Margo

it was a few hrs. later and we were in a coffee shop jen holding a cold drink to her eye. My dad had hit her.

"i don't want my girls to see this. They, can't know," she said.

"i understand," I said: "i mean I don't have children-"

and I wasn't sure I ever would w/ the way my ED was going -

"- so I don't fully get it. But er so I somewhat get it. You want somethin to eat?" I said.

It was the least I could do after she'd taken the fall for me.

"no but you probably should eat something hon."

I smiled at the endearment.

"i um can't i'm not-"

"really? bc."

"jennifer," I said stopping her.

"oh ok. And my mom can't know either. Not now not when she's..."

"ya know i've never met your mom."

"yeah she's in the hospital. And this isn't recent or anything been in there for awhile. She's um she's sick."

"oh," was all I said.

"shit and I owe mrs. owens more money since she's working extra tonight. And i-"

"hey. If you need me to I can skip lessons."

jen looked at me moving the drink onto the table: "margo please no don't do that to yourself. Or to me. I know how badly you want that part you rehearse most of the damn er I mean the time most time jorda's told me."

" ."

I felt uncomfortable w/ this.

At that moment jordan and john burst into the coffee shop.

"omygod. I am so so sorry about this," my brother said coming over and hugging jen: "i knew he had a temper but I never thought he...oh god."

"oh shit margo are you ok?" john asked as jordan pulled up a chair.

"it was for margo actually. And baby what happened to you?" jen asked looking at my brother who was getting quite the bruise himself.

"hey, john," john said introducing himself to jen.

"hey jennifer but everyone calls me jen. Girlfriend of jordan's nice to meet you," she said.

"yeah you too friend of margo's."

jen pushed the drink toward jordan: "here you need this more than I do right now."

"hey can we get some-?" john began.

"not that kindof place hon. I'll get it," I said standing to get another cold beverage for jen.

" 'hon' ," john repeated.

"what?" I asked smiling.

"it's nice to hear you call me that."

"oh."

I went to the counter and got a cold beverage for jen.

"um. Well your dad was over and margo and I were out front. And we didn't know where the hell you were but it sure was taking you a long time to get back," jen said.

"i know fuk i-" jordan said already feeling bad and drained.

"here eye it'll help," jen ordered handing the cold to jordan: "also w/ your emotions."

"um thanks," he said as the cold seeped in.

"i'm a mom I know this. Um so anyway," jen continued: "so he was going for margo but I stepped in. and, this is what happened."

"jen you...i wow. I'd be upset w/ you but I don't think that would help. I just um wow."

"no iknow it was stupid. Thing is though i'm starting to think of your family as my own. Which reminds me how's my mom?"

"which reminds me I news about that which we'll talk about later."

"oh. Um ok."

"so where's he now? He at the house?" jen asked.

"no I took his keys away. Probably at some bar or something somewhere," my brother said.

"oh. Um ok."

"margo are you?" john said inspecting my face.

"no he didn't um.i'm not hure if that's what you mean," I answered.

"oh."

my ankle hurt and I made a face.

"what?" john asked.

"we'll talk about it later."

"uh ok."