We have our disagreements, but we always understand each other.

Kathy

The silence in the car is stiff. Two-bit knows why I'm mad at him and it has nothing to do with him being 15 minutes late to pick me up. Again.

I found a tightly rolled poster of a pin-up girl in his glove compartment tucked behind some old car magazines. He knows how I feel about that. And what's worse is that he hid it.

"Kath. Are you really mad?"

"What do you think Two-bit? You know I hate stuff like that." Two-bit always calls me a feminist. I guess I am too. I have a lot of reasons to be. Besides the obvious that I'm a woman. It's not fair that I'm held to a higher standard than men, and they get to be great by being mediocre.

"I know you do, but it's a harmless photo."

"You know better Two. There's always a new story out about how Hollywood trick these women into poor contracts. Why do you need to look at a picture of a half naked woman anyway?"

"It's a guy thing Kath."

"It's a scum bag thing Keith."

We were silent for a few minutes before Two-bit pulled over into an empty parking lot. He just looked at me.

"I know it's not a good thing to do Kathy. I have a sister and a mom-" I elbowed him.

"And you. I don't want to be a scum bag. I don't want to be the type of guy that women are afraid of. Honestly, I was only looking."

"I know that Two-bit. It's just that when you look at those pictures. You don't really see a woman. They don't even advertise her as a woman. She's a product. A product that's being used to make men more money. I don't want you to see women as things. Things to be used up."

Two-bit knows why this is so important to me. I don't even have to explain it. Situations like this remind me of my dad. I'm not really sure how to feel about him and it worries me. I don't want to be in the position my mom is in. Thinking my dad is a good man because he's what society says is a good man. He works and he doesn't cheat. Most of the time he's okay. I think. It's just that sometimes he hits my mom. He doesn't do it often. Just every once in a while. The next day it's never spoken of and they go back to the status quo.

It's frustrating when I think about it. The things he gets mad at her over are things she can't even control. When I was little and would get sick he blamed her. When a bill wasn't missed he blamed her. Even though he is the only one with access to his money. My mom doesn't work. He doesn't let her. He wants to be the sole provider. He says it's a man's job.

He rarely ever yells, but his silence is so loud. My mom will try to talk to him sometimes at the dinner table when he's in a bad mood and he'll just pretend like he doesn't hear her. It's humiliating. Then she'll spend the rest of the night babying him until he comes around. His goal is to make her feel guilty about him having a bad day at work. He's good at it.

He's never hit me. Not ever. Not even almost. And that's what gets me. What if he could be a better husband if society didn't tell him he had the right to hit his wife for being "disobedient"? I don't want to make excuses for him, but I don't know. Most of the times he's okay. I think.

"Kathy. I'm not gonna turn into your dad." Two-bit was serious again. Like I said, he knows my story like I know his. I got a good one when I got Two-bit. Maybe because he's raised by his mom, but he agrees when I say women and men should be paid the same. Maybe its because he has a sister, but he understands when I say guys should get harsher punishments for rape. Maybe it's because he knows Johnny's dad that he tells me he will never hit me.

Whatever it is. I'm grateful. I'll never tell Two-bit, but I'm grateful for Johnny the most. I won't tell him because he might not understand it, but I'm grateful that he sees Mr. Cade and doesn't want to become him. That he sees how it effects the entire family.

That's why when I get paid I sometimes will give Two-bit money to buy Johnny lunch. I know he's never told Johnny. Johnny is proud. He wouldn't like it very much. The first time I did it, Two-bit just smiled at me. It was the brightest smile he'd ever given me. It was also the first time he told me I knew the score.

"I believe you Two-bit. Just get rid of the picture okay?" He broke into a smile.

"Deal."

We were in a comfortable silence until Two-bit broke it with his singing.

"Kathy and Keith sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Anyone on the outside looking in could only hear our laughter fill the car.