“What the hell did you do, Juju?” Maggie accused.
“Well, good morning to you, too. What’s your problem? Where have you been?” Juju asked, still trying to wake up.
“Oh, good you noticed I haven’t been around for several days. Let’s see, I was in the vertical box for a couple of days. Had the shit beat out of me by Armando and some of those whore bitches of his. Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, they brought Seth over to the house of whores and they beat the shit out of him in front of me. Threatened to slit his throat. And do you want to know why?” she asked, feeling betrayed by her only friend.
“Why?” Juju asked quietly, unnerved by Maggie’s sudden aggression toward her.
“Because Armando mysteriously found out that I wouldn’t get into cars with johns. Now let’s see, since you’re the only person I’ve ever told, I guess you’re the one who told Armando. Or was it Rock?” Maggie accused.
Maggie didn’t trust Juju anymore. She wanted her to know the pain she’d caused by opening her big pie hole and revealing Maggie’s secret.
“What? No, I didn’t tell either of them anything about you. Maggie, I would never do that to you,” she pleaded.
The two girls stood staring at each other. Their eyes were locked, and Juju could tell that Maggie was different. She wasn’t the same person. Juju quickly thought about what she’d done since she last saw Maggie. Then, like a bat out of hell, it came to her: I must’ve told the guys at the park when I was drunk. Oh, fuck me! I’ve screwed the only person I love, she thought with remorse.
“Maggie, please just sit down for a minute,” Juju started. “I think I know what happened. I was at Needle Park on Thanksgiving. I was drunk, really drunk. Somehow, I must have said something about you to the guys.” Juju’s head dropped, and she put her hands up to cover her face. “I’m sorry, Maggie. I’m so sorry. I would never do anything to hurt you or Seth. You know that, don’t you?” she asked, desperate not to lose Maggie.
Maggie could see the honesty and anguish in her friend. She began to soften. “Well, it was a really stupid mistake. You have no idea how horrible they were to Seth and me,” she persisted, her anger fizzling out.
“No, I don’t. The only thing I know is that I wish I could go back in time. I wouldn’t have gotten so drunk. You have to believe me. I never tried to hurt you,” Juju wailed.
Maggie sat and watched her friend break down right before her eyes. Juju’s suffering gave her no pleasure. In fact, it made her feel protective. Then she thought about the night Armando put her out in the snow and the way Juju had carried her inside and taken care of her. Maggie realized that Juju had made a huge mistake, a mistake that could have been fatal for Seth and her. She walked over to Juju and put her hands on her shoulders.
“OK, Juju. It’s going to be OK,” Maggie assured her, softening at the sincerity of Juju’s regret. “We all do shit we shouldn’t do. But do me a favor?” Maggie asked.
“What’s that?” Juju croaked.
“Don’t get drunk anymore. And if you do decide to get drunk, make sure I’m with you to keep you from getting me in anymore trouble,” she said, brushing the hair back from Juju’s face.
Juju reached for Maggie and held her tightly.
“Thank you for believing me. I don’t know what I’d do if anything bad ever happened to you. Before I met you, I was alone. I haven’t had anyone in my life who has truly loved me. You’re the first,” Juju confessed.
Maggie realized how much the two girls had in common. While their backgrounds were different, their hopes were the same…to have people in their lives who truly loved them.
It wouldn’t be long before Maggie learned just how much Juju loved her.