Sisterhood Of Lake Alice by Mari M. Osmon

ladies room at Memorial Library and then flushed the ashes down the toilet.
    *
    Emily had planned on surprising Danny by renting a small apartment near campus for the two of them. She dreamed about fixing it up to be a cozy place for them. When she finally shared her idea with Danny, he was outraged. He called her a selfish little princess. He told her that her money was needed at the Mifflin house. All they needed was a small bedroom, which would also serve as their headquarters for organizing the demonstrations.
    At last, Danny agreed that they could move into a bigger bedroom in the back of the house. The room had a mattress on the floor and a small metal desk and lawn chair in the corner where Emily could study. She soon discovered that she had a strong desire to become a journalist. Studying became impossible in the house, so she spent hours at the library. Danny was often gone on trips to help organize other college campuses. He was always welcomed home with a hero’s greeting from the others.
    Maxie had moved into the house as well. She kept Emily company while Danny was out solving the problems of the world. She was Emily’s only true friend. Maxie warned her to watch out for some of the people that stayed in the house. She often told Emily not to come home until late because of the wild parties, drugs, and trouble.
    *
    Nothing changed for the next three years, except that the parties became more out of control. The demonstrations had several times turned violent. The police were always driving past the house, keeping their eyes open for any trouble. Almost everyone in the house had been arrested a few times for everything from illegal trespassing to drug possession.
    The house was in a constant state of turmoil, filth, and people. Emily went from being repelled by all of it to feeling like a powerful leader. Her emotions ranged from a high when she was recognized, to complete depression when she did not sleep or study for days because of the partying. Her only refuge was the Memorial Library, which was always beautiful, clean, and quiet.
    Danny and Emily remained a couple. When he was there, she never left his side. Danny continued to teach her how to work the crowd and often wrote her speeches. Emily enjoyed being a passionate speaker. It was always Danny who picked the issues. They had been arrested six times. With each arrest, they wore their probations like a badge of courage. Emily was known as fearless—willing to take a strong stance on any issue. She had stood in front of buses that she accused of polluting the lungs of innocent children and cut her hair off as a symbol of protest in front of a drugstore that sold Playboy magazine. She sprayed red paint on the sidewalk in front of the dean of students’ office after he refused to let her speak about women’s rights.
    Yet, back in the shabby little bedroom, Emily was weak, disconnected, and longed to be cared for by Danny. She knew she had become his puppet. She was willing to accept Danny’s terms for whatever love meant to him. She had nowhere to go. Whatever Danny wanted from Emily, she gave to him.
    *
    In the beginning of her senior year, she took some of her secret money to start an underground newspaper called One Voice. The paper was quickly noticed by school officials, who banned it on campus. The action drew the attention of the media, and soon there were stories on television and radio stations through the state. Danny immediately jumped in front of the cameras, claiming the paper was his idea. He swore to bring a lawsuit for violation of his constitutional rights. The press kept the story going for months. It made Danny Driscoll a spokesperson for the radical community.
    Emily was outraged that Danny had taken credit for her paper. Yet at the same time, she was relieved that her picture had not appeared in any of the articles. It was the first time that she realized she no longer trusted Danny. She became withdrawn and depressed. All the others