Just Say No

I have always wondered how the world can be such a hostile place when there are so many nice people everywhere.

“Hey, How is the article coming?” Brody came up behind her while pulling on a tight vintage t-shirt.

“Not so good. I am stuck. The only thing I’ve got going for me right now is that I still have all week to get it done.”

“Why don’t you come out with me tonight? It might help you clear your head. You can drink away your writer’s block.”

“Yeah. I think I’ll do that.” Jane kissed her boyfriend chastely before shutting off her computer.

When Brody and Jane entered the swank jazz club they immediately spotted Lisa, Jane’s best friend, sitting with the new friend they had been hearing oh so much about. They made their way through the smartly dressed crowd.

“Jane! Hi! It’s good to see you, I didn’t think you’d be coming out tonight.” The two women embraced each other for a quick moment.

“I wasn’t getting much work done anyway so Brody convinced me to come out with him.”

“Ah, well I must thank you for that, Brody.” He nodded in her direction.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?”

“Right! Jane, Brody, this is Kate. Kate, this is Jane and Brody.”

“Hello, it’s nice to meet both of you.” Kate shook hands with the both of them.

“Yes, we’ve heard so much about you. I was beginning to wonder if we would every meet the infamous Kate.” Brody touched Jane lightly on the arm and then nodded in the direction of the bar.

“We’re going to go get something to drink. Do you two want anything?”

“No thanks, I think we’re good with what we’ve got for now.” Brody nodded and the two walked off. Lisa and Kate sat watching them for a moment.

“That’s kind of odd.”

“What is?”

“You say those two have been going out for almost two year yet they barely touch each other.”

“Oh Kate, turn the psychologist off for the night and have some fun.”

“I’m just saying Jane’s body language is kind of funny for someone who is so clearly in love.”

That night when they returned to their apartment, Brody and Jane were both buzzing. Brody started to get changed right in front of her. Jane grabbed her night gown and went into the bathroom to change as usual.

“So Jane, my honey bunny, the love of my life. Would you like to have some fun with me tonight?”

“What kind of fun are we talking about?” She called back from the bathroom.

“I was thinking maybe we could go for a romp around the bedroom.”

“Oh, not tonight, honey. I’m not really in the mood.” She said coming out of the bathroom.

“You are never in the mood.” He said glumly sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I can count on two hands the times we’ve actually been intimate. It was okay at first but we’ve been going out for almost two years. This isn’t normal. I can’t even touch you unless you let me. I can’t take it any more.” Jane just stood gapping at him. She didn’t know what to make of all that he was saying. She hoped that he wasn’t going where she thought he was with this.

“I love you, Jane, I honestly do. But there are somethings I need that I’m not getting out of this relationship. I don’t even know why you are like this. Is it that you don’t trust me?”

“I trust you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Then what is it?” He was close to yelling. She just stood staring at him, not able to say anything. “You can tell me. I’m not going to judge you.” She didn’t know where to start. Memories were flashing through her mind and none of them were pleasant. Five years of repressed memories were bubbling to the surface now and she couldn’t cope with it all. Tears started pouring down her face.

“If you don’t want to tell me than fine. I’m leaving.” She said shaking his head. “I’ll never understand you, Jane.” She sunk to the floor as he got dressed again and started packing a few of his things. He didn’t take much. He just wanted to get away from her stare. She could do nothing but watch him leave her forever. She felt powerless.

The phone was ringing. It was ten in the morning and Jane was looking around the apartment as though for the first time. She was still in her night gown. Her make-up and hair was still done up from last night and she still smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. It took her a couple seconds to realize what had woken her up. She got up from where she had been curled up on the floor and made her way into the kitchen. She kept looking over her shoulder half expecting someone to jump out at her. Just as the answering machine was about to pick up she answered.

“Hello? Who is this?” Her voice was panicky.

“Jane, it’s me. Lisa.”

“Oh! Hi.” Relief flooded her mind.

“What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Kate and I saw Brody checking into a hotel last night. Is everything okay?” Jane heard a noise coming from outside that made her jump and duck down behind the counter.

“Did you hear that?!”

“Hear what? Are you okay? Tell me what’s going on.”

“Brody’s gone.”

“What do you mean he’d gone? Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know. Said he couldn’t be with me any more.”

“Are you there all alone?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you come stay with me for a while.”

“Can’t. Have to finish my article.” She was clinging to the cubbards now.

“all right. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

“Bye.” Jane hung up. She looked around. There were lots of windows. Why did there have to be so many windows. She crawled along the ground until she was under one of the windows. One by one she closed the blinds and the drapes until the apartment was completely dark. She sighed in relief but it would end all too soon.

Lisa did know what else to do so she decided to call Brody and find out his side of the story. Maybe she could clear all of this up. She dialed the number of her cell and waited for him to pick up.

“Hello?”

“Hey Brody, it’s Lisa.”

“Hey Lisa, what’s up?”

“Not much. I was just wondering what happened between you and Jane last night.”

“I take it you’ve talked to Jane then already.”

“Yeah. I didn’t get much out of her though.”

“Join the club. She never lets me touch her and I don’t know why. She never tells me when I ask.”

“I guess she’s never told you about Bobby.”

“Who is Bobby?”

Someone knocked at the door making Jane freeze. When the knocking stopped she ran over to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. The knocking was louder this time making her jump. The knife sliced her accidentally but she didn’t notice.

“Jane! Are you in there? Open the door!”

Lisa sighed. This may take a while she thought.

“Bobby was the guy she dated before you. Things were pretty serious. They had been dating for five years and were even engaged.”

“So what happened.”

“Well, Bobby was in the army and he got shipped out a couple months before you met Jane.”

“I don’t see what the big secret is.”

“Well, you see, Bobby wasn’t exactly the nicest person in the world.”

There was a loud crash and the door burst open. There stood Bobby, his face flushed with anger. He stomped loudly into the apartment.

“Where are you Jane? Come greet your conquering hero!” His shouting made her shake. The neighbors could hear him all the way down the hall and were calling the cops. Jane stood up to face him. After years of repression her anger was finally reaching the surface. This was why she had lost Brody, the best thing in her life?

“What do you want, Bobby?” She demanded.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“No. Go away.”

“How come you didn’t write? Didn’t you get any of my letters.”

“Bobby, I mean it. Get out of here!” She screamed at him. He only stepped closer.

“What do you mean, he wasn’t very nice.”

“Jane never said anything about this but Bobby used to beat her. I think she’s still in denial about it. I think that’s why she never let you get close. She was just protecting herself.”

“Shit. I had no idea. I feel like such a jerk now.”

“It’s not your fault. I mean, how were you supposed to know?”

“So where is that bastard now?”

“Not a clue. I suppose he would have been sent back home by now but I haven’t heard anything about it. You should go talk to Jane though. She’s never really been on her own before. I don’t think she can handle it.”

“Don’t you love me, baby? We were going to get married.”

“The day you shipped out was the best day of my life. Don’t you know what you’ve done to me? It’s like I’m not even a woman any more. I lost the one person I love more than anything because of you!” He kept getting closer. She tried to keep the counter between them but he just walked around it. When he got close enough she swung the knife at him. He was about to attack her back when two police officers entered the apartment. They restrained him before he could do anything.

“What’s going on here?” The first officer asked.

“That man broke into my apartment and tried to attack me.” She stated bluntly, the contempt was clear in her voice.

“That’s not true! I just wanted to see her. She’s the one who started yelling at me.”

“Do you know this man?” The second officer asked.

“Yes. He used to be my fiancé. He used to beat me too.”

“Is that true?” The first officer asked Bobby.

“She’s lying! She has no proof!”

“I have plenty of proof.” She went into the bedroom and pulled out a box from under her bed. In the box were Polaroid's of all the bruises, cuts and other injuries Bobby had given her. She showed these to the officers. The officers took her statement and then told her to come to the station the next day about pressing charges. They cuffed Bobby and led him away.

Brody arrived at the apartment to find the place a mess. On the kitchen counter he found a bloody knife and the Polaroid's. As he went through all the pictures he was filled with horror and guilt. With each picture he grew increasingly anxious. He didn’t know what had happened. He couldn’t understand why there was blood on the knife or what these pictures were doing there. He put the pictures down and went to find her. She was in the bathroom bandaging up the cut she had given herself earlier.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly, leaning against the door frame.

“Never better.” She turned to him with a smile that he did not expect.

“Listen, I’m sorry I left like I did last night. I guess I let the booze get to my head.”

“No.” She said hugging him. “I’m sorry I never told you.”

I have always wondered how the world can be such a hostile place when there are so many nice people everywhere. I guess it’s because nice people aren’t as aggressive as the mean ones. A lot has happened to me this week. It made me realize that being nice doesn’t get you anywhere unless you can say no. I let a man walk all over me for five years. This week I finally got to tell him no. No, he can’t treat me like that. No, I am not weak. No, I don’t need him. It’s the best thing I have ever done. So to all you women out there: You don’t have to put up with anyone treating you like dirt. Just say no.