March 06, 2002 | 3:53 PM

7N) ### Thurston Street

So Jenn and I become good friends very quickly. We have a lot in common. Not only do we love the same books and music and art, many details of our lives are strikingly similar.

Jenn�s mother died when she was 11. She had been very close to her mother. Left behind were Jenn, her father, her younger sister, and her younger brother. After her mother died, Jenn became the other parental figure in the house and took on a great deal more responsibility than she was ready for.

My father died when I was 12. I had been very close to my father. Left behind were me, my mother, my younger sister, and my younger brother. After my father died, I became the other parental figure in the house and took on a great deal more responsibility than I was ready for.

Jenn�s father remarried two years after his wife died. He met the new wife through Jenn�s Godmother. The new wife was incredibly abusive and Jenn despised her.

My mother remarried two years after my father died. She met her new husband through my Godmother. The new husband was incredibly abusive and I despised him.

Shortly after Jenn�s father remarried, Jenn�s step-mom gave birth to a baby girl. The baby was 16 years younger than Jenn. Jenn had a huge hand in raising this baby and loved her as if the baby were her own.

Shortly after my mother remarried, my mom gave birth to a baby girl. The baby was 15 years younger than me. I had a huge hand in raising this baby and loved her as if the baby were my own.

My sun sign is pisces and my moon sign is acquarious.

Jenn�s sun sign is leo and her moon sign is virgo. Her sun sign is in direct opposition to my moon sign, and her moon sign is in direct opposition to my sun sign

Outwardly I am radiant, forthright, and direct. But I hide an inner life of doubt and contemplation..

On the surface Jenn is shy and contemplative. Yet her inner life bursts with confidence, and she has a strong sense of who she is and what she wants.

That is except of course, when it comes to boys.

Eventually Jenn is comfortable enough to discuss her relationship with Ronnie.

Here are some of the things I learn:

Ronnie has jealous fits whenever Jenn hangs out with anyone besides him. He follows her from room to room to room in the apartment.

He constantly borrows money from her.

A couple of times when they were having sex while Jenn was drunk, Ronnie told her he was wearing a condom. She didn�t find out until it was over that he had been lying.

Jenn has never had a boyfriend prior to Ronnie. She doesn�t know whether this kind of behavior is normal or not. She feels she must have done something to �deserve it��otherwise why would he be treating her this way?

I am shocked and appalled. I tell her she doesn�t have to stay with him. That she is worth so much more.

Jenn tells me she doesn�t want to be with him anymore, but breaking up with him makes her nervous. She doesn�t want to cause problems for John and I. After all, the whole upset with Ronnie�s job was only a couple weeks ago. Now he is working again at a research firm similar to The Stupid Company. Stability has just returned to the apartment. Jenn does not want to rock the boat again.

My response to Jenn concerning this matter is that John and I are grownups and we are capable of dealing with whatever happens.

But what I tell Jenn does not coincide with how I am actually feeling. On the inside I am terrified. And I am pissed�not at Jenn, but at the situation. I am so tired of living with a couple whose relationship is abusive. This happened with Penny and Alex and it happened again with Madeline and Ben. I went out of my way to not live with another couple this time around, and yet the two people I live with become a couple and again I am caught up in these shenanigans. When will the fucking drama end?

Within a couple of weeks Jenn breaks off her romantic relationship with Ronnie. Initially I am relieved; as far as I can tell there is no fall out. Ronnie mopes around the house looking pissed and sad, but I don�t hear any yelling.

Then one Saturday while I am at work I get a phone call from John.

Hey. I don�t know what to do, Anna.

Do about what?

Pause

When you left this morning, did you see a picture on the kitchen table by any chance?

No.

Well, when I got up this morning, there was a drawing on the kitchen table.

A drawing of what?

A drawing of Jenn.

I have no idea what John is getting at.

What kind of drawing?

A drawing that Ronnie made.

Suddenly there is a knot in stomach. It tightens and tightens. I grip my chair. I can hardly talk.

What does the drawing look like?

John takes a deep breath.

Well... Jenn is naked...

The knot in my stomach branches into tentacles of dread winding through my entire body. I am strangled by trepidation.

Yes?...

Except for those boots she always wears. And she�s all wrinkled and ugly looking and her legs are spread wide open. And she�s tied down.

John is waiting for me to say something. But I don�t say a word. I am incapable of speaking.

He continues.

There�s a caption above her head that says, �I�m a fucking bitch. I�m a whore� I�m...

Suddenly the power of speech returns to me. In fact, I can�t shut up. I cut John off.

Ronnie is out of our fucking apartment. Do you hear me? I want him the fuck out of there now.

My voice is shaking and I can�t control the volume. Some of the interviewers who have been frantically dialing away look up at me curiously.

John�s voice is temperate.

Anna, calm down. I think we need to deal with this rationally.

Fuck that.

I want that fucking sick bastard out of my fucking apartment. I don�t care what I have to do. I will call the police. I will fucking kill him and throw his body off the fucking porch myself if that is what it takes to remove him from my god damned house.

Call the police for what?

I... I don�t... Just shut up, OK?

At this point I am enraged. I tell John I have to think and that I will call him back later. I sit in my office and I can�t keep myself from crying.

Stay tuned for part the thirty-first...