Chapter 16: Distress
Mark walked into the Life Café, staring at the ground. After easily finding Nannette's table, he sat down across form her.
"Marky, what's wrong?" she asked, with an anxious look on her face, "you're face is so red!"
"I've been out since two," he told her, playing with his thumbnail.
"Mark, its six o'clock!" she reached over and grabbed his hand, "Are you ok?"
He pulled it away. "I don't think so," he said honestly.
"What's wrong?" she asked again, with worry heavy in her voice.
He didn't answer, or look even at her. He stared into his lap, and tears began to fall. He sucked in a breath, and shook his head, looking up.
"It's Maureen," he choked out.
Nannette's attitude cooled with the sound of that name. She became more angry than upset, and jutted her jaw. "What did she do?" she asked.
"It's," he said, shaking his head again, "it's nothing like that."
"Then what?" she pried, getting annoyed. He noticed her attitude, and clenched his jaw.
"My ex-girlfriend has AIDS!" he shouted, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Oh God," Nannette muttered, covering her hand with her hand.
"Yeah," Mark responded, "that's what's freaking me out."
"But why is it freaking you out so much?"
He looked up at her, almost horrified. "What?"
"You said yourself," she told him defensively, "that she was your ex-girlfriend."
"And?"
"And," Nannette continued, angry, "so why are you stuck on her?"
"Stuck on her?" Mark yelled, standing up so quickly that he knocked his chair over. Hot tears blurred his vision, but he was fuming so greatly that he didn't care. "You think I'm stuck on her?" he was drawing attention, and Nannette began to regret saying anything. "Nannette, she's dying! Everyone is dying! Soon, it'll be me! Just me!"
He stomped out of the restaurant.