Alice Pieszecki

Thank god you're here! We're totally outnumbered.

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

[bette--porter]

Bette sighed. She didn’t think of Alice as a sleaze, how could she? She had done the same thing. It hadn’t been on purpose, but that didn’t make it excusable. “What if Tasha feels the same way? This hardly sounds one-sided. She’s perceptive enough to have picked up on it on her own, I’m sure.” 

The mention of the past made her sigh again. “You’re being too hard on yourself. You weren’t yourself. Everyone understands… besides, I thought you had already moved past that.” Dana and Alice’s revitalized friendship seemed proof of that, but she didn’t want to make any assumptions. 

“I know… and I am the wrong person to ask for advice. Have you spoken with anyone else about this?”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

“No, I haven’t spoken to anyone else about this! Who? Dana? Shane? She’s a living, breathing, Stockholm Syndrome. So no, no one else.” Alice debated on talking to Tasha about everything, but knew herself well enough to know she would chicken out.

“Are you going to Dana’s housewarming party? I would rather be stabbed in the face with rusty scissors, but I’m a good friend, you know? With my luck, Lara will be there pitying me again.”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

OMG | Alice & Dana

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“What? You’ve met her?” Dana felt her heart sink. She had no idea Charlie was a bartender, but it even made her more attractive… if that were possible. She scowled, feeling jealous that Alice was meeting up with her even though she knew Alice was with Tasha. “Well, great!” She snapped. “I hope you have a great time! That’s great.”

Even though she was still annoyed, it came as a huge relief that Charlie wasn’t part of one of her friend-constellations. That was the last thing she needed: more drama. “Get married? I just met her, Al, god. And I don’t know. It’s just nice to have someone interested in me, it makes me feel like a normal person.” 

[xo-alicepieszecki]

“Oh cool it, Dana, we’re just having coffee. We haven’t even set it up yet.” Alice could feel her stomach churn at Dana’s apparent interest in the bartender. She had absolutely no leg to stand on and certainly couldn’t tell Dana what she was really thinking.

“Dana, don’t be dramatic. Lots of people are interested in you. You’re like, the full package. Beauty, brains, brawn. So shut the fuck up.”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

[bette--porter]

Bette listened sympathetically as Alice talked about what she had with Tasha. It didn’t surprise her; she had felt the same thing with Jodi. Yes, she had loved her, but it didn’t compare to what she had with Tina. Even while she was with Jodi, Tina continued to occupy her thoughts - and when she had the choice between the two of them there had been no hesitation.

“It isn’t you,” she said patiently. “She just isn’t the one, however insipid that sounds. It does make a difference.” Bette had no idea what the relationship between Alice and Dana consisted of, beneath the exterior of friendship they both tried so hard to portray. “There isn’t anything wrong with biding your time with Tasha. It doesn’t have to last forever.” She poured herself more tea. “How does Dana feel? She isn’t dating anyone.”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

“Biding my time with Tasha? God, Bette, that makes me sound like a such a fucking sleaze. How is that fair to do to her?” Alice covered her face with her hands and brought them down slowly. “Dana has no idea. Besides, she and I were a trainwreck. Remember the whole cardboard cutout debacle?” Alice shuddered. “Ugh, I was so gross. I don’t think she would ever go there again. And could you blame her?” 

Alice laughed as they sat there, silence hanging over the table. “Look at us, Bette. So fucked up.” 

[xo-alicepieszecki]

OMG | Alice & Dana

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Picking at her lip, Dana paused and frowned when Alice said Charlie sounded like a drag. “Well, she’s not!” She huffed. “Not everyone I like is a drag, Al.” She forced herself to stop and not get into an argument. She hated arguing with Alice, although their disagreements rarely elevated to the level of an actual fight. It made it more difficult when Alice continued and she rolled her eyes into the stratosphere and groaned. “She’s not from LA! It’s not the same. Besides, I don’t like the people here.” It was hard to meet anyone, espcially for someone as socially awkward as herself. 

“Charlie. Um…” She fished out her phone. “Lovell. L-O-V-E-L-L.”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

“Charlie?” Alice asked, while typing the name. “No shit, Dana!? The bartender? I met her the other night! She was a pretty big fan of The Talk and Alice in Lesboland, just sayin’” Alice exaggerated. “We’re supposed to meet up for coffee to discuss the scene here.”

There were no direct lines to anyone they knew, and Alice was almost disappointed. A fleeting thought about lying to Dana crossed her mind, but it would be easy enough for Dana to just look herself. It wasn’t worth it. “Nope, no connections to be wary of. Although she’s a second level to Papi. Big surprise,” she finished. “So, what are you two going to do? I mean, are you interested in dating her? Chumming around? Getting married? What’s the deal?”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

OMG | Alice & Dana

[cris-pay-deactivated20161208]

Talking to Alice on the phone felt weird for her sometimes. Whenever she heard Tasha’s voice in the background her entire posture would tense up, but she wasn’t sure why. Now - thankfully - she couldn’t hear anything. 

“Al!” She hissed, then looked around quickly to make sure Charlie hadn’t actually come this way after leaving the cafe. That would happen to her. “Are you near your computer right now? You have to look up a name on the Chart for me.” Dana hated the Chart. She hated the tiny number of people connected to her. She hated that she couldn’t look at another girl without wondering if Shane slept with her. It was important that she figure this out fast. “I just met this girl. She actually gave me her number!” Normally she would never confide in Alice about things like this, just out of courtesy, but now Alice was with Dana and seemed to have moved on… a fact that bothered her even though she would never say so. “But god, you know I can’t do anything until I make sure she’s not already locked in an incestuous web with Shane or-or someone else, you know? Plus she’s from California. That like doubles the chances or something, right?”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Violently rolling her eyes, Alice grabbed her laptop and propped it up on her lap. “Where did you meet her? She sounds like a drag,” Alice said while her computer booted up. “So you came all the way to New York to meet someone from California? Dana, that’s so cliche. Are you going to watch Serendipity on your first date?” While the Chart loaded, Alice realized she should probably reign it in a little. She sighed heavily and peeked in at Tasha. She was still watching her show, oblivious to the escapades taking place on the balcony. 

“OK, I’m in. What’s her name?”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

[bette--porter]

Bette raised her eyebrows as she took a sip of her ice cold tea. She knew Dana and Alice’s history was, perhaps, more complicated than anyone else’s (besides the relationship between her and Tina). Her doubt was magnified by the number of times Alice said good in one breath and she had to resist the urge to laugh.

“How is that a good balance?” She asked quietly, finding it hard to imagine getting along with someone who was essentially the polar opposite of yourself. “What’s going on? You don’t have to keep things from me, Alice. God knows, I’m not going to look down on you from where I’m standing.” 

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Alice looked at her friend, feeling more connected to anyone than she had for a long time. Everything was so fucked up. Moving east was supposed to be a life-altering change for the better, but everyone was mired in their own misery. Only the scenery had changed, nothing else.

“I don’t know. I love Tasha, she’s so strong and direct and doesn’t take my shit. I just feel like, maybe, something’s missing? I don’t have that same desire to spend time with her and talk about my day and find out what’s going on in her head. And yeah, I know that excitement doesn’t last forever and turns into a kind of comfort, but it’s just different than it was with...other people. Maybe it’s me. It’s probably me,” Alice said, defeated.  

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

[bette--porter]

Bette shook her head when Alice said that she was wrong. She didn’t at all think she was wrong. To her, Tina’s actions proved everything she’d said, including her quick jump to a new relationship. She hadn’t met the girl and didn’t want to, but she knew it was inevitable. Tina still saw Shane, Alice, and Dana - and she had no right to cut her off from her own friends. She would stand her ground. Tina would see her. There was no reason that she should make her feel comfortable this time around.

“I can’t talk about it in front of Angie.” She took a sip of her coffee, cringing at how cold it already was. 

Alice’s change of subject wasn’t surprising. She sighed and shook her head. “I haven’t seen her, no.” She looked up and frowned sympathetically. “Is it still hard to be around her? Doesn’t it make a difference, now, with Tasha?” She knew Alice and Dana had dated and the relationship had been intense, but they had come back together again while Dana had been sick and their friendship had seemed stronger than ever. 

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Alice shook her head forcefully. “No, it’s not difficult to be around her! That would be stupid,” she scoffed, looking everywhere but directly at Bette. “Tasha and I are good. Good, good, we’re good. We’re good.” Alice leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips, clamped in a smile. “We’re good.”

“Maybe we aren’t that good. But you know, we’re just getting back into our groove since settling here. She wants to watch TV, I want to go out and see the city. It’s a good balance really.”

Alice sipped her latte calmly, wondering if Bette was buying anything she was selling.

[xo-alicepieszecki]

OMG | Alice & Dana

Alice jumped when her pocket buzzed, vibrating forcefully against her jeans. She had been half asleep, Tasha on the other side of the couch watching a re-run of Law & Order. She pulled out her phone and saw Dana’s name. Alice rolled her eyes at herself for the faint flutter she felt in her stomach. 

She stood up and stretched, telling Tasha she was going out onto the balcony for some fresh air. Tasha grunted in acknowledgement. Once out on the balcony, Alice quickly dialed Dana’s number, grudgingly prepared for a conversation about another woman.

“Dane? What’s up?”

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

[bette--porter]

“Freaked out? I can understand if she freaked out, but freaking out does not mean you end a commitment without getting the facts straight. What she thinks happened makes absolutely no sense. Never once did she even ask me, Alice. She believed that contrived bullshit that Jenny fucking Schecter came up with, whatever it was. I have no idea what she told her or what she sent on her phone, but nothing happened. I cannot say that enough. I would scream it from the rooftop if I thought it made one iota of difference in the cataclysmic delusion Jenny dreamed up.” Unnecessarily defending herself was dehumanizing and demeaning. Bette hated it because only guilty people did it. The fact that she was innocent of any wrongdoing made Alice’s sympathy for Tina all the more infuriating. 

It was only the mention of Angie that made her soften. Gritting her teeth, Bette nodded and folded her hands around her coffee cup. “It makes it easier to date when you aren’t taking care of a child,” she replied coldly. It was wrong of her and she knew it, but it was difficult not to lash out at Tina - and Jenny. She wasn’t sure who she was angrier at. “How am I supposed to talk to her when she refuses to talk to me? Don’t you think I’ve tried? I’ve begged her, I’ve pleaded with her, I’ve done everything but slit my own wrists. This is obviously what she wants. She wants to believe that I cheated on her and lied to her - so much so that she would listen to Jenny before listening to me.” She knew she was repeating herself, but she didn’t care. Shane had heard it, Dana had heard it and Alice had heard it. Alice was the one she felt closest to, who knew her to the core, and perhaps that was part of the problem.

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Alice sat silently, letting Bette rant without interruption. For the most part, Bette was right. Tina reacted exactly the way Jenny expected her to, and they both did so without any proof or discussion about what really happened. Just one more reason to hate the self-important douchebag. 

“I don’t even know what to say, Bette. I think you’re wrong. Maybe when she drops off Angie with you, you can finally hash this out. I know Tina’s gone MIA, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about you. I’m sure of it,” she said, silently praying that Tina didn’t ask her to be the one to drop Angie off to Bette.

Trying not to seem obvious, Alice was desperate for a subject change. Her friend needed a distraction, so it might as well be something Alice was interested in. “So, have you talked to Dana much lately? I’ve been you know, keeping my distance a little. Don’t want to make things awkward,” Alice said, cocking her head. Such lies. But it made her feel better to think that she was the one in the driver’s seat. 

[imviapassmeabeer]

too warm in the city // Charlie x Open

[xo-alicepieszecki]

yescheersitscharlie:

Charlie smiled mischievously. “I have many secrets, but yes, you’ll have to buy me coffee first.” She said with a wiggle of her eyebrows before pulling out her journal. She opened up to an empty page and scribbled her name and number on the paper, tearing off the corner and folding it in half. Charlie held out the paper with her index and middle finger. “This is my number, and you know, I haven’t been or checked in on OurChart in a while. Let me see if there are any people I haven’t drawn the line to connect to, either here or back in SF.” She laughed.

Charlie looked down at her watch, she had stretched her beak pretty thin and should be returning soon. “So, I have to go back inside soon, work.” She said with a roll of her eyes while she tucked her journal into her back pocket.

Alice took the piece of paper, smiling with excitement and a hint of terror. “So yeah, I’ll buy you coffee first. Good. Awesome. Good.” She was rambling, knew she was rambling, but didn’t know how to stop herself.

“It was great meeting you. I’m excited, it’s so nice to connect with someone from my side of the world. I uh, hope we can do this again soon,” Alice said, cringing at the way she sounded. 

“Bye, Charlie,” she said, glancing one last time over her shoulder before heading home.

Originally posted by fuckyesleishahailey

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

[bette--porter]

Even though she normally would be able to muster a calming, even amused smile, Bette’s expression was haggard and her greeting was more of a grimace. It had not been an easy day. It had not been an easy week, or weeks - it had not been easy since their move to Manhattan. What had started as an opportunity to start anew ended in the worst way possible. Jenny had sent Tina the innocuous video of Kelly and her, the exact video she had held over Bette’s head for days on end. 

That simple act had changed everything. Tina had ended the relationship, without seeming interested in any sort of explanation. For Bette, sleeping was out of the question. She was only a short few blocks from the house she had been supposed to share with Tina, but she couldn’t bring herself to be far from her. What she had wanted to do was refuse to leave the house. She hadn’t done anything wrong. At times, her devastation was overrun by pure fury. How could Tina even think she would do something like that, after everything, and after all they had been through? She had promised her. 

“Is it that obvious?” She asked Alice with a dry smile, making an effort to sit up straight in her chair. Bette was normally perfectly put together, but the break-up had taken its toll. Adding insult to injury, Tina was already dating somebody new. It was infuriating. It was insulting. 

She did nothing to stop Alice from seeing what was on her laptop. It was the official website for the New York City Ballet, stuck on the page of its principal dancer, Tamsin Fitzgerald. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured in reply at Alice’s comment about their lives being a sitcom, then gave a soft, wry laugh. Despite her demeanor, however, her answer was immediate. “No, how could I? Tina would never let me take Angelica. And I didn’t do anything wrong.” She had no idea if Alice would even believe her - who would, if Tina didn’t? “Did you know about her?” She gestured to her laptop screen. “Did you know she’s already dating again? A ballerina.” She said the word mockingly, despite her appreciation for the arts, but her disdain was actually directed toward Tina.

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Alice sighed heavily. Yes, she did know about Tina’s ballerina. She had talked to Tina extensively since the shit hit the fan, but she couldn’t tell Bette. She promised she wouldn’t. 

“It’s not exactly like that, Bette. You know Tina. She freaked out, and I love you, I love you to death, but she had her...reasons. I really think you guys should just talk.” Alice drew in a breath and sagged in her chair. “Since it’s all either of you ever talk about,” she muttered under her breath. “Aren’t you getting Angie for the summer?”

It was hard. Alice loved her friends with all of her heart, but sometimes she felt like her own life took a back burner. Bette only talked about Tina, Tina only talked about Bette, Shane was a pod-person being held captive by Jenny, and Jenny was...Jenny. The pointless drama of Gabby Deveaux seemed almost...alluring at this point.

too warm in the city // Charlie x Open

[xo-alicepieszecki]

yescheersitscharlie:

Charlie ran a free hand through her short hair and scrunched her face. “Alice in Lesboland..” She thought aloud while a smile stretched across her face. “Wait…” She said looking Alice up and down. “I thought your voice sounded familiar.” Charlie confirmed with a sly smile. “A few years back I had been living in San Francisco, I had been linked to someone on your chart while visiting LA, which linked a few more people, and then those people linked a whole bunch of people all over SF. It was working ridiculously well.” She commented with a laugh. Charlie took another hit off her cigarette. She burned the butt into a dumpster near her and tossed it in.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Alice.” Charlie said while turning back to the woman she now new as Alice. “I’m Charlie. Say, what kind of news are you looking for?” She asked. “People frequently spill their secrets to their bartenders. This place is no different. Last week we had a Council Woman in, I can’t say who she was though.” Charlie said with a wink.

“San Francisco?” Alice gleamed. “I’m from LA! I moved here with my...show and it’s not really what I thought. But whatever. You used OurChart? That’s amazing! Meeting someone from San Francisco in New York that’s a part of it. We really are all connected.” Alice smiled, a little sadly. She had started to say that she moved here with her girlfriend, and then...didn’t. Why not? The realization left her feeling cold while drowning in the oppressive humidity.

“Ooh, you have to tell me the secrets. You can totally remain anonymous, I promise.” Alice scribbled her number onto a gum wrapper. “Maybe we could meet for coffee or something?” For the first time in a long time, Alice began to feel shy. Charlie’s smile was...captivating.

I just need New York friends, she told herself. Broaden my horizons or some shit. That’s all it is. I love Tasha. I love Tasha. I love Tasha.

[imviapassmeabeer]

too warm in the city // Charlie x Open

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Alice scrolled through her phone, absent-mindedly reading status updates and headlines. It wasn’t like Tasha to just not show up, so worry was beginning to infiltrate. A short text finally interrupted her reverie, saying simply “still at work. won’t make it tonight”. Alice sighed, a mix of relief and irritation. She was glad that Tasha seemed to be settling in ok, but she still felt like a solitary reed swaying in the breeze. 

“Guess I’ll just go home,” Alice said aloud to no one. When she turned around, she noticed a woman standing nearby smoking a cigarette. She looked familiar but Alice couldn’t place her. 

“Hey,” she greeted, her friendliness unmistakable. “Do I know you?”  

Originally posted by femmefaetale

[imviapassmeabeer]

Charlie made eye contact with the woman and smiled. She turned towards the woman, still leaning on the brick wall, and nodded. Charlie took a hit off her cigarette and exhaled with the words “I think you might, I bartend here most nights.” She flicked her ash away and watched it float on the warm breeze. “I think I’ve seen you in here a few times.” She said with a smile. 

Charlie studied the woman. In a city full of people from different places, she had seemed familiar. There was something.. Californian to her. It made her think of home. People in New York weren’t often nice, the woman was a breath of fresh air in this humid hell.

[xo-alicepieszecki]

“Ah, that’s it! Yeah, I’ve been trying to find my footing here in New York. Recent transplant,” Alice said, giving her a goofy smile. “This seems like a happenin’ place.”

Alice tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. “I’m Alice. I’m a, uh, journalist. So if you have any scoop on the community here, I wouldn’t turn it away,” she laughed awkwardly.

Being a semi-celebrity in LA was much different than being a nobody in New York. Alice didn’t think it would bother her, but in all honesty, it really kinda did. 

“Have you ever seen Alice in Lesboland?”

[imviapassmeabeer]

too warm in the city // Charlie x Open

Charlie rinsed off what was left of the soap suds off the martini glasses and into the sink. She sat them on the drying rack and nodded to her coworker, rolling her eyes in a way of signalling that she was going to take a break. Charlie pushed open the back door and walked into the warm night, around the building and into the alley near the front of the club. She fished her cigarettes out of her pocket and brought one to her mouth, lighting it with a match. Charlie inhaled the chemicals and leaned back against the brick building. What an eventful night. She thought to herself sarcastically. She fanned her face with her hand, letting the humid air attempt to cool her face.

Charlie noticed a woman standing near the club that she had served a few times. An acquaintance of sorts. She wondered what would happen if she said hello, or if their eyes met and they shared a smile. As introverted as she was, Charlie wished she could socialize more.

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Alice scrolled through her phone, absent-mindedly reading status updates and headlines. It wasn’t like Tasha to just not show up, so worry was beginning to infiltrate. A short text finally interrupted her reverie, saying simply “still at work. won’t make it tonight”. Alice sighed, a mix of relief and irritation. She was glad that Tasha seemed to be settling in ok, but she still felt like a solitary reed swaying in the breeze. 

“Guess I’ll just go home,” Alice said aloud to no one. When she turned around, she noticed a woman standing nearby smoking a cigarette. She looked familiar but Alice couldn’t place her. 

“Hey,” she greeted, her friendliness unmistakable. “Do I know you?”  

[xo-alicepieszecki]

Melting Pot // Alice & Bette

“What the fuck?” Alice spat, as she was nearly knocked over by a large man in an expensive suit. It enraged her that he didn’t even acknowledge her as he plowed by with a steaming cup of coffee. “That’s right, asshole! Enjoy your day!” She shook her head as she scanned the room until she saw a familiar face. Alice slid into the seat in a frenzied ball of blonde. 

“Bette, you look like shit,” she announced unceremoniously, sipping from her Styrofoam cup. “Are you still not sleeping?” 

Moving to New York was more of an upheaval than Alice expected. Two large entertainment/celebrity meccas, they couldn’t be that different. Wrong-o. She had hoped starting fresh in a new city with a new job would re-introduce the fire with Tasha that she longed for. So far, there was little more than kindling. 

She leaned forward, trying to read Bette’s laptop screen. “So it’s weird, right? That we’re all here? It’s like some unrealistic sitcom plot. Yet here we are. You ever think about moving home?”

[novaksallie]

[lalalalovely]

the l word meme: [1/3] friendships: Shane and Alice