Moose and Goose

Chapter Eighty-four

"Yeah," she says in a whisper. He sits in the chair behind him and stares at the radio. Throughout their on-again-off-again friendship, he didn't mention his body or anything regarding it. Naturally, Judy had questions, but never wanted to ask.

"The bullying made me eat more and I couldn't walk the stage, because of my weight," he continues. "When I was accepted into Darlington University, I exercised three times a day and I may not look like Leroy Colbert, but if you saw me before –"

"I believe you," she interrupts him and as he takes a deep breath, they soul gaze. "I'm sorry for what I said. I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out who to trust and who to ignore."

"Well, I never hit you, so I don't see why it's so hard to believe me." Judith rolls her eyes onto the door. "What? It's true, he can beat and force sex on you, and you take his word as gospel."

"It's not as black and white as you think." He raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. "David's violent because his uncle is. He told me he saw his uncle hit his aunt and when he called the police for her, she denied it and when the police left, she watched his uncle beat him."

"As sad as that is, it doesn't change anything," he says, and she draws her inner cheek between her teeth. "I've seen stuff at parties in Justin's dorm, but I never reenacted what I saw."

"Stuff like what," Judith asks and he shakes his head.

"It doesn't matter." Jerome pushes himself to his feet. "My point is that David's gonna do as much as you'll allow him to. As much as I wanna knock him into next year, I'd only be like him, and you'd be the same way if you fought him."

"So, he can hit me and what, I turn the other cheek," she asks rhetorically with air quotes that he doesn't notice. She scoffs incredulously. "How many cheeks will I have left if he punches the other one? Sorry, but that's bullshit. I let him get away with a lot, I know, but I'm done."

"The expression isn't about turning your face to give them another punching bag, it's saying to turn your back to them," he clarifies, and she leaves her lips agape. "And if he hits you, obviously you hit him back, but words are just that. Remember when you hit him, and I told you not to do that?"

"Yeah, and you didn't even understand what was going on," she starts to explain herself, but he lifts his right index to his lips.

"He didn't touch you, is my point," he calmly says, lowering his arm.

"Yeah, because you were there. He's afraid of you." Jerome sits his hands in his pockets and shrugs, pouting his bottom lip.

"Maybe that's true, but if you gained a few pounds, he'll probably be afraid of you too. Ever wonder why he wants you to be frail," he asks while raising an eyebrow and when she doesn't respond, he says, "It's because the smaller you are, the easier it is to overpower you. I'm not saying you should look like Jonathan Pillsbury, but a drape on a canopy isn't better."

"Very funny," she sarcastically says with a dry, forced chuckle. Her response draws a smile on his face, and he lowers his head to hide it, but she notices. "I'll think about it. It's not as easy as you think."

"All I heard was I'll think about it." They look at the door as it opens, their smiles fading when they see David locking arms with Mary. "Hey, get out. Both of you!"

"No, it's fine." Judith and Jerome share a glance. His eyebrows are lowered as he stares into her soft dark browns, and he follows her gaze to David. "What're you doing here?"

"Sheryl told me you're here. I went by your house because Michelle said she saw Ken Norton here," he says while glaring at Jerome who rolls his eyes. Mary tightens her fingers around David's arm, clinging to the bend of his elbow. "carrying you to his car. What the fuck, Judy? Remember, your grandma died because of her eating habits."