You Are On My Mind

Is She Eating?

Danny Reagan knew what was going on with his girlfriend, and he hated it. It was really tense in her house because her parents were in the middle of a messy divorce. A few weekends ago, he learned that Linda's Dad, Tony, beat her for no reason other than he was pissed. The young Reagan hated how she chose to live with him, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense Tony was making her go with him. She had been living with him for two weeks now; and since then, she had stopped eating all her lunch, if any at all.
"Jimmy, is Linda eating at home?" He asked his best friend.
"I dunno." Jimmy shrugged, "I was with Mom this weekend." He stuck his spoon into his pudding cup. "She doesn't eat when she gets cramps, so maybe she has those?"
Danny liked how Jimmy knew the little nuances to his sister. "At all?"
"Mm-mm," he shook his head. "She might have a few bites of something, but she won't eat a decent meal."
"She won't or she can't?"
"Look, man, I don't watch her like a hawk. Why don't you ask her? She's over there." He pointed to a table on the other side of the cafeteria.
"I think I will." Danny stuffed some lunch in his paper bag, grabbed the tray, and walked over to the table. He frowned when he saw Linda sitting alone, her head on the table with her arms around her head.
Linda didn't pay attention to whoever sat down across from her. Her muffled voice came out weak and on the brink of tears. "Please go. I'd like to be alone."
"I can't leave. My duties as a boyfriend are prohibiting me from leaving."
Linda lifted her head, looking physically and emotionally drained. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks were pink with dried tear tracks, and dark, purple circles resided under her eyes. "Hi."
"Are you okay?" Danny put his hand on top of hers, smiling a little when she turned her hand to hold his.
"No. I didn't sleep well last night. And my head hurts. And my stomach." She spoke in short, choppy sentences.
"I'm sorry; is there anything I can do? Can you take something?"
"I took something at home," she scratched at her pink cheeks and neck, trying to rid of the itchy dry tears. "It's not working of course."
"Your stomach... is it-"
"It's cramps, of course. What else would it be?"
Danny frowned, boy, is she prickly. "I wish I could do something... can I?"
"Make it stop?" She laid her head on the table again, pressing a cheek to his hand.
He smoothed her hair away from her face, wishing he could do something for her.
************
"I'm going with Linda today, so tell Mom I won't be back till dinner," Danny told his younger brother.
"Again?" Joe sighed, slamming his locker and swinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Fine, but I'm not taking out the trash again cause you're too busy snogging your girlfriend."
"I don't think it'll be like that today..."
He shrugged, "I'll relay the message, but I'm not picking up your slack again."
***********
Linda sat on the bus, with her head against the cool window and her headphones blaring in her ears. Sinatra smoothly crooned to her as she closed her eyes, trying to make the pain go away. When someone tapped her on the shoulder, she nearly jumped to the roof.
"Sorry, Sorry."
"Danny?" She paused her music and slung her headphones around her neck, "what're you doing here?"
"I'm coming with you for a while."
"Why?"
"Cause you don't feel good and your dad's a dick, and what kinda boyfriend would I be if I wasn't with you when you were feelin' crappy?"
Linda smiled for the first time that day. She leaned her head on Danny's shoulder, putting her headphones back over her ears. "I love you."
"I love you, too."

A/n
I pity the guy who ends up dating/marrying me. He's got high, high, high expectations to live up to