Wait until the music's over

27. Boys don't cry

I know I shouldn't interfere, actually when Angie told Jerry she was about to go out and talk to him I didn't turn a hair. But if only that jerk dares making the wrong move, I swear I'm gonna punch him square in his fucking face. I look out the window and there he is, walking out of the phone booth to his car. What if he's thinking about driving her somewhere to talk to her? No fuckin' way! Angie isn't that stupid, she'll never go anywhere with him, right? Well, if she ever gave in for a second, I'd help her return to her senses... I'd go out and punch Jerry in his fucking face. Strangely enough, all my thoughts end up the same way. Maybe it's because I've been itching to thump him since when Angela told me what had happened. Well, I was itching to kill Jerry already when I saw him with that chick... Actually, there's a little voice inside my head that keeps telling me I've been wanting to kick his ass since the day I found out he and Angie were back together... but I guess I'd better ignore that voice. In the meantime Jerry lights up a cigarette, rests his ass on the hood of his car and with his free hand he's playing with something, maybe keys. If you think that a cool pose is enough to save yourself you're way off, my friend. When he stands up and takes a few cautious steps towards the front door I realize Angie's arrived. She gets into my sight soon after, I see her from behind, with the blue pajamas springing out from the hem of her coat; she stops at a safe distance from Jerry and apparently folds her arms. Jerry starts talking, nervously gesticulating, while Angela's probably urging him with questions or insults. I hope for the second ones. As the conversation, or the quarrel, goes on, Jerry's tall and slender figure seems to stoop more and more, maybe under the burden of Angela's accusations or of his responsibilities, which she's finally forcing him to face. Or maybe because he's just trying to get closer to her and make eye contact, whereas it seems she's looking away. All of a sudden I see the guitarist lift his head up, abruptly, as if he was hurt or something, then he looks around and shakes his head, before opening his mouth again with a shrug. I guess Angela didn't like what he said, because with a quick move she walks up to her ex boyfriend (Ex? Yeah, I think I can say he's an ex, I mean, it's over now, isn't it? At least, I hope so... for her of course) and gives him a big slap on his face. From the width of her gesture and from his reaction, I can say it was both hard and unexpected. I bet if the window was open, I'd have heard the slap noise too. And that would have just increased my delight. Jerry keeps a hand on his hurt cheek, while Angie's railing against him, I guess. He tries to say something, then lets his arm fall down along his side and basically freezes. The girl looks at his face and I think she's spitting out all her anger, at some point I have the impression I can even hear her scream, whereas his attempts at defending himself seem to get weaker. The noise of the fully rewound videotape stopping in the videorecorder makes me snap out of my thoughts and brings me back to reality for a moment. I realize what I'm doing: I'm spying on a couple fighting, a private matter. That's not fair at all. I'm about to walk away from the window when I see something that suddenly inspires me primordial homicidal instincts: that motherfucker grabs her arm and pulls her sharply towards him. She tries to walk away but he tugs at her even more. She pushes him away trying to wiggle out of him, but he holds her tight from the collar of her coat with both hands.

I've seen enough.

I storm out of the apartment, with the specific intent to break that asshole's bones with my bare hands. I beat every record of stairs descent of a four storey building, but when I'm almost at the front door, the scene I witness is much different from what I was expecting: Jerry's on the ground, whereas Angie's standing up and yelling at him.

"I can't be without you" those are the words I hear him say, now clearly.

"It seems you're good at that though" she retorts, turning around and taking a couple of steps towards the glass door. I can barely step back in a dark spot in the lobby not to be seen.