Canned

(a week later)

"I don't know, I didn't like that one so much." I said honestly to Sarah as we left the apartment complex. We were in search of a new living space for her and Mark because the one bedroom apartment they currently shared would soon become even tinier with a baby in the picture.

"I'm surprised we didn't find any cockroaches there." As if there was a large cockroach population breeding in Tulsa.

"I know," she agreed sullenly. I was sympathetic to her sour mood: we'd been out all morning searching without much luck.

"All the perfect apartments are too expensive, with me still in school, but the cheaper ones are really crappy."

"That sucks." For once I was glad to be living at home. "So where to next?"

"Umm.. that's it." Sarah checked the list she'd gathered from the classified ads. Since I wasn't working today, I'd offered my opinion. Unfortunately, any opinion of the places we'd seen were pretty unanimous.

"Really?" I asked as we walked to my car.

"Yeah.." she said sadly. "I've only got six more weeks of beauty school, so maybe I could get a loan from the bank for a down payment on one of the nicer ones. Thank God Mark's got such a good job." He worked in construction. The amount of money he earned amazed me, since he only had a high school diploma and certainly no desire to go to college.

"Oh," She exclaimed, cheering up quite a bit as a memory popped into her head. "I didn't tell you about Hair Flair, did I?"

"No.." I said slowly, sitting down in the driver's seat. "I think I would've remembered a stupid name like that."

"Oh, shut up," she smiled, buckling her seatbelt with a click. "I got a part-time job there. I went in for an interview two days ago."

"I only see you twice a week." I reminded her. "That's awesome."

"It doesn't pay a whole lot, but it will definently help." Louise rumbled to life. "Is your car supposed to make that much noise?" she added.

"Yup," I answered both her comments. "Back to your place? I need to go to class this afternoon."

"Sure." I glanced over at her, noticing dark circles under her closed eyes as she rested her head against the back of the seat. For once, she didn't look so perfect. The baby was coming sooner and sooner as each day passed.

Four months? Five? I tried to remember how long she'd been pregnant. We rode back to Mark's appartment in silence.

"Hi sweetie," Sarah was surprised to see her fiancée still at home, sacked on the couch across the small room from the blaring television. "Why aren't you at work?"

'Piss off,' the look on Mark's face said. Instead, he replied,

"I need to tell you som'thing."

"What?" She didn't like the angry look on his face. Glancing around the living room, she noticed several cans of beer. She could only hope they were still full.

He quit.. what happened?

"I got canned," was all he said. Sarah's mouth dropped open.

"Canned?" I didn't understand the metaphor.

"Fired!" he snapped at me.

Soorrrreee, I made a face and flipped him off after he turned his attention back to the mindless drivel broadcasting from the TV.

"Mark.." Sarah warned. Turning to me with a disapproving look of my gestures on her face, she said,

"You'd better get to class now Maggie."

"Ok." I said it, although I didn't really believe it. "See you later Sarah. Sorry Mark."

"What happened?" Sarah asked Mark the minute I'd left.

"My asshole of a boss happened, that's what." he continued looking distractedly at the TV. Irritated at his lack of focus, she marched over and shut it off.

"Why did he fire you?" she knew the construction manager personally; he wasn't that bad of a guy.

"Because he's a fuckin' retard! Don't bug me about this." Mark growled.

Shit, he is drunk. Her heart sank. She tentatively sat next to him on the couch.

"Honey, you know I love you. I just want to know what happened."

"The boys bought a round at lunchtime."

Oh, the gentlemen of the construction site. Sarah, upon meeting them his first day of work, vowed never to let one of them know where they lived.

"And?"

"And my jerk-off boss told me to go home and not come back until I was sober. I wasn't drunk though!" he insisted, slurring a few words. "I gave him a piece o' me though, put 'im in his place."

"You hit Mr. Davis?" she thought of her family's long-term friend. This would not go too well with her parents. She could just imagine her mother's reaction.

"Damn straight. Best thing I've ever done." Mark mumbled before slipping into a slumber. As he did, a silence enveloped around Sarah. She couldn't imagine the last time she'd felt so lonely.

"Aspirin.." Sarah mumbled, looking over the rows and rows medicine. Forty thousand advanced kinds of pain relief and all she wanted was regular aspirin.

"Excuse me, but do I know you?" she felt a small tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a familiar friendly face.

"Ohmygosh, yes! Hello Mrs. Hanson." It had been years..Weird to see her in a gas station too, of all places.

"Sarah, is it? Ike's old girlfriend?" she guessed right.

"Yes," Sarah laughed, in spite of the situation she'd left behind in her apartment. "How are you?"

"Good.." Mrs. Hanson replied, examining Sarah. "Let me look at you.. oh my! Are you pregnant??"

She could only nod in response.

"That's wonderful! Ike will be surprised as well, I'm sure."

What an odd response. Then again, Diana knew Sarah mostly through her son, so maybe a reference to him wasn't so strange.

"How is he?" she was almost afraid to ask.

"Very good," Diana beamed proudly. "Studying business at a school an hour north of here."

"That's fantastic. I'm sorry to go, but I need to run. Would you mind catching up at a later time?" Sarah waved her hands in the air, as if to demonstrate how busy she was. Diana caught sight of her engagement ring as it sparkled under the fluorescent lighting.

"Of course. Are you engaged?" She caught her wrist, examining the small diamond. "That's beautiful.."

"Thanks," Sarah replied quickly, wincing a little.

"Is everything all right dear?" Diana noticed her fighting very hard to keep down tears.

"Yes of course. I just need to get home. Bye." She didn't Diana a chance to ask any more questions. She could also only hope that her oldest son wouldn't find out about it. Chances of which, unfortunately, were pretty much next to nothing.