By four o'clock, the confidence she held at two was long gone, replaced with a steady ache in her arms. She discovered the shovel was only good for scooping up the tiny pieces after the larger ones were removed. The men ignored her for the most part, concentrating on their work and running downstairs the instant break was announced. Crystal spent her break alone, leaning against the window frame and looking down at the street below. That's twenty bucks so far, she mentally calculated. Two more hours and I'll earn back what I spent on boots. She took a last drag on the cigarette and threw it out the window. She turned and looked at piles of busted up sheetrock looming at her. Well isn't going to move itself.

By five minute before six o'clock, Crystal figured out an easier way to move the sheetrock, using the shovel to push the pieces down the hall, then it was a simple matter of scooping the pieces up and throwing them out the window. It made the work go faster even if her back was screaming from the strain. "Miss Sheridan." Crystal turned to see Josh and Michael standing there. "You certainly did your share today," the supervisor said. Michael nodded in agreement.

"You did indeed. I can't begin to tell you the number of men who've walked off after an hour."

"That's because no one has a work ethic these days," Josh added. He looked at Crystal. "To be honest, lady, I didn't think you'd last the afternoon." Well fuck you, I did. And I'll do it tomorrow too. "What time do we start tomorrow?"

"Remember I said I open the gate at seven and close it at six. Whatever shift you can get yourself in here for is fine. Just be responsible. Nothing irritates me more than someone just not showing up."

"I'll be here," Crystal assured him.

"You show up at that hour and I'll buy you your first cup of coffee," Michael offered. "Now go get punched out and have a good night. Say hello to Laura for me."

The Omni turned onto Essex Street, Crystal instinctively reaching around and locking her doors in the process. A dead end street leading to one of the oldest trailer parks in the county, Essex was a haven for people wanting to operate outside the law. It was common to see the skeletons of stolen cars littering the empty corner lot and children without shoes playing in the street. Crystal avoided eye contact with the people sitting on porches or leaning against cars as she guided the hatchback into the park. She spotted the white and yellow trailer immediately and parked in front of it, the driveway taken up by a old red pickup truck. Heavy metal music blared from behind closed windows. I guess you're the same asshole as ever, eh Tom?

"Hey Crystal, glad you could make it," Stephanie said as she opened the door. "Oh good, you did remember to stop and get some beer. Come on in, Tom's just rolling up one."

"Great, I could use it after the day I had." Stepping inside, the smell of stale cigarette and marijuana smoke assaulted her senses. Damn Steph, open a fucking window, will ya? At least turn on a fan. A green couch lined one wall while the television and a recliner took up the adjoining one. Tom was seated in the recliner, the television tray next to it covered with rolling papers and empty beer cans. The arm of the chair held the overflowing ashtray.

"Hey Crystal, how the hell are ya?" he asked. "Just about to light one up. Have a seat."

"Hi Tom."

"I'll put these in the fridge," Stephanie said, taking the twelve pack from Crystal.

"Make sure you leave one of those for me first," her husband demanded.

Crystal sat down on the couch and pulled her cigarettes out of her pocket. "I'll take one too."

"Why bother putting them in the fridge then?" the redhead said, sitting down next to her on the couch and opening the cardboard package. "Tom, stop fucking around and light that thing."

"I'm lighting it, I'm lighting it. Jeez, don't be a bitch just because your friend is here. You're really gonna like this shit, Crystal. One hit wonder for sure. I had a joint by myself this morning and it knocked me on my ass for hours."

"That's why I had to go get the beer earlier. He woke up before I did and wouldn't let me have any until I got him the beer." "That's the only way I can get you to do anything," Tom said.

Oh fuck, don't start already, Crystal groaned inwardly. That's right, take a hit and stop thinking about being an asshole. She took the joint eagerly from him and brought it to her lips. Oh yeah, this is tasty stuff. "Damn, where do you guys get such good shit?"

"My cousin has a farm about three hours north of here. He grows it in his barn," Tom said proudly. "Man, he always has the best fucking stuff going. Hardly any seeds and just look at all the red hairs in here." He held out a sandwich bag half filled with dried out buds. "Fucking beautiful stuff. Not like that shit Smoky sells."

Crystal took another hit before passing the joint to Stephanie. "Oh yeah, this is very nice."

"So what's with the shit kickers?" the redhead asked, pointing at Crystal's boots.

"Oh, I got a job clearing out the old credit union building on Exchange."

"You mean where they had the fire?"

"Stop talking and take your fucking hit," Tom growled, leaning forward in his seat to reach for the joint.

"Yeah," Crystal said, answering Stephanie's question. Stop being such a dork, Tom. "Pay's pretty good. Ten an hour and the hours are flexible." "You hear that?" the redhead addressed her husband. "Ten bucks an hour. Are they hiring?"

"I think so. I was just hired today." Crystal reached out to take the joint from Tom, who insisted on getting at least three hits in before passing it. "I don't work for less than twelve," he said, reaching for his beer. "So how come you ain't working down at the Tom Cat anymore?" "I'm just doing this temporarily while my lip heals. I got hurt in a bar fight last week."

"Oh." Tom took a several gulps from the can. "Gonna say, with an ass like yours you're better off making some money with it than doing work some fat bitch can do." He reached out to take the joint from Stephanie. "Not like this cow can get paid to take off her clothes."

"Fuck you," the redhead said. "Keep it up and you can sleep at your fucking mother's house tonight."

"At least her house isn't a fucking pigsty like this place," he said, passing the joint to Crystal. "She doesn't work all day. You think she'd be able to run the fucking vacuum once in a while."

Oh man, please don't fight tonight, Crystal silently pleaded. I just want to catch a good buzz and get going.

"Like you head off each morning to work, right?"

"Oh fuck you, Steph." He grabbed the baggie and his cigarettes off the tray and stood up. "I don't have to sit and listen to this shit." "Fine, go to Mark's or something. I don't give a shit."

"Fine."

"Just leave me some pot, will ya?"

"Go to hell. Get your own." He stormed out the door, not bothering to close it.

"Where's he going?" Crystal asked, taking advantage of the commotion to take an extra couple of hits on the joint. "Hey, you got any clips?"

"On the shelf behind you," Stephanie answered. "Screw him. I knew he wouldn't leave me any." She walked into the bathroom and returned with a canister of hair spray. Crystal found a set of forceps, the tips sticky with built up resin, and clipped thee.g.of the joint.

"Here you go. There isn't much left."

"Don't worry about it, Crys." Stephanie took the seat vacated by Tom and took the offered roach clip. "Thanks." She inhaled sharply, making the tip of the joint blaze orange. Handing it back, she exhaled slowly to avoid choking. "Oh that's good. Here." The redhead held the hair spray canister in both hands and gave it a twist. The bottom unscrewed to reveal a small metal pipe, rolling papers, lighter and a black film canister. "Tom doesn't know about this. Whenever he's got a new batch, after he falls asleep I come out and pinch a few buds for myself. He thinks he's punishing me, the stupid asshole." She opened the film case and dumped the hidden stash of marijuana out onto the tray. "You feel like switching to the pipe? I hate fucking around with papers."

"Sure, no prob," Crystal replied. "So you and Tom are obviously back together. You're not working anymore?"

"No, fuck that. I had a job delivering pizza but the truck broke down and I couldn't afford to get it fixed. Asshole boss wouldn't let me use the company car because I had a minor fender bender with it last winter."

"That sucks." I wouldn't loan you my car either. I know how you drive. Crystal took the metal pipe and reached for her lighter. "Where are the kids?" "Marci is staying with my mother until the hearing next week. They won't tell me where Ricky is." Stephanie took the pipe. "Tom and I were fighting and the fucking neighbors called the cops. Well, you know how that goes. They came in and saw the pot out and busted us and took the kids."

"Oh no. So what happens now?"

Stephanie shrugged and lit the pipe. "I don't know."

"Well, did you call legal aid?"

"Why bother? They'll give me the kids back. Tom will agree to go into a rehab for thirty days and we'll get benefits while he's in there. It's happened before. Here."

Crystal took the pipe and sucked hard. How can you sit there and not care where your kids are and what they're doing? What are you still doing with that asshole? Finally the outrage within her was too much. "Steph, what are you still doing with him?"

"Oh, you know how it is, Crys. He says he won't do it again and I fall for it. Same shit all the time."

"But you keep going back to him. Why? At least I was smart enough to get away from shit like that."

"I know I know," the redhead said. "He's an asshole loser and always will be but what can I do? He's their father."

"So what? He's not a good one if he isn't bringing in any money. Steph, you deserve better than him. The kids do too." God! she screamed inside. She's acting just like my mother. "You think Marci likes waking up to him throwing one of his fits?"

"He's still their father." She shrugged. "I don't think it bothers her much." She held out the pipe. "Here, have another hit."

You have got to be kidding me. In her mind Crystal saw her mother sitting on a similar couch, drinking herself blind and ignoring the animal that terrorized her kids. Crystal held the lighter over the bowl and pressed the pipe to her lips. What am I doing here? Why am I sitting with this reincarnation of my mother? As she exhaled, another thought hit her. How the fuck am I gonna get home? "Steph, keep the beers but I've gotta get going here."

"You sure? Come on, sit down and have another beer. You can handle another one, can't you?"

"Of course I can but I really have to get going. I forgot I promised my roommate I'd help her with something tonight." Crystal grabbed her cigarettes and lighter, stuffing them into her pocket.

"You have a roommate? Since when?"

"My apartment burned down a few weeks ago. Listen, I really gotta go." Crystal stood up only to sit right back down. "Whoa." The pot hit hard, making it an effort to keep her eyes open.

"Hey, sit back and relax." Stephanie held the pipe out. "Come on, one more won't hurt. I never get company."

No shit, who'd want to? "No, I really do have to get home." Okay Crystal, you can do this, she told herself. Just get to your feet. Again she rose but this time managed to stay upright. "You know my beeper number right? Give me a call when you get a phone."

"Well, now you know where I live. Don't be such a stranger. Maybe with the kids not here Tom and I will have a party on the weekend or something. You should stop by."

"Yeah, maybe I will." Crystal reached for the doorknob, leaning her weight against it. "Thanks for the smoke."

"Anytime, Crys. Stop by soon."

Turn the knob, don't fall. Crystal tried to follow her own instructions but the steps proved to be too much of a challenge. She stumbled on the last one, ending up sitting on the ground. Shit. She looked up to see if Stephanie noticed but the porch was empty. Don't even give a shit enough to make sure I made it to the car, eh? Rolling onto her knees, Crystal forced herself to focus and stand up. Oh shit I had way too much to smoke. Leaning her hand against the side of the trailer, she made her way forward. Tom wasn't kidding about it being a one hit wonder, was he? Shit, I can barely stand up. She stumbled the remaining feet between the front of Stephanie's home and the Omni.

Open the door. Shit, unlock the door first, dummy. It took three tries to get the door open, then it was a challenge to wiggle the tortured key out of the lock. Oh shit, how am I supposed to drive? I'm not going to be able to see the fucking road. Crystal leaned against the headrest. Come on, Crys, you gotta get outta here. Stabbing blindly at the ignition finally resulted in getting the key where it belonged. Oh man, I shouldn't be doing this. Grabbing the steering wheel, she pulled herself upright and started the engine.