Chapter 4

Virginia could always count on a call from Maxine at least every two weeks. When she was away in Boston Maxine never waited to update her on the latest in her life. It was approaching four months and she hadn’t received as much as a post card from her.

Of course, Virginia phoned Maxine right away after the three week mark hit and received her voicemail, “Hey, hey, party everyday. Leave a message and I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Max, it’s me. I haven’t heard from you and I’m worried. Call me.” Virginia hung up the phone and it rang again immediately. Hoping that it was Maxine, she swooped it up again, but it was only Beverly letting Virginia know that her flight would be arriving in Garden Grove the day after finals.

Virginia missed the days when Maxine couldn’t wait to expel all her secrets. She wished that she was more enthusiastic about taking Maxine’s calls because now when Maxine wasn’t present she felt like all those times were taken for granted.

A month after Maxine’s departure Virginia took a job at local bar, Babes, as a cocktail waitress. Babes is a popular nightlife spot mostly known for its colorful drinks, lively dance crowd and attractive staff. It was a job Virginia received on a silver platter because of her long legs and well endowed chest.

She planned to go back to school in the fall and thought that she might as well keep herself busy while the time passed. It was a job that she knew she could make some quick cash without having much training or going through a vigorous interview process. The crowd was usually wealthy orange county types that gave big tips based on her looks.

Summer vacation had finally bestowed itself upon Garden Grove and with Beverly’s return so were many other familiar faces. On random Friday nights when Virginia was lucky enough to be stuck with a shift she would see people from her high school. Virginia would exchange fake smiles and “hello, what the heck at you up to nowadays?” doubting that they really cared what her life entailed.

She was glad that Beverly had returned to be her crutch. Beverly, of course, had gone through some changes herself in the past year. When Beverly left for art school in San Francisco to study fashion she tried to go back to the lifestyle that got her through high school, but after a series of dates she realized that she was starting to have a lack of interest in being attached. Beverly called her newly found existence of singledom her way of learning to be independent.

“I use to think that I always needed someone to guide me.” Beverly confessed over the phone one day during thanksgiving break. “I mean, it’s great to have a companion, you know? But you have to stand on your own two feet sometimes. Being alone is not always a bad thing.”

“Well, I’m proud of you.” Virginia told her. These words from Beverly inspired Virginia. It was soon after that Virginia started thinking about all the events that led up to her running away from herself. Boston was indeed an escape, but it never changed what happened.

All those years Virginia blamed Maxine for providing her with what she secretly called, the curse. Beverly, indeed, didn’t help her image. The only thing that saved Beverly from the curse was the fact that all her sexual partners were her steady boyfriends. Even though people saw this as fairly acceptable she was still widely known for being somewhat as a tease because of her nonchalant attitude about relationships and love. Regardless whether Maxine or Beverly contributed to Virginia’s promiscuous reputation, Virginia’s actions and decision said it all.

While Maxine saw sex as a method to make people weak and vulnerable, Virginia saw sex as means to find true love. She naively thought that if she gave the most intimate part of herself away they had not choice but to cherish that. Although time and time again this was proven to be wrong, Virginia continued to still believe that sex was the answer to true happiness. It was in Boston that Virginia realized the falseness in this theory and in the time span of one year she learned to be a little less trusting and a lot more cynical, yet love was still one of those things that is still entirely unknown to her.

Virginia had another theory; however, Beverly had loved and lost. Virginia always felt that that Camden had something to do with Beverly’s new independence. He was always a taboo subject, for Beverly seemed trapped and frozen in thought if he was even mentioned in conversation.

In the months before Beverly’s arrival Virginia saw Camden often at the house. He was still very good friends with South, although they ran in different social circles. Camden attended the same university with South only for the first semester. After realizing that he could no longer could afford the tuition he opted to go to a community college instead, while he concentrated on his new passion, photography. Sometimes when Virginia was downstairs flipping through the channel on the television Camden would keep her company and during casual conversation he would ask about Beverly. At first Virginia was defensive, but over several week she soon got over Camden’s high school antics and found that he no longer was much of the playboy he use to be.

“I heard Bev was coming home in a few weeks.” He stopped her one day while she heading out the door.

“Just forget about it, Camden.” She said trying to brush past him.

He looked down at Virginia with pleading eyes. “I still think about her sometimes.”

“I know.” Virginia smiled at him. She rested an hand on his chest as if to say that he has been forgiven for the mistake that he made back when he was seventeen.

“Do you think there ever could be more?” He inquired.

“I think,” Virginia paused, “I think that we should just leave it as it is. Camden, she’s moved on and I fear that if past emotions were to stir up that she couldn’t handle it.”

He understood and didn’t bring it up again.

The day Beverly came back she spent the night at Virginia’s house and they laid in bed well past midnight talking like they did when they were twelve. Then a quarter until 2 am when Virginia was just about to close her eyes Beverly turned to her and started talking about the day Virginia’s father had gotten his truck stolen from the front of the dry cleaners.

Virginia remembered that day. Her father had come home sad and while washing dishes he whined, “My poor truck.” The very next day her dad came home and told the whole family and outrageous story about how he saw the truck driving past his shop and without thinking he borrowed a car and started chasing the truck down the freeway. Of course, the thief eventually was frighten by her father’s aggression and left the truck in an empty parking lot, in which her father called the cops, who couldn’t believe his story either. This little flashback brought a tear to Virginia’s eye and before she started balling she heard the loud moaning of a girl in the very next room, enough to ruin the moment.

“Ohmigod, what is that?” Beverly giggled, knowing full well what was going on.

“Oh, South! Yes, yes….oooooooo.” This was followed by a steady rhythm of his headboard clunking against the wall.

“Oh, don’t worry, Bev. After a few days of this, you won’t even notice it anymore.” Virginia burst into an uncontrollable laughter. If it were any other night she would be up pounding her fist on South’s door at this very moment, but tonight while sharing in the recollections with her best friend Virginia didn’t feel the slightest bit upset.

In July, Beverly told Virginia that she would be transferring to the University of Irvine. Virginia disagreed with decision and after several arguments about the issue Beverly convinced her to drop it by saying, “I don’t want anything more in the world than to be with my best friend, right now.”

Near the ending of summer and the anticipation of the new semester beginning Beverly became the fourth roommate, taking her parent’s master bedroom of which Virginia was too afraid too sleep in herself.

The two best friends were quite a popular item among South’s fraternity brothers. Upon several occasion Virginia overhead one or more of them say, “Dude, your roommates get hotter and hotter every time I see them. No wonder you don’t what to fucking move out.”

This was almost always followed by, “Dude, have you hit that shit or what?”

South was more modest about his answers than Virginia thought he would be. “It’s none of you business, man.” He smirked, alluring to the fact that he probably had slept with at least one of them.

Then they would all chime, “I like the cold one,” or “I like the flirty one,” or “I like the stripper.”

The cold one referred to Virginia. She had a reputation for snapping bitchy remarks at his fraternity brothers or outright ignoring them when they were in the house. Beverly and Brittany were always nice to them and Beverly couldn’t resist batting her eyelashes at a few of them for old time sake.

“Well you have to admit, Virg. They’re pretty freaking hot.” She would say after Virginia would look appalled that Beverly would even give them the time of day.

“Frat guys are just like older immature high school boys.” Virginia told her.

Beverly snickered, “Hello, Virg? College guys are just older immature high school boys,”

Realizing that Beverly had a point, Virginia laughed at herself. “Okay, yeah, whatever.”

The Sunday before the semester was to begin, Maxine finally phoned after several frantic ranting message from Virginia.

“Max, where the fuck have you been?” Virginia yelled into the phone.

“I’m in Miami.” Maxine said. “I met a guy.”

“Of course you did.” Virginia didn’t doubt that she met several men during her road trip. Virginia waited for Maxine to indulge in more information, but after a long pause she knew that Maxine was reluctant to continue. “How did you meet him?” She asked.

“He’s a club owner.” Maxine said. “I’m living in his beach house.” Another pause.

“What is it, Max? I know you want to tell me something.”

“He’s married.” Maxine admitted.

“What?!” Virginia screamed, “You have to fucking kidding me? I mean, I really hope you know that this relationship is not going anywhere.”

She heard Maxine huff in frustration on the other line. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything. This is why I didn’t want to call. You can be so negative.”

“What the hell do you want me to say?” Virginia lectured.

“I want you to tell me you’re glad I’m safe.”

Virginia calmed herself not wanting this conversation with Maxine make her not want to call again later. “When are you coming home?”
“I don’t think I want to…..ever.” Just like the day Maxine told Virginia that she was leaving she sounded apologetic and guilty