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"Didn't you lock the door?" Jade asked.

"The lock was broken some time ago and nobody bothered to fix it," I said.

I was about to continue when I looked up at her, and I noticed C

at was twisting her left hand so hard, I couldn't imagine it not hurting her. I studied her and noticed her legs begin to tremble. Her knees were practically knocking together.

I glanced at Doctor Marlowe, who was studying Cat even harder than I was. She leaned over and took Cathy's right hand to stop her from twisting her left. Cat's legs slowed their trembling.

"It's all right, Cathy," Doctor Marlowe nearly whispered. "We're listening to Star now."

Cathy looked up at her and a calm seemed to settle in those frantic eyes.

"Okay?" Doctor Marlowe asked.

Cat nodded. Doctor Marlowe smiled, patted her hand and sat back.

"Sorry," she said. I still hesitated. "Everyone's fine, Star. Go on."

"It's not that bad so nobody's got to go get worked up or nothing," I muttered.

"We'll be the judge of that," Jade said. "What you think is bad and what I think is bad might not be the same thing?'

"Well, who says you're right?"

"Nobody says I'm right. It just might not be the same, that's all. You don't have to jump down my throat every time I open my mouth," she whined.

"Well, then don't say you'll be judging me. I don't need you to judge me."

"I didn't mean that literally. If you weren't so trigger-happy. . ."

"Girls," Doctor Marlowe warned before I could respond. She flashed a "no" at me.

I sat back, holding my eyes on Jade a moment longer. She turned away and crossed one leg over the other.

"I saw the bathroom door open and I screamed when Aaron came in. He acted as if I wasn't even there. He went to the sink, opened the cabinet and found his razor and shaving cream. Really feeling sick, I still managed to find a voice.

"'Get out of here!' I cried pulling off the earphones. 'I'm taking a bath.'

"'Got to shave fast,' he muttered, looking at his ugly face in the mirror. 'I have to meet your mother in ten minutes. We got tickets to the heavyweight exhibition fight, but we can't be late or we'll lose the seats and they're great seats.'

"'I don't care. I'm taking a bath. Get out!' I screamed now, covering myself the best I could.

"He looked down at me.

"'I won't be but a few minutes and I ain't interested in you so don't worry,' he said. 'I don't touch virgins,' he bragged."

"What?" Jade said, coming back to life and turning to me. "He said he won't touch virgins?"

"That's what he said. He started to shave and kept talking, telling me that virgins were too much trouble and he preferred a woman who was broken in like a good riding horse. He laughed at his own joke.

"Meanwhile, I nearly shriveled to nothing in the water, of course, but he didn't look at me. He was more interested in himself. He finished shaving and rushed out again.

"My heart was pounding and I was furious. After he put on his suit and tie, he came hurrying back just after I had gotten out of the tub. I had the towel wrapped around me, but before I could protest, he grabbed his hairbrush, swiped himself a few times, and then turned and asked me, had the nerve to ask me, how he looked.

"'Like a moron!' I screamed at him.

"He stood there, chewing his lip for a moment, nodded and then walked out of the apartment. That night I fixed the lock, even though it wasn't strong enough to hold him back if he ever wanted to come in."