(vi.)

She stared out the window, blankly.

The most predominant feature of the passing landscape was the gray-brown icy-snow, piled high along the side of the road.

On her left, she noticed a Toyota something-or-other; a silver SUV, covered three-quarters of the way up its fenders in salt and winter-time muck.

They passed a hybrid: a small, lime-green car, with a license plate that read "ERTFRNDL", and no less than a dozen bumber stickers, asking that everyone else be as kind to the environment and ozone layer.

A Jeep Grand something passed on the other side; it was almost identical to the Toyota, except for the fact that it was just about spotless.


"Hey, Lor?"
"Yeah?"
"Um, I'm sorry about the whole 'road trip' thing..."
"What'd'you mean?"
"Well, I mean, it was my idea, but I think I just messed things up."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Why would I be kidding?"

Lorelei gazed out the window. "It doesn't really have anything to do with you. I would've screwed up much worse, had I been on my own."
"Yeah, but, if we weren't on this stupid road trip, we'd both probably have jobs by now."
"I have a job."
"You-- wait, seriously?"
"Yeah. I'm getting 'emergency medical vacation pay'."

Midge stared at her, for a moment, as though she had two heads.

"No, no, I'm serious. That's what they call it. It's for, like, when everyone thinks you've completely snapped... and, y'know, your roommate locks you in the linen closet so you don't hurt yourself or others. Well, what they do is, they get you a paid two week vacation in, y'know, the Bahamas or something."

Midge tried her best not to run the Volvo into a nearby grayish-blue Ford Taurus.

"You make is sound so... common-place..."

Lorelei smiled. "Yeah, well, y'know... in my line of work--"
"The thing about the linen closet... have you ever--"
"Yes, actually. Every couple of months, she'd do that to me. She'd think I'd gone absolutely insane."
"Why?"
"Oh, y'know, it was always the little stuff... y'know, those really stressful moments, when you pull out the katana, and start fencing with dust mites."

Midge nodded, complacently. "The little stuff," she added, still trying not to run the nearby Taurus off the road.


[Chapter vii]