Mark let himself into the cottage with a sigh. He fell back onto one of the easy chairs.
"Whatcha doin' home?" Roxy asked, coming out of the kitchen with a bag of chips.
"I just didn't feel like going out for food." he said "I'm not hungry."
"You sure that's it?" Roxy said stuffing the potato chips in her mouth. "Cuz... I have what's it... sick cents."
Mark raised his eyebrows. "You mean a sixth sense?"
"Yeah, that too," Roxy said. "You ain't the same since... them animals came after you."
Mark stood, beginning to pace. "Believe me. I realized that."
"So what is it?" Roxy said. "I know I probably ain't the right person to help. But I got two ears that work. So... let's see. Is this a relationship thing?" You got yourself a boyfriend?"
"Roxy!" Mark said.
"Is it that... Jason? Justin. You still going with him?"
"We went out once." Mark said. "He never called."
"So like a guy, not callin' when he says he will." Roxy shook her head. "So does that have you all bummed?"
"No," Mark said. "Look Roxy, forget it..."
"Wait, wait. I'm good at this guess game stuff. I still wanna play. So am I close? Is it boyfriend stuff?
Mark sighed. "Kinda... I guess."
"So you do have one. Or are you looking?" Roxy paused. "Hold on..." she took his face in her hands. "You've got one. I can tell by that look."
"That look... is my face being flattened. Roxy..." he gently pulled back from her.
"So what's his name?" Roxy smiled.
Mark pursed his lips. "You know, he's not... he's not out with anyone else yet and..."
"Got it! You want him to keep his animality." Mark raised his eyebrows, trying to wrap his mind around what Roxy just said. "You know. Keep who he is a secret."
"Anonymity. Right." Mark said.
"That's right." Roxy said. "So you having a fight or somethin'?"
"I don't know what it is." he said. "It's just this thing... with my hand and... he keeps saying that I need to get out and work around it. Help myself heal..."
"Sounds like a smart boy." Roxy said.
"I'm not getting any better" he said.
"Well... he sure thinks you can." Roxy said. "So now you turn you bottom around and you go meet him where ever you sent him by his lonesome." Mark went to protest. "Don't argue with the house momma." She gently slapped his cheek. "Go."
>>>>>>
Shannon sat in the square kicking her feet at the ground. Ron approached her slowly. He took a seat beside her, silent at first. "I don't like to talk about when I was a kid," she said softly.
"I didn't mean to push you." Ron said gently. "It's just something that... everytime it comes up, you flip out on me."
"It's not something I like to remember. I went to live with my Aunt after my father finally kicked it and that's all I want to think about."
"I can sense the animosity."
"I told you," Shannon said "He was a creep. My mom was dying and he was... boinking some other woman. She was such a great person and she could have been with like... any guy she wanted. But she 'loved' my dad. She 'loved' him so much. So she let him sleep around on her and she just sat back and took it when he'd... when he would slap her around." Shannon choked out the final words.
"Your father..." Ron said. "Shannon is that what you meant when you said 'he' broke the bones?" Shannon shook her head. "Shannon. What did he do to you?"
"Nothing" Shannon said.
"Did he hit you?" Ron pushed. "Is he the one who broke the bones?"
"Stop Ronnie," Shannon cried.
"Please tell me. Did he hit you?"
"I'm glad he's dead! I'm glad he's dead! When he died I didn't cry because he was disgusting. He was disgusting and... no matter how hard I tried I could get him to stop. I begged him..." Shannon shook. She couldn't keep from trembling. "I begged him every night but I couldn't get him to stop."
Ron moved closer to her, trying to control Shannon's shaking, her fear evident in her eyes. "What else did he do to you Shannon? He didn't just hit you. What did he do?"
Shannon shook her head, hysterical. "Nothing," Ron moved even closer. "Stop! Stop, Ron, stop it. Just stop!" Shannon got up and ran off, away from him.