I wrestled long with my youth

We tried so hard to live in the truth

But do not tell me all is fine

When I lose my head, I lose my spine

-Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford & Sons

"Joe, the couple at table 8 needs a pink lady and a whiskey sour," Kate told the bartender across the counter. She felt like she was getting pretty good at the lingo for working in an establishment that served alcohol. Not long ago, she didn't know a difference between a white wine versus a red one, but now she felt like a connoisseur in comparison. It was just another reminder of the differences between her old self and her now self. These two drinks for table 8 oddly represented her two selves. The first was mostly heavy crème for the weak drinkers while the other was a mixture of sweet and bitter for the more durable drinker.

She briefly wondered what her father would say if he knew that she worked in such a place, but she tried not to dwell on such thoughts for very long. She was just thankful for having a chance to earn the extra cash. After she spent so much time singing there, the manager offered her a job one night not long after Betty turned herself in. He told her she could be his show and dinner attraction. Kate jumped at the chance to earn extra cash while getting the chance to sing any time she wanted.

Plus, she had to keep her mind on something else while her best friend sat behind bars for her. To keep her mind at bay on the weekends, she began tailoring and doing alternations for the girls at the boarding house. They offered small payments or tradeoffs in return for her sewing and she gladly took it all. She had to take action in the only way she knew how.

"Hey, Red," Kate heard behind her. She turned to see Reggie standing there. "You going to be crooning for your dinner tonight?"

"Something like that," Kate said, smiling at the girl. "I thought you said you didn't like going out. This is the third time this week you've been here."

"No, I said I didn't like going out to the dopey places and that I prefer staying in to read."

"Right, which I believe you called the Jewel Box an ostentatious money trap that sucked the intellect and commonsense of the masses and how you'd never step foot in such a place."

"Yeah, but then you started working here, so I thought I'd give it a try… Turns out, still a pretty dopey place, but the atmosphere ain't half bad for pleasurable reading," She smiled, holding her book up for show.

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here. Why don't you go take the corner booth by the stage and I'll bring you your usual," Kate said, pointing to a table next to the stage where Leon was setting up. She watched as the younger girl made her way to the table and began chatting with Leon.

Even though things were a little lonely at the boarding house, things seemed to be improving at the factory thanks to Reggie. Not long after her infamous drunken outburst at Betty's party, Reggie just sat down at her table at lunch one day and began talking to her like they were old friends. Like people didn't whisper about her in every room she entered or avoided her like the plague. Reggie also took a new spot next to her down the line, making her time at VicMu a little more bearable.

"So you build bombs by day and sing like an angel by night?" Came a voice over Kate's shoulder. She turned to find Betty's new friend sitting at a table just behind her, holding a tumbler of bourbon, "Isn't that the very definition of a contradiction?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there," Kate said, walking up to her table. "You're Betty's friend, right? Arlene?"

She had heard murmurs from the other girls at the factory of this mysterious new girl, whom seem to follow Betty everywhere she went. Word was that she was from Betty's past. A time in her life before the factory. She couldn't help but wonder what time that might have been. And how might the then Betty differed from the now Betty.

"Betty was right about one thing," Arlene said, grabbing Kate's attention again. "If you're half as talented at building bombs as you are singing, the Axis powers don't stand a chance."

Kate's heart skipped a beat at the idea of her friend saying such kind words after everything that had happened.

"I can see how it happened."

"How what happened?" Kate said, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"How Betty could fall for such an act," She said, leaning back in her chair as she looked up at Kate with a devilish smile gracing her face. "The girl with many faces… A beautiful siren, who entices at night, but builds death by day. It's like right out of a Greek tragedy, really. Betty doesn't even want to come here because of you. Such a shame."

Kate felt her face flush red as the other girl's words hit home.

"How does it feel to have done such a number on our mutual friend?"

Kate shook her head dumbly as she stood rooted in her spot.

"I mean, what you did… that's where the real tragedy comes in," Arlene hissed, now leaning forward closer to her.

Kate took her words full on and let them cut through her.

"Stringing her along with your sweet, but deadly act…"

Kate's heart began to race once more as she wondered what all Betty had told this girl.

"And she fell in more ways than one, didn't she?"

Kate opened her mouth to say something, to object, to agree, to tell her to stop, but nothing followed.

"Look, I've done some pretty questionable things in my life, but pinning your dear old Pops death on your best friend…" She chuckled, before finishing with as much cold inflection as her eyes shined with venom. "I don't know whether to respect you… or fear you."

"How do you know all this?" Kate asked, hating the way her voice shook.

"From Betty, of course," She purred, the corners of her lips twitching upwards as the words struck Kate. "I heard it all straight from the source."

Kate felt like her heart would burst right then and there. Betty had told this girl everything. She had confided in Arlene all these awful things. But what made her feel sick was the idea that Betty must have believed it all too. Betty resented everything she had done. How could she not? And now Betty felt like she couldn't even come to the Jewel Box because of her.

"Here you go, Kate," The bartender broke into Kate's thoughts as she turned around and stared at the order of drinks she had placed earlier. The pink lady and the whiskey sour.

"Well, you better get to it then," Arlene's cold voice came from behind her. "Go put your game face on, we both know you have one."

Kate turned around and locked eyes with the girl across from her.

"Tell Betty she doesn't have to avoid coming here," She said, determined. "Tell her I'll stay clear… she doesn't have to worry about me."

"Oh, don't worry, Hun. I'll make that perfectly clear."

Kate turned and walked away, her heart heavy with regret and turmoil.

A/N: I don't think Betty or Kate would ever outcast each other in such a way, but for this fic's purpose they will be. It's all heading somewhere though, don't worry.