Page 6 of Backslide
She has alerted me to this fact many times. She and Ben are providing airport transfers for all their out-of-town guests. She is the organized one of our trio, the diligent one, the math-brained one, and the one who, despite all of that, is the first to volunteer to down a shot, pop a mushroom cap, see what comes her way.
At least she was, pre-kids.
Cara
Are you sure you’re okay?
Nellie
Cara. I’m fine! I promise.
Cara
Just, I get it if you’re not. And I’m here if you need me. Confronting the past isn’t easy. Old habits die hard.
Nellie
Not my old habit. He’ll never die. Like the other cockroaches, he will outlive us all.
Cara
Nellie!
Sabrina
Oh, yeah. Nellie, you sound TOTALLY fine.
Oh,nowSabrina appears?
Nellie
Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side!
Sabrina
What side is that? The delusional side?
Nellie
No! The I-hate-him-too-but-know-Nellie-is-mature-enough-to-ignore-him-with-grace-and-ease side!
Sabrina
Hmm. Right. Grace and ease ARE your specialty. Tell me again about that time you got so drunk you tried to throw up in a tiny water bottle?
Nellie
That never happened.
Sabrina
I saw it with my own two
Nellie
As far as the rest of the world is concerned, THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
Damn. This is the problem with having lifelong friends. They’ve seen it all—and they don’t let you forget it.
