Sisterhood Of Lake Alice (8 page)

Both of them knew that this time, they would be parting for good. Each of them was headed to a new life, miles and miles apart. The only difference was that now Emily knew that Isabel was happy. She was exactly where she should be. Emily asked Isabel, “Promise me that you will also find happiness and that you will invite me to your wedding, whenever that takes place.”

On the flight home, Emily knew that she had just closed a chapter in her life. Isabel would never be a part of it again. However, she had no regrets. She would be forever grateful for all the love, care, and time Isabel had given to her. Now it was time to grow up and move on to college.

*

After a long flight, followed by a two-hour limo ride from Minneapolis to Fergus Falls, Emily stepped out of the car and into the arms of Grace, Lindy, and Rebecca. The girls planned to spend the last two weeks of the summer together. They slept over in Emily’s room every night and were inseparable. They laughed, giggled, and teased each other. Occasionally, they started crying at the thought of how much they were going to miss each other. It was difficult to imagine a day without the four of them being together. Sharing their life secrets had become an important part of their friendship. In many ways, they were closer to each other than sisters were.

Emily, Lindy, and Rebecca went shopping for the last few things on their school list, while Grace tagged along in silence. Grace had taken the time off work so she could spend the time with them. However, she was shocked at how painful it was for her. Each night when they went to bed, she cried herself to sleep. Life without the Sisterhood was going to be impossible.

Lindy and Rebecca also had mixed feelings about leaving behind the comforts and love of their homes. Rebecca had her first argument with her mother when she announced, instead of asking, that she was staying at Emily’s house the last two weeks before leaving for school. Both her mother and grandmother were hurt. Rather than making a scene, they told themselves that it was time they get used to not having Rebecca around. Lindy’s parents had already gone through leaving-the-nest behavior with their two older children. They tried to understand that Lindy needed to be with her friends, but they also felt hurt. Lindy had always been the center of their attention. She had given them both so much joy. They were going to miss her loud music and singing at all hours of the day and night.

*

Before they knew it, the two weeks had gone by and they were spending their last night together. They had spent days at Pebble Lake getting great tans. They partied at Ottertail Lake with their other classmates and drank their first beers. Their last evening together was bittersweet. Emily had ordered a special meal from the Chinese restaurant. She chilled two bottles of wine for them to celebrate. They all decided to dress up for the evening in their prom dresses. As each of them entered the dining room, lit by candlelight, Emily greeted each of them with a long-stemmed yellow rose, a symbol of friendship. Gently she placed a small tiara made of rhinestones on each of their heads.

They sat at the table in silence for a few moments. Then, Lindy gave each of the girls a framed photo of them singing at their last state competition, where they received first place. The bright, gaudy stones and ribbons surrounding the picture made them all laugh. Rebecca had made a small scrapbook for each of them with special photos and funny stories. Grace gave each of them a heart-shaped locket with a tiny photo of them inside. On the back was engraved, “The Sisterhood of Lake Alice
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After dinner, Emily led them outside to the weeping willow tree in the backyard. There was an old quilt spread out under the tree and eight beautifully wrapped gifts, candles, and more wine. Each girl had two gifts with her name on them. As they all took their regular spots in the circle, they seemed lost in the memories of all they had shared under this tree. They had learned the facts of life from Lindy under this tree. They had held Rebecca as she told them about her heartless father. They had comforted Emily after Isabel had left. They had listened to Grace talk about the love for her brother, Denny, while she questioned why she had been spared.

Finally, Emily told them to open their good-bye gifts. Inside the first package was a stunning handmade quilt of bright colors and expensive squares of silk and satin. Each quilt was different. In the middle of the quilt, their names were embroidered. Enclosed was a personal letter from Isabel congratulating them on their graduation and sharing some of her special memories and a wish for a happy future. They clung to their quilts and cried as they read Isabel’s sentimental letter. The second package was a gift from Emily. Each of them had a Norwegian sweater; all of them were the same except their initials, which were embroidered on the right pocket. Even though it was a hot, humid evening, all four girls put on the heavy sweaters and toasted each other. They toasted each other that all of their dreams would come true.

That night, they all slept cuddled in their new, special quilts. They dreamed about what the future held for them. In the morning, before they left for their homes, they made a solemn vow to always stay connected to each other. They promised to write once a month with news of their new lives. Then, as though it had been planned, they joined hands and sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” with tears streaming down their faces. It was time to leave and begin their new beginnings.

Chapter Six
 

Emily

Emily’s parents arrived home a few hours after the girls had left. Her mother immediately went to their bedroom, claiming to be ill with a severe headache. Emily was packing the last of her things when her father came into her room. He sat on her bed and told her, “Your mother continues to be extremely upset with your choice of college. I have decided that it is best not to upset her any more than necessary. Therefore, I think that you should drive yourself to Madison. Here is a packet with a map and directions from AAA and an envelope with $500. Your private dorm room at Chadbourne Hall is waiting for you. I opened a bank account for you, and there will be money deposited each month for your expenses. If you find that it is not enough, just call me and I will increase the amount.”

After her father left, Emily sat on her window seat, looking at the weeping willow tree. Her father would never know that all she ever needed from him was just a little love and acceptance. She knew in her heart that when she left the next day, her life was going to take a dramatic turn. She also knew with certainty that whatever her new life was to be, her parents would not be a part of it. She was done feeling rejected for no reason other than she had survived while her twin brother had not.

She wrote a letter to her parents telling them how miserable she had been in this beautiful, sterile house. She told them that she did not intend to return to see them. Now they could consider themselves free of her. She vowed to leave all the pain behind tomorrow in the house that overlooked Lake Alice and start fresh. Hello, new world—Emily Larson is on the way!

*

It was a five-hour drive to Madison, Wisconsin. As she crossed the Mississippi River, which divides Minnesota and Wisconsin, she took a deep breath. For some strange reason, she began to smile. She was on her way in her bright red VW convertible to a new life.

Madison was a beautiful college town with two large lakes right in the middle of the campus. More than 30,000 students were on the campus, which was spread over acres of rolling hills. There were quaint old buildings on Beacon Hill surrounded by new, sleek, high-rise dorms. It was a campus of contrast and excitement. As Emily parked her car at Chadbourne Hall, she looked around at a sea of strangers. She watched as the other girls and their parents wheeled large carts of their belongings into the dorm. She watched all the laughter, love, and tears that were on display by both parents and their daughters. She seemed to be the only person with no one to share the excitement of her first day of college.

Emily quickly found her room on the first floor and moved in the few things that she had brought with her. She had a private room and bath, which was usually reserved for the dorm’s housemothers. Emily had no idea how her parents had arranged it, but she knew that she would probably be embarrassed if she found out. The room had been stripped of the normal dorm furniture and replaced with a new oak bed, dresser, desk, TV, stereo, and loveseat. She had a small refrigerator stocked with her favorite drinks and a closet full of new clothes. There were plants on the windowsill, silk drapes on the windows, and a large, expensive Persian rug on the floor. The room looked more like a plush hotel room than a freshman’s first dorm room. She vowed it was the last time this was going to happen.

*

Emily sat alone, listening to all the commotion that filled the hallways. Soon, it was replaced with giggles and the sound of doors opening and closing. She suddenly felt the need to get outside and go for a walk. As she opened her door, she ran into a group of girls standing outside her room. It was obvious that they were talking about her. Emily smiled and introduced herself. Next, she apologized for her overprotective and indulgent parents.

A pixie-looking girl named Maxie laughed and invited her to come with them to the welcome party. By the time dinner was over, Emily felt part of a new circle of friends. She invited them back into her room, which they had all been dying to see. It was quickly decided that this would become the official gathering place for the #1 girls who lived on the first floor of this all-girls dorm.

Maxie turned out to be a “wild child,” as she had officially named herself. She talked the girls into escaping after curfew by crawling out their windows. She quickly introduced them to smoking and drinking. Within a few weeks, Emily was hanging out at a house on Mifflin Street. The large, unkempt house was home to more than twenty odd characters. The unofficial commune for wayward hippies was a place with no rules, lots of drinking, drugs, and wild parties that seemed to go on all day and all night.

At first, Emily was shocked at the open atmosphere. She stood out from everyone else with her plaid skirts and matching sweater sets. Maxie finally took her shopping on State Street for new clothes. Emily went from prim and proper to sloppy and relaxed. She wore long gauze skirts, baggy men’s shirts, and sandals. She stopped shaving her legs and armpits. Instead of setting her hair in rollers each night, she had hundreds of tiny braids all over her head. She changed her diamond stud earrings for long, dangling beads.

Her old SOLA friends would have never recognized her. She thrived on the freedom of her newfound friends. Maxie and Emily often skipped classes, spending the days drinking at the Mifflin house. Instead of As, she settled for Cs with little effort at studying. She was not completely happy; however, she did enjoy the escape from her past overly protected life. The only thing that gave her any worry was how often her new friends asked her for money. She never denied a request; however, at times she was beginning to feel as though they were using her. She still was not completely comfortable with the drugs or sex. Nevertheless, she had learned to go with the flow.

She began to sneak out of the house when things got too wild. She would go back to the quiet of her dorm room, where she still felt safe. Her parents sent her an occasional letter from their latest vacation spot but never talked about coming for a visit.

*

During her second semester at UW, the Mifflin gang decided it would be fun to become activists. After a lively discussion, they decided that their cause would be protesting the Vietnam War. It started with small rallies held on Beacon Hill and in the nearby parks. After several months of carrying banners and homemade posters, they decided it was time to get more serious. They had all come to enjoy the attention they received at rallies.

A local man named Danny Driscoll was invited to the house to speak to the group. As Emily sat on the floor listening to his passionate speech, she was intrigued. He was handsome in a rugged, unkempt way, with curly red hair and deep blue eyes. Throughout his talk, his eyes often drifted toward Emily. Even with her new style, she still stood out from the crowd. There were moments when he seemed to be talking only to her. In that instant, she became his follower. She had fallen under the spell of a radical man with a radical way of life.

Within weeks, Emily and Danny became a couple. They spent hours sitting on the front porch discussing all the injustice of the world. They talked about how they had the power to change things. At the large rallies, Emily always stood at Danny’s side. She was proud to be there. She added her voice to his many causes. He introduced her to sex, drugs, and the life of a radical. He told her how important she could be in leading a women’s group. Danny talked her into selling her TV, stereo, and eventually most of her furniture and expensive clothes to support the latest cause. Emily was now spending all of her money to support the Mifflin gang. She had earned the respect of others because of her relationship with Danny. She had even led some successful sit-ins on her own. With Danny’s coaching, she was also becoming a powerful leader. She vowed to be fearless. She dedicated herself to causes that Danny told her were important.

With strong encouragement from Danny, Emily became a spokesperson for their women’s group. She boldly stood in the front of a picket line at a local coffee shop that had refused them service because of their wild behavior. When a police officer confronted the group, without thinking, Emily picked up a chair and threw it, breaking the large plate-glass window. She was immediately arrested. After three days, she was released and paid the $1,000 fine plus damages. Her story quickly spread throughout the campus. Emily became a celebrity. She had a reputation for being a woman who was not afraid of anything. Danny enjoyed her newfound status. He continued to teach her how to get a crowd worked up and how to get them to follow her every wish. Emily became very comfortable with the power she felt.