he forgot to drop by. or so he'll likely
claim. so she's sitting at home short of cash to pay the
phone bill and sadly, she's more distressed about being without the
internet than being without audible connection to the outside
world.
cable's out and the guy was supposed to come fix it a week ago.
She stretches out on the kitchen floor.
the construction workers cut a line outside, the house is completely dark, and she realizes she'll have to go through the whole place resetting the clocks once the power comes back on. and their stupid orange cones have the most direct route from home to anywhere else blocked off, forcing her to take long, obnoxious detours that add 14 minutes to every trip. not that she's going anywhere. gas is $1.86 a gallon and she'd rather use that money to buy a ham and cheese biscuit from McDonald's before work. going through the drive through on a bicycle isn't that humiliating. or is it?
She draws her knees to her chest.
her father's pestering her about finding a husband to support her while her mother's pestering her about finding a husband to father some grandchildren. the boss is hinting at cutbacks and her best friend is hinting at joining the Peace Corps.
She digs her chin into her breastbone.
the dishes in the sink are starting to smell. sparky is hiding behind the bookshelves. the neighbor keeps stealing the section of the sunday newspaper with all the coupons. the sure thing did not go through, the dream role was not won, the lucky number was not drawn. she is uncool.
She dissolves.