Free Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack

‘They didn’t want me to go out for a while after I came home late’ she said. ‘Was your dad really mad at you that night?’ ‘Yes’ she said. We’d already turned the lights out so I couldn’t see her face. ‘What did he do to you?’ I asked. She rolled over on her side and faced away from me. I pulled her back but I still couldn’t see her face. ‘Don’t clam. Did he hit you?’ ‘Why do you think he hit me?’ she asked. ‘When he asked what was he supposed to do with you you said he was supposed to hit you’ I said. ‘Why did you say that?’ ‘I was mad’ she said. She rolled over again but she kept her head on my pillow. She curledherself up like a kitten and pushed her butt against me. She was much warmer than Boob and I wondered if she had a fever.
    â€˜You were mad because you couldn’t stay out longer without getting yelled at?’ I asked. ‘That’s it good night’ she said. ‘Don’t get upset’ I said. ‘I’m not upset I’m just tired’ she said. ‘I thought you wanted to stay up’ I said. ‘I’m really tired Lo good night.’
    Like I wrote you the other day Anne it’s a pain when you know something’s wrong with your friend and she won’t tell you what’s wrong. Before I fell sleep I thought about what it would be like if I couldn’t tell anybody something that happened to me, not like what the credit guy said but something really important. It made me feel creepy and I got scared and I fell asleep before I knew it. In the middle of the night I woke up again. Katherine was lying right against me with her face next to mine. My arm was under her and it was asleep so I pulled it out without waking her up. It was nice having her face there and I kissed her on the cheek. That must have woken her up a little bit because she said don’t don’t and she rolled away from me all the way. I turned over on my side sorry that I kissed her.
    MARCH 19
    So much happened today Anne. I’m going to tell you everything because the only way I’ll believe it is if I write it all down. Here’s what’s up. Daddy was out all day. He looked serious like someone died but not as sad this afternoon when he came back in. Mama fixed dinner for us, we had broccoli and chicken and new potatoes. We asked if we could watch the news like we usually do but Mama and Daddy said whatever was going on would only make everything else seem worse. Well Boob didn’t think anything about that but I knew something must be really the matter because we always watch the news. I could hardly eat I started worrying so much but finally finished.
    After we ate Daddy said let’s go to the living room, we need to talk. ‘Talk about what?’ Boob asked. Daddy said he’d finally worked some things out and that it was going to be tough but not as bad as he thought it could be. ‘You get a contract?’ Boob asked. Daddy said no he didn’t think he’d be getting any contracts anytime soon though of course you can never tell with Hollywood. ‘Things will be very different for a while my darlings’ Mama said ‘but they won’t be different forever no not forever.’
    â€˜How different?’ Boob said. Then they started telling us. The first thing is that we don’t have as much money to spend and they really mean it, they’re not just blathering and fudging like sometimes. We’re all going to have to cut back where we can. I’m going to sit down with Boob tomorrow and we’ll figure out what we don’t need. She doesn’t know it yet of course. That’s not going to be easy because Boob always needs something but if things are as bad as I think it’s too bad, she’s just going to have to suffer.
    The next thing Daddy told us is so unbelievable I still don’t believe it but it’s