Overheard
She is nervous as she speaks, she gives little jumps and her hands move, starting and stopping with a jerk. "Don't ever think, if you're a woman," she says, "that you're stronger than a man. Don't ever think that you can beat him up. Because if you keep pushing him, BAM, he'll treat you just as if you were a man."
"Is that what happened to you?"
She gives the man talking to her a quick glare, as if he is slow, as if he hasn't been listening. "I was up in his face," she said, "then, BAM, he hit me in the nose. Smashed my nose in. Blood was everywhere. Taught me. Even men who say they don't hit women. Even men who don't hit women. Don't think they can't treat you as if you were a man. Don't think they can't hurt you. They can."
"Is that what happened to you?"
She gives the man talking to her a quick glare, as if he is slow, as if he hasn't been listening. "I was up in his face," she said, "then, BAM, he hit me in the nose. Smashed my nose in. Blood was everywhere. Taught me. Even men who say they don't hit women. Even men who don't hit women. Don't think they can't treat you as if you were a man. Don't think they can't hurt you. They can."