"A girlfriend?" Holly asked for at least the sixth time, "No...no, that can't be right.  It just can't be!"

"She said she was his girlfriend!  Why would someone lie to someone they don't even know?!?"

"No, just because she said it, it doesn't mean that it's true.  There has to be something more there."

"Guys are such...such...jack...holes!" Madi angrily spat out.

"Jack hole?" Holly burst into hysterical laughter, "Really?"

"Yes.  Jack holes!"

"So that would be a mix of...jack a-"

"Shush!" Madi cut her off, nodding her head towards Kaiden, "There's a parrot in the room!"

"Sorry.  What I meant was...it's a mix of jack a-s-s, and a-s-s hole?  Or is there something I'm missing there?  Some new slang I'm not up on."

"What are you doing here?  I'm upset, you're not supposed to be making jokes.  You're supposed to be upset with me!!"

"Mamma...whadda jackel?" Kaiden piped in, proving Madi's parrot point.  He seriously repeated anything that he thought he wasn't supposed to.

"Umm...it's...a..." Madi's brain was too focused on angry to do any quick thinking.

"It's an animal!" Holly chimed in, coming to Madi's aid, "Isn't it?"

Satisfied with the answer, but still believing it wasn't something to be repeated, he jumped up and down on the couch announcing, "Jackel, jackel jackel!"

He fell to the couch, giggling hysterically, which sent Holly into hysterical laughter, and pushed Madi that much closer to tears.

"Kaiden!  Sit still and watch your cartoons!" she bit off, startling him.  But he listened, sitting quietly and focusing on Curious George.

"I'm sure there's an explanation Madi.  There has to be."

AJ had called about an hour later looking for his phone, but Madi hadn't wanted to talk to him.  She made Holly answer the phone, convincing her to lie to him so she wouldn't be forced to talk to him.

"She's...in the shower.  But your phone is here."

AJ had said he would drop by to get his phone as soon as the meeting was over, and maybe he, Madi and Kaiden could have lunch or something.  Holly didn't say anything, unsure of what to tell him.

Madi had gotten herself so worked up by the time AJ had gotten there that she didn't even know where to begin.  Well, she did, but it wouldn't be so great hitting him before he even walked in the door.  Would it?

"What the fuck!" she yelled as she shoved him-hard.

"Ow!  What?  What'd I do?" he asked, truly confused.  He reached up to rub his chest where she had just shoved him.

"Sarah!" she said through gritted teeth, shoving him again to emphasize her madness.

"Ow!  Stop that!" he yelled back, "What Sarah!?!"

"Your girlfriend!  That Sarah!  Don't play stupid!" she continued to yell, jabbing a finger in his chest, not allowing him to defend himself as she kept going, "She called!  She sounds great! *sarcastic laugh* How could you do that to me?  Or her!  You're just like every other guy on this planet!  Here!  Take your damn phone and stay the fuck out of my life!"

Madi shoved the phone towards him and stormed away almost before he had reached out to grab it.

AJ didn't know what to do.  She was obviously not going to listen to anything he had to say.  And he kind of feared for his life if he were to try and talk to her any more.  He stood in the foyer for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what had just happened.  Finally, he turned to leave, not sure what else to do.

Holly ran out the front door when she saw him headed towards his parked car, "AJ!  Stop!"

"Look Holly," he stopped, whirling around, really not interested in hearing from her, too, "I don't know what just happened in there, but I'm really not interested in getting beat up by you, too."

"I told her it couldn't be how it looked.  If I stood up for you, and I was wrong, I will hunt you down, and find the most painful way to torture and kill you."

"Whoa, whoa...can I have a little explanation before you go off thinking up ways to hurt me?"

"Your girlfriend called your cell phone while you were gone."

"One, I don't have a girlfriend.  And two...why were you answering my cell phone."

"That's not what she said.  And that was kinda my fault.  I was being nosy, convinced Madi to answer it."

"So you're the one you deserves the shoves and poking.  I'm gonna have bruises from that."

"Not as bad as you'll have if you don't start explaining Sarah."

"I saw Sarah like five times.  And I haven't seen her in at least six weeks.  I haven't even talked to her...though fuck has she tried."

"Keep going..."

"She's crazy!  She keeps calling the guys looking for ‘her boyfriend'.  The bitch just won't get the hint.  I don't want to see her or talk to her!  She won't leave me alone!"

"Good.  I'm not throwing away the ‘painful ways to kill AJ' list, but I'll put it away for now.  Give Madi some time to cool off.  She's too upset right now to listen to reason.  I'll see what I can do on my end, and I'll keep you updated.  We'll get this fixed.  I need to stop talking to you now though, before Madi sees me and makes a ‘painful ways to kill Holly' list."