***
Daybreak- Marina is opening The Planet as she walks in the door and turns on the sound system, she looks out the window and smilesin about 2 hours this peace and quiet will be replaced with the bustling sounds of her customersbut right now, its just a fresh cup of green tea, her journal and The Flow

What an enchanting Monday morning. Its 5:30 AM and Grace and Sandy will be here in less then an hour. They are definitely my two favorite customers. They have lived in West Hollywood for the last 20 years and have loved each other for the last 30. Their love is an inspiration to me in every way. I once asked them what their secret to happiness wasGrace told me simplyIt might not be all that romantic, but we love with loyalty. Ironically there is a Me’Shell NdegOcello tribute on XM Channel 61 todaythey are playing Loyalty :-). They were my first customers on the day I opened, every day since they have been my first customers of the day, arriving promptly at 6:15 am. Unlike most people who just take my illusive quality at face value, Grace and Sandy always were able to see right through my faade. They are the only two people who know how I really feel about Jenny. I cant wait to share the news with them. I cant believe she called. I almost dropped the phone. When I left that message on her telephone Thursday night, I wasnt expecting to hear from her. I hurt her so deeply. I was so cold and callous. I treated her the same way Francesca treated me, except, I turned her life up side down in the process. She was the first. The first to penetrate through the wall I put up around my heart. At first, my interest was trivial, just something to do until Fran returned, but somewhere along the way she captured my heart. I knew I was wrong the moment I pursued Robin. I didnt want her, I wanted Jenny…needed JennyI love herI cant believe she wants to see me today. When I used to day dream on clear mornings like this one, I dreamed of sharing the kind of love Grace and Sandy share. The woman by my side always remained nameless, facelessnow her eyes look back at me with a clarity that frightens meso innocent, so beautiful…
in Jennys eyes I see the adoring loyalty I crave…

Loyalty
They were both young
He believed in himself only
In his oversize Dickeys cinched up way high
She lived in her books and fantasies
They both searched for some sort of loyalty
When they made love begged each other just don’t betray me

Come be with me
Soothe my broken heart
Show me loyalty

Her mother’s heart has been shattered
Told her daughter to be ware
But secrets and dreams you should never share
Trust only in change ’cause hearts change
But betrayal always feels the same
But with him she found loyalty

Come be with me
Soothe my broken heart
Show me loyalty

‘Cause like a child you will never want for love
‘Cause all that I have I give to you
Come and take my hand and share my life with me
‘Cause you are my soul and I will always love you

Come be with me
Soothe my broken heart
Show me loyalty

I’ll be there for you
Right there for you

Come be with me
Soothe my broken heart
Show me loyalty
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***
Bette awakes to the same sunrise, but not with nearly the same level of anticipation as Marina, on what by far is the worst Monday of her life. At least she knew where Tina was. Bette has the day offProvocations was such an overwhelming success, but she could care lessthe love of her life is gone. The clock on the VCR read 5:32 AM. She shifts her body so she can look down the hall. As the tears began to fall yet again she recalls Thursday night

I laid there quietly sobbing as she packed all around me, thinking to myselfWhat just happened? Where is she going? I cant even look at her. I am so ashamed, so confused, so exhaustedI want to get up, I want to go after herbut I have nothing to saynot this time. There is no excuse, no reason, and no justification for what I have doneShe has never pushed me away with such forcethe pain and bitterness in her eyes, terrified me
I found my cell by the side of the bed Friday morningmy first call was AliceI was hoping I would get her voicemail, no such luckI could hear the pain and disappointment in her voiceshe knows, she hates meno witty or smart-***** remarksshe simply told me Tina was at her houseand not to call or come byTinas orders…then she hung up the phone. Tina, my T, who always had to work so hard to get me to open up to her, confide in her…now she doesnt want to talk to me at all. How could I shatter my life like this? I havent been back into our bedroomI cant find the courage to open the door. Im numbI havent moved from this couch in almost 3 days. This all seems like a really long, terrible dreamall day Friday I cried like a childtears of sadness, anguish and relief. On Saturday I stared at the telephone, trying to woman up enough to call Candace. She had very little to say (as usual) but she did say that she was sorry for any pain she had caused. By Sunday, the urge to run had set inretreatbut thats how I lost Tina, running away from my stress, my pain, I wont hurt her like that again…Im a runnerIve run from my problems all my life. But for the first time in my entire life, I want to stay. There is nothing more important to me then my life with Tina. There is no where on Earth I could go to escape this reality. She is the love of my life. She is the peace my soul requires. I have to get her back. (As the new light of day slowly inches along the hard wood floors in the living room, Bette speaks in a whispered tone) TIll never hurt you again, I promise.

With no immediate plans to move from the couch, Bette reaches for the remote and turns on the CD player, as the soft sounds of an acoustic guitar filled the air, Bette settled back into the couch and drifted off to sleep

Bitter
You push me away bitterly
My apologies fall on your deaf ears
You curse my name bitterly
And now your eyes they look at me bitterly

I stand ashamed amidst my foolish pride
‘Cause for us there’ll be no more
For us there’ll be no more
And now my eyes look at you bitterly
Bitterly bitterly
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***
Shane awoke (just before dawn) to the sound of running water. Kina must be in the shower As Shane walked toward the bathroom door she began to hear the low soulful sound of Kinas voice

I hear voices and I can’t stand to be alone
‘Cause emptiness is all I have ever known
Soiled by my lust I feel no shame
No longer forsaken when they call my name
Beautiful angels come to my bed
I am satisfied on their flesh I have fed
No one is faithful I am weak
I go astray
Forgive me for my ways

Leaning against the door frame, in an apartment of a woman she barely knewShane cried. Not for Cherrie, those tears had been shed the night before in the comfort of Kinas arms. No, these tears were for all the others. There were so many, too many to name really, just an endless stream of women, all ages, sizes and colors. She cried for all the broken promises, all the lies and omissions of truth. All the winks, smiles and sweet whispers, all leading to nights of incredible physical pleasure void of emotion. As tears of regret and guilt fell silently down her face, it all became brutally clear…Cherrie was Karma, plain and simple, you receive what you give.

(On the other side of the door)
Kina stepped out of the shower and smiled at the thought of the beautiful women laying in her bed. When Shane walked into Exstasis on Friday night it was almost as if the entire room paused to take in her presence. Clad in nothing but a white tank top and worn out jeans, you would think she would just blend into the scenery, but from the very first moment, Kina knew Shane was going to be an exception to her rule. Her eyes were penetrating, her stride was confident, her mischievous smile stated her intentions clearlyShane was on the prowl. As she sat down directly in front of Kina and ordered a shot of tequila, the normally cool and collect bartender dam near knocked down an entire row of glasses.
What was intended to be nothing more then a slow seduction grew into something much more beautiful over the next 3 days. 1 tequila shot multiplied into 8 and the once graceful woman who sat down about 3 hours ago slowly leaned to the left and fell to the floor, mumbling incoherently about never wanting to feel again. Saturday morning and well into the afternoon was hangover recovery time. This is not LA, the tequila is a little stronger down here! Saturday night was a very light dinner and easy conversation. You would never know by looking at them that these two women had known each other for less the 24 hours. By Saturday night, both women had told their stories.
Shane the quiet one talked for what seemed like hours about Cherrie and their very short lived but intense affair. Why she decided to tell this woman her truth was a mystery. Maybe it was her smile, maybe the soothing sound of her voice, regardless of the reason, Kina listened without pretense or judgment and for that, Shane was internally grateful.
Sunday was a lazy day spent laying around Kinas apartment and watching movies. Somewhere between Friday evening and Monday morning an emotional line was drawn. Despite the mutual physical attraction, neither dared to cross that line, for fear that the experience would be too intense.
Upon extiting the bathroom Kina found Shane slumped against the wall. She gathered in her arms and just held her. She knew this pain, it was all too familiar. Holding on to her new friend as if her life depended on it, Shane quietly whispered that song you were just singing in the showerwill you sing it to me?

(later in her truck, heading back to LA) (laughing to herself) Tijuana was a long way to drive just to talk. As Shane pulled up to the Planet with a light heart and clear mind, she was trying to figure out how she was going to explain her impromptu solo road trip. Al is going to kill me for not answering my phone all weekend.

Faithful
My daddy made no excuse
I believe my lies are truth
Why won’t you eat what you are fed
When I touch myself I think of only you
And when I touch someone else

No one is faithful I am weak
I go astray
Forgive me for my ways

I hear voices and I can’t stand to be alone
‘Cause emptiness is all I have ever known
Soiled by my lust I feel no shame
No longer forsaken when they call my name
Beautiful angels come to my bed
I am satisfied on their flesh I have fed

No one is faithful I am weak
I go astray
Forgive me for my ways
************************************************************************

Mondays suck was Alices initial thought as the annoying sound of her alarm clock penetrated the air. After getting dressed and checking on Tina, Alice sets out to begin her workday. She drives toward The Planet but realizes Bette and Tina wont be there, and she is afraid to face Dana so she decides to call Shane when she gets to workWhere the ***** has she been all weekend?

Alice arrived at her office disheveled and distractedTina had occupied most of her weekend, (thinking to herselfPorter really fucked up grandly this time) but with no Tina and an empty office, Alice was left alone with her thoughtsthoughts that immediately drifted toward Dana. Alice is usually the first to arrive at her office, but today it looks like Monique beat her in. Monique is one of the music editors for the magazine. Monique always reminded Alice of a Bohemian version of Bette. She is also the comic relief in her circle of friends so these two always have some smart-***** remarks to exchange. Alice could hear her radio from the hallway. She walks in to say hi, but Monique is no where to be found. As Alice turns around to walk towards her cubicle she is greeted by a familiar voice blaring out of Mos desktop speakers and an overwhelming flood of memories of Dana

Wasted Time
You rarely notice but I hang on your every word
Everything you say
You are much too busy to notice me
You turn and walk away
Into another’s arms hopeless ashamed
I wish I could hold you that way
Brokenhearted I dream for you to notice me

Wasted time on loving you wasted time
Wasted time on someone
Who won’t love you as much as I
As much as I as much as I as much as I

In my fantasy you are asleep beside me
I feel you breathe
If only I could be there for you
The one that you make love to

Wasted time on loving you wasted time
Wasted time on someone
Who won’t love you as much as I
As much as I as much as I as much as I

You rarely notice but I hang on your every word
Everything you say
You are much too busy to notice me
You turn and walk away
Into another’s arms hopeless ashamed
I wish I could hold you that way
Brokenhearted I dream for you to notice me

(Thinking to herself) Tonya could never love her the way I couldwait; did I just say I was in love?

(Monique) (Walking up to Alice with a Hazelnut Mocha) Good Morning Punky B! (Monique is waving her hands in Alices face) Hey Al, you ok?
(Alice) Huh?…Ohyeah, hey Mo, hows it going?
(Monique) I cant complainsorry the music was so loud, 61-The Flow is doing a tribute to Me Shell this morningI have been up in here jammin!
(Alice) I knew I recognized that voice
(Monique) Whaaat?…so the Punkster has some Soul huh?
(Alice) Can you try to contain your jealousy Cherrie!…We cant all have Puuuunky Power! And FYI, MeShells CDs come with your Bi welcome packet! (laughing to herself)
(Monique, laughing also) For real?…so do you have a membership card and monthly meetings too? HAHAHA…
(Alice) ***** yeah, and this year, we are having T-shirts printed!…You know, we are always looking for new recruitsso just let me know when you are ready to join up! (Winking at Mo)
(Monique) Slow it down there sister, Im staying on the hetero team!…so stop asking me to meet you at your tree house Punky! (winking back at Alice)
(Alice screams back as she heads toward her cubicle) Cant blame a girl for trying!
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***
back at Alices house
Tina wakes up on Alices couch with a splitting headache. (Thinking to herself) I cant believe its already Monday. I have hardly moved since Thursday. Turning on the TV to the Today show, Tina is finally ready to join the land of the living again. Thoroughly exhausted from 3 days of crying, talking and thinking too much about Bette, Tina was looking forward to just having a quiet day alone. She aimlessly flipped through, the channels until she stopped and watched as the little girl on TV, played basketball. She smiled remembering the hours and hoursand hours she used to play ball in Karas back yard. (Laughing to herself) I guess she was my first love. It always amazed Tina how after she fell in love with Bette she realized how all of her past relationships seem to have led her to Bette. Kara was no exception. Kara moved around the corner from Tina when she was 5 years old. For the next 10 years they were inseparable. They did everything together, but more then anything else, they played basketball. More like, Tina watched Kara play. Vivid memories of Karas auburn hair floating through the air as she gracefully went up for a lay-up. Never-ending, merciless one-on-one games all summer long. Kara was an unyielding competitor, although, much like Bette she had a gentle side she let very few people other then Tina see. In a lot a ways Bette reminded Tina of Kara. Even though they were just friends, there was always an intimacy between the two of them that went beyond friendship.
Jarred back into reality by a scene from the film, Tina started to follow the storyline, amazed at how closely Monicas (main character) life mirrored Karas. Tina watched as Monica tirelessly pursued her dream of being a basketball star. She had the drive, the passion and the skilla triple threat, just like Kara. Her only weakness was Q. It all came down to the ever present question. 0Whats the point of having the p0erfect life if you have no one to share it with? Basketball was her passion, but Q was the love of her life. Preoccupied with beautiful memories of Kara, Tina had not really thought about Betteuntil the final scene that is. As Monica let a single basketball game determine her destiny, a slow and deliberate tear ran down Tinas face. Unlike the tears of the last 3 days that were from a place of anger, betrayal and pain, this tear was a confirmation of the obvious, a renewal of her faith in love. (Whispering quietly to her self) She is the love of my life; I am not giving up on us.

Fool of Me (Love and Basketball Soundtrack)
I remember when you filled my heart with joy
Was I blind to the truth just there to fill the space
Cause now you have no interest in anything I have to say
And I have allowed you to make me feel dumb
What kind of fool am I that you so easily set me aside

You made a fool of me
Tell me why
You say that you dont care but we made love
Tell me why
You made a fool of me you made a fool of me

I want to kiss you
Does she want you with the pain that I do
I smell you in my dreams
But now when were face to face you wont look me in the eye
No time no friendship no love
Dont say dont touch you I cant touch you no more
Cant touch you any more any more
I dont touch you anymore

You made a fool of me
Tell me why
You say that you dont care but we made love
Tell me why
You made a fool of me you made a fool of me
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