The next time Laura saw Jennifer was a disaster. She went over to her sitting in the Student Union cafeteria and greeted her normally, friendly as is her manner. As Laura started unloading her tray, the girl pushed her tray away. "Get the fuck away from me, you backstabbing bitch!"
Jennifer, what's wrong? Why are you mad at me?"
"Why did you run tell Karen what I said? I was trying to help you, to warn you. How did she drag it out of you? Did she use bamboo shoots under your fingernails, pour hot wax over you?" Jennifer screamed over her shoulder as she slid from her booth and left the building.
Dazed, Laura suddenly realized she had made a serious error, a breach of confidence. It had happened before more than once; she had told something that a person had told her with the understanding that it was not to be repeated and she had simply not understood. This was much more serious. In high school it had just caused a little strain but this time, without meaning to, she had driven a wedge into her relationship with Jennifer.
Thinking she might be able to explain, she left her lunch and hurried after her friend. When she caught up with her, she said, "Jennifer, let me explain, tell me what happened."
"Karen accosted me in the hall yesterday, demanding to know why I was spreading malicious rumors about her. I tried to brush past her, not knowing what she was talking about. It never occurred to me that you had reported to her what I said to you."
"What did she do?"
"She slapped me and told me to stand still until she was finished with me. Then she told me that you told her what I said about her. I was completely floored. She asked me where I got the idea that she was some sort of predatory female preying on young, unsuspecting freshmen. She said she'd never said two words to me. I guess I became a little defiant and told her that was probably because my tits weren't quite big enough."
"Then what?"
"She really slapped me that time. She grabbed my face and held it in position in an iron grip and then walloped the side of my face. She gave me such a clout that I was sure my cheekbone was crushed or my jaw dislocated."
"Jennifer, I'm so sorry. I had no idea she would feel that way. I didn't mean to do anything bad. She was just talking to me and I mentioned it casually, just sort of flirting with her by saying I had been warned to beware of her."
"That's when she got the bamboo shoots to make you tell her who warned you?"
"I guess I just thought that everybody said those things about her and that she knew her reputation and was used to it. I first told her lots of people said it but she somehow knew that wasn't true. She just stayed with me and I was sort of titillated by her attention and eventually she got me to tell her your name. I never thought she'd be offended and would track you down and hit you."
"Oh, that's not all she did."
"You mean there's more? How could she do anything to you in a public place in broad daylight?"
"She made me go to her room."
"But how?"
She just grabbed my arm, squeezed it in her vise grip and dragged me to her dorm."
