A Queer Turn of Events   by Lisa Lees	Episode map Characters Extras Blog
1:2 – "Crystal and Sandy" Part 1: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Part 2: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

"Are you listening to me?" Sandy's father paused in reciting his list of consequences for backing out of going to Harvard.

Sandy stopped looking at the black pit of the living room fireplace and turned to look at her father. "I hear your words. So far I haven't heard anything new."

"This is so important for the rest of your life, dear," said her mother, without looking up from the fashion magazine she was reading.

"I'm not leaving Crystal."

Now her mother did look up. "You'll make new friends at school. Friends that will be important to your future and your career. Friends you have more in common with."

Friends who are white, she means, thought Sandy. "Crystal isn't my friend! She's my soul mate. I love her."

"Oh, pooh. You don't know what you're talking about. Once you're among the right element, you'll meet someone who will sweep you off your feet."

This is never going to change, thought Sandy. They're never really going to hear what I'm saying. She turned to look into the fireplace again.

"Are you listening to us?" said her father.

"What's the point?" said Sandy, "I have it all memorized. "

Her father leaned forward to grab her chin and turn her head toward him. "You leave for Harvard in two weeks."

"What are you going to do if I don't go? Hit me?"

"If I thought it would do any good..."

Sandy jerked back out of his grip. "Has it ever?"

He slapped her.

"Oh, Harold, I don't think that's necessary," said Sandy's mother, looking up briefly from her magazine.

"Shut up! If you had done a better job of teaching her to be a proper woman instead of a lesbian tramp..."

Her mother tossed the magazine on the coffee table. "Look who's talking! The failed salesman."

Sandy quickly stood and began walking out of the room.

"You walk away from me and you can just keep on walking!" yelled her father.

Sandy's step didn't falter. Under her breath she muttered, "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

As her parents began what she knew would be an hours long fight over where they went wrong with her, Sandy walked to her room. She picked up her cell and called Crystal.

"Hey, babe. How's it going?" asked Crystal.

"He slapped me again."

"Goddamn asshole! I should tear his guts out!"

"I'm leaving."

Crystal was silent.

"I'm leaving the house, now. I can't stand this any more, Crys."

"Are you coming here?"

"You know I can't stay there, not the way your parents are now. But I need to see you."

"I'll pick you up in five minutes then, love. Be ready." Crystal slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed her keys and ran downstairs. She hoped the van would start. They hadn't had a gig in over a month and she didn't use it much, preferring to walk or bus to meet Sandy, but now she was in a hurry. "Come on sweet thing, start for your mamma!" The van started and she was off.

She pulled into the driveway at Sandy's house, set the parking brake and jumped out of the van. Sandy ran out from the garage, dropped her pack on the driveway, and threw her arms around Crystal. As Sandy hugged her, they could hear yelling from inside the house. "I have to get away from here! Will you take me to campus, Crystal?" "Of course." Crystal glanced in the direction of the house. "Let's get you away from that." On the drive to campus Sandy was slumped in her seat, leaning against the door. Crystal couldn't think what to say that wouldn't sound stupid and useless. She parked near the Union. "Do you want something to eat?" Sandy looked at Crystal. Her face was hurting from the slap. Her head felt like it was full of bees. "No. I need to walk, and think. I know what I'm not going to do, but I have to figure out what I am going to do. I'll call you, love, once I have a chance to think for a while. I need to be alone right now."

Crystal leaned over and kissed Sandy. "Call me when you've had some time, and I'll come. I'm going to call Carys and talk with her."

"Don't bother them with this!" said Sandy. "I'm sure I'll think of something, and then I'll call you." She put the strap of her pack over one shoulder, grabbed her jacket with the other hand, and slipped out of the van.

Crystal watched Sandy walk toward the bell tower. She was still watching the place where she lost sight of her when Carys called.

"Hey, Crystal! We were just wondering what you all are up to. Sandy didn't answer."

"Hi, Carys. I'm sitting in the van by the Union. I brought Sandy to campus so she could walk and think. Her father hit her again this afternoon. She's not going back home."

What the fuck? thought Carys, What's happened in the last three weeks? "What do you mean, hit her again, and she's not going back home? Where is she going?"

Crystal sighed. "She's left home. Some of her stuff is at my house, we tossed some stuff into the van, and she has a pack with her. Her parents are determined to ship her off to Harvard in two weeks, and she's not going. Her father slaps her around when he gets upset. It's happened before. It makes me see red to think about it."

"Jesus!"

"Let's leave him out of the picture, please," sighed Crystal.

"Are you and Sandy okay? I mean..."

"She's still my lover and I fucking well am doing whatever I have to to keep her! But she can't stay at my house, and I don't know what to do!"

"I thought your parents were okay with you and Sandy?"

Crystal sagged back against the seat. "They were ignoring that we're lovers. Until the latest stream of anti-gay stuff from the Vatican and the Bishops. Now my mom has decided that I need to not be a practicing homo. So it's short visits and an open bedroom door when Sandy is at the house. But I have her guitar and some of her stuff in my room, because we've seen this coming."

"Oh, Crystal, I'm so sorry."

"What am I going to do, Carys? How can I take care of her?" Tears began leaking from Crystal's eyes.

"Tell her to come here," said Carys. "We'll figure something out. You can come here, too, any time you want."

"Like you have so much room, Carys."

"We have room for you and Sandy. Any time, Crystal."

"Thank you, Carys." Crystal shut her eyes to hold the tears in. "When Sandy calls me I'll pick her up and we'll come over there. At least we all can talk. Maybe you can help us figure out what to do. I'm going back home now and wait for Sandy to call."

In the apartment, Carys closed her cell. Jami and Tam were staring at her. She related what Crystal had said.

"I guess we knew this was a possibility," said Tam. "I always hope people can be reasonable and work things out, but I suppose that's wishful thinking."

"Sandy and Crystal have stayed here before," said Jami, thinking about the night after the protest earlier in the summer. That had been because Sandy didn't want to be around her parents.

"But they can't live here," said Carys. "This place is too small even for the three of us." [There's a floorplan in the extras.]

Jami sat up, pushing the covers down and fanning herself. "Then we'll move to a bigger place. With an air conditioner."

Tam grabbed hir underwear from beside the bed and put them on beneath the sheet. "A place big enough for five people, with some privacy. Sounds like a house."

Carys opened her cell again and dialed. "I think I'd better check on Emiko and Rachel, just in case we need room for more than five." She tried both numbers, frowning. Rachel's number didn't go through. She got Emiko's voicemail and left a message. She put the cell on the table and started to get dressed herself. "I suppose it won't hurt to see if anything is available in the way of houses. Mary might have some leads." Their landlord had said she'd help them when they decided they needed more space and wanted to move.

"So we're just going to find a place big enough for what, all of Wizzy Wig? Just like that?" said Jami.

"Okay," said Carys, sitting on the bed after pulling on her shorts. "Of course we need to talk about this, the three of us. But Jami, when I had to leave home, I could stay with you, because your parents are the most sensible people I've ever met. Sandy and Crystal don't have anywhere to go. Are we just going to let them end up on the street?"

"Is this our responsibility?" said Jami.

Carys stared at Jami.

Tam, now also dressed, sat back down on the bed, putting an arm around Jami. "Of course it's our responsibility. This is pay forward. This is how we make a better world."

"Oh, I'm not objecting," said Jami. "If we all agree, then let's do it. You know I have some money set aside. Let's just do it."

Carys took Jami's hand and smiled. "Of course we will. Let's get everyone together and talk. But we'll start looking, now."

* * *

Crystal came over in the early evening. She hadn't heard from Sandy, and Sandy wasn't answering her cell. "I'm getting worried, Carys."

"It's still early. She'll probably call soon."

"What if she doesn't?"

"Then tomorrow we'll go look for her."

"Tomorrow!"

"It's summer. It's warm and the night is short. I know. I've stayed out all night, before I met Jami. It's not hard to stay out one night."

Sandy never called. Crystal went home at eleven, to keep her parents happy. After she left, Tam looked at Carys. "There's no point in looking for Sandy tonight."

"No," agreed Carys. "But if we don't hear from her in the morning, I think we need to look, then call the police."

"Maybe she went home?" said Jami.

Carys shook her head. "She'd have called Crystal if she had done that, but I don't think that's going to happen. Growing up with your parents, Jami, I don't think you can quite understand just how bad 'going home' can be."

* * *

Crystal was back in the apartment at eight the next morning. She still hadn't heard from Sandy. They were sitting at the kitchen table trying to eat when Crystal's cell rang. She almost dropped it in her haste to answer. "Sandy!"

"Hey, lover. It's me." "Thank God! Where are you?" "In the library, with my cell plugged into the wall. I hadn't realized it had no charge until I checked it this morning. I'm sorry." "What did you do last night?" "Watched the stars and thought about you. I didn't figure much out, but I let go of an awful lot of stuff. The night sky is really amazing. There is so much out there that isn't me. It helps to know that." Crystal smiled. "I'm at the apartment. Should I come and pick you up?" "Yeh, I'm kind of hungry now. That would be good." "I'll be there in ten minutes." "Okay. I'll go out by the fountain and watch for you. And Crystal?"

"Yes?"

"I love you more than all the stars in the night sky."

To be continued...