Linda's Story

I Asked You Not To Do That

Linda sat in the tree in her backyard, the one she used to climb to get into Elliot's backyard. She wondered if he was home. She could tell him about anything... but would he understand this? It was different for him- she knew he wasn't refraining like she was doing.

"Hey!" Elliot's voice called to her, as if he could read her thoughts.

"Oh, Elli, I could really use your help," she sighed as he began climbing the tree.

"What's wrong?"

"It's my boyfriend."

"What did he do this time?" Elliot had heard all about Danny Reagan and his ways when Linda was first questioning to date him.

"He took Lori Curtains to the prom. And then he screwed her. But I'm his girlfriend!"

"Some boyfriend.... that's not all that's bugging you."

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"Tell Uncle Elliot all about it," he reached over and grabbed her hand, making her smile.

In just a few short minutes, the entire story flooded out of her. "I asked him not to do it. And I don't know what's worse: that he even tried, or that I let him."

"I'd say that he even tried in the first place. Have you talked to him about it?"

"No, I've been avoiding him."

"You gotta talk to him. Tell him you don't like that. Remind him you can just as easily date any other guy in the school. Or elsewhere. Doesn't have to be him."

She smiled a little, "you're right. Thanks, Elliot."

**********

"Are you always such a jerk?" Linda asked him the next day, unprompted, after school.

"'Scuse me?" He asked, shutting his locker. "People usually don't go up to other people and say that sort of thing."

"Well then, let me be the first to say it to you. You're a jerk, Danny. First, you don't even invite your own girlfriend to the prom. Instead, you invite dippy Lori Curtains. Then, when Jimmy tells you I'm sick, you don't even think to call or come by the next day to check how I'm doing! Even a good friend would give me a call to see if I'm alright."

He opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly moved on with her list.

"And when you see me in school, you act like I don't even exist! Then, when you do talk to me, you act like you don't know what I'm talking about and you did nothing wrong. Then you..." she took a shaky breath.

"You touched me like that, after I specifically asked you not to! And don't try telling me 'but Linda, you didn't stop me'," she mocked his voice. "Because that won't work! You shouldn't have even tried in the first place! What in the world- why in the world did you possibly think it'd be okay to take Lori to prom and screw her, then try to finger me in the janitor's closet?!"

Danny sighed, he did not have a good answer. Linda would hate the truth, but she might hate a lie even more. "It seemed like an okay idea at the time."

"Breaking my heart?"

"No! Going to prom with Lori."

"Why her? Why her of all people? After that girl Maryanne, she's the easiest girl in the school!" Realization dawned on her features, "is that why? You asked her to prom because you knew she wouldn't say no?"

"Partly?" He was going to be in so much trouble with her.

"What do you mean partly?"

Scratch that, he already was in so much trouble with her. "Well... Linda... people hook up at proms and I thought-"

"You thought you'd just have casual sex with her because I'm not willing to do that."

It sounded so much worse out loud. He looked to the ground and mumbled, "something like that."

She was astounded, to say the least. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "you whore."

"Linda...." Danny tried to stop her from walking away. He followed her, "Linda, wait."

"Why? So you can make me feel even worse?"

"No! Listen to me," he grabbed her arm, unfortunately missing the flash of fear in her eyes.

She yanked her arm away, stumbled backwards a little bit. "No! I don't want to listen to you! I'm done with listening. I asked you- I specifically told you not to do anything sexual with me or to me, and what do you do? You do it anyway! Never mind I was enjoying it, because that's not the point! I said no, and you should've listened to me. Not only did you disrespect me, but you disrespected my wishes, my privacy, my personal space and preferences..."

"I didn't-"

"Shut up! You did! You shouldn't have even entertained the thought!" She took a pause to breath for a moment. "You know, I was going to tell you that even though you royally mucked up, I was going to forgive you and let you be my boyfriend still. But now I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"You're not showing any remorse, or any form indication that you won't do it again. You haven't even interrupted me to say you're sorry!"

She shook her head, a long enough pause for Danny to say those two words she wanted to hear. But he didn't. "I don't think I want to see you anymore."

Danny cursed as he watched Linda start to walk away again. He quickly caught up to her, grabbing her arm again.

"Stop that!" She yelled at him, causing him to drop her arm. "See? You can't even remember that anymore! If you can't remember I don't like being grabbed like that, how are you going to remember I don't want any sexual activity?"

"I'm sorry, Linda, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the Lori Curtains thing, and I'm sorry for grabbing you, and I'm sorry for violating your privacy and our agreement," his apology came out all in one breath. "But I'm mostly sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to or meant to do that."

Linda looked at him, her lips in a tiny pout. She was either going to cry or hug and kiss him. She hadn't decided yet. She liked her lips, wanting to say something but he continued.

"And if you wanna break up, then I understand. Because that was a really stupid, f***ed up thing I did. I don't know why, but it seemed like it was okay for me to do."

"It wasn't."

"No, it wasn't. It wasn't okay. It was f***ed up. But I promise- I swear to you on whatever you want me to swear on that I'll never ever ever do that to you again. Ever."

A few tears fell out of her eyes; apparently she had decided crying was the thing to do.

"Oh shit, you're breaking up with me. You're still mad."

"No."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I'm mad at myself."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know whether or not to still be mad at you, or to punch something."

"Be mad. Punch me. I deserve it. You wanna hit me?" He stepped back a pace and three his arms out. "Have at me. Sock me. I deserve all the fire you throw at me."

Linda curled her fingers into a fist, seemingly contemplating hitting him. She thought about how it would go: she'd hit him, then she'd fret about it later. "I don't like hitting people I love."

He lowered his arms, "you still love me?"

"Stupid, isn't it?"

He chuckled, "if you're stupid, I don't know what the f*** that makes me."

"Stupid's boyfriend." A slow smile spread across her face as she shrugged. She held out her hand for him to take.

They walked together in silence for a few moments before Linda said, "Next time something like this happens, I will punch your lights out."

"Deal. Luckily, you won't have to, cause I'll never do it again."

"Good answer."