Page 98 of Living Hell

“I’m sorry. What I meant to say was Emmie, would you please give me your pocket chalk?”

“No, Willa.”

I turned to her with my hands squared on my hips. “Are you serious? I said, please.”

“We came here for coffee this morning for our weekly Monday morning chats.” She waved a hand between herself and Niki. “I didn’t come here, and I am pretty sure Niki didn’t come here to be a part of your law and order scheme of the week.”

I gasped and held my hand to my chest.

“You two are my friends. You should be supporting me and encouraging me. Girl power. Women’s lib and whatever catch-phrase I can insert to get you two to help me.”

They both shook their heads like creepy twins in a horror movie if the twins looked nothing alike.

“He’s parked in a handicapped spot and doesn’t even have a tag.”

No handicapped license plate or tag hanging from his rearview mirror. This guy was the worst douche since douches were first created hundreds of years ago.

And yet, that wasn’t the real reason I wanted to fuck with him.

“I admit, that’s bad but not enough to mess with his car,” Niki said as she looked up from her phone to assess the situation.

“I won’t even touch his precious baby. Scout’s honor.” I held up two fingers.

“You were never a Girl Scout, even though I begged you to sign up in third grade so we could hoard all the cookies,” Emmie said as she held on to her purse as if I was about to snatch it from her. Which I was because it held the chalk.

“You could have been a Girl Scout.”

“You know my mom didn’t have the time or money to make that happen. And Niki’s mom kept sending her to tap lessons, so she never had time for Girl Scouts. You were our only hope.”

I rolled my eyes at the same fight we’ve been having for twenty years. I thought by twenty-eight she would be over the Girl Scouts cookie scheme, but the woman held a grudge like one size too small thong undies held on to an ass crack.

Pointing to the car, I said, “Can we focus on the problem at hand?”

“I have to get to work Willa. I run a company, and people depend on me to be on time. Just because you think this guy isn’t disabled in some way that would require this parking space, doesn’t mean you should punish him. You aren’t law enforcement. You’re a reporter. Maybe, instead, write a piece about people illegally parking in accessible parking spots.” Emmie said.

I bit my lip and let out a breath. “Was.”

“What?”

“I was a reporter. I got fired yesterday.”

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t let this go. Why did this guy get all the money while being a total asshat and yet I get fired from a job I didn’t like anyway? I needed work because of the same reason everyone needs a job: money.

My friends surrounded and enveloped me in a hug. It was times like these I was grateful to have them in my life. Their support and comfort and the kind words I knew would follow to help lift my spirits, were what got me through these rough times.

Niki pulled back and gazed at me with a frown. “What did you do this time?”

“Can your boss sue you for libel or was it something caught on tape?” Emmie added.

“Wow. The love right now it’s...overwhelming.” I said as I thinned my lips.

I pulled my hand behind my back, holding something I didn’t want them to know I had until the time was right and backed away.

“We’re sorry, Willa. It’s just you’ve been fired from every job you’ve ever had. Even the lemonade stand you made with Darci, your neighbor growing up. I remember when she fired you. Said you used too many lemons and the mix was sour.”

Darci was just stingy and wanted all the profits for herself. I was only doing that stand to be kind to her because my mom said she had no friends. I learned why she didn’t that day.

“You two are right. I was fired. I called my boss insane and a few other names I won’t repeat in front of such upstanding ladies.”

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