot and her adrenaline.
Lori's father released one hand from Roberta's throat, and clenching his fist, knocked Jeanette down to the ground. Lori was outraged, as she undid the chain lock, and flung the door open.
"Stop messing with my friends, Randy!" Lori screamed, knowing this man didn't deserved to have her refer to him as her father.
This turned out to be a big mistake. When Randy saw this, he immediately dropped Roberta, and rushed Lori. Jeanette chased after them, while Roberta paused to catch her breath. After picking herself up, Roberta finally had a moment of clarity, and pulled her mobile phone out of her skirt pocket to contact the police. Inside the condo, Randy had Lori cornered in the hallway.
"You and I got alot of talking to do, woman!" Randy said.
"Spare me all your bullshit, Randy," Lori said, "I want nothing more to do with you. Not after all you've done to me!"
"Done to you?! I treated you like a princess!" Randy insisted. "I treated you like a queen!"
"Well, I wasn't your queen, you had a wife, she should have been treated like a queen, not me!" Lori said.
Roberta caught up with Jeanette. "I got in touch with the authorities, hopefully they'll be here shortly."
"Then let's try and stall these guy until they get here." Jeanette said.
Roberta ran into the kitchen, grabbed a frying pan, and tossed it at Randy's head. Randy grabbed his head from the sudden pain he felt, allowing Lori to slip past him.
"Quick, in here!" Lori said, instructing the two chipmunks to follow her into her bedroom.
Once inside, Lori locked the door behind them. Randy gathered himself together, and began jiggling the door knob, furiously.
"I'm giving you one last chance Lori, you better open up!" Randy yelled.
"Drop dead, Randy!" Lori yelled back.
That did it. Randy finally resorted to a drastic measure, and pulled his small handgun from his back pocket, and shot around the door knob, allowing him to swing the door open.
"Okay, so what's the plan now?" Roberta asked.