Germ wasn’t waiting on her when Bea and Casey got to the store, so she was able to smuggle him into the back room without incident. She wasn’t the type to be embarrassed at such things, but she did appreciate not having to explain - at least not first thing in the morning.

“There’s a heavy blanket behind those boxes, and the bathroom is on this side,” she said, indicating a cubby Germ sometimes used during late night deliveries, as Casey made a bit of a nest for himself.

“Thanks again Bea. I’ll see myself out after I get a little sleep.”

“See that you do. I’m not putting you up again,” she scowled, closing the door behind her.

Inwardly, Bea was anticipating having to drag herself through the morning as her own lack of sleep caught up with her. She turned on the coffee machine and the thermostat, but was surprised when no significant fatigue showed up. In fact, though she’d not gotten much sleep either, she actually felt pretty good.

Germ showed up later in the morning, and shortly after that the contractor arrived to pick up the lumber and hardware for the build. True to his word, he’d brought along workers to load the wood, and Bea and Germ were left to manage the work. Though technically they could have just left the contractor and his men to load the truck, she wasn’t too comfortable with a lot of men she couldn’t vouch for in her warehouse. But within the hour they’d gotten all their supplies and Bea had a signed inventory from the contractor along with a rather uncomfortably large check.

She’d practically forgot about Casey when he walked out of the back room just before noon. She had a decent group of customers in line by that time, and she waved back at him as he left the store.

“Hey Germ?”

“Yeah?”

“Think you can handle the shop while I go to the bank?”

“Sure Bea. See you later!”

Bea patted her employee on the back, literally. “Thanks Germ.’

She grabbed her bag and slipped out of the store.

“Hey Case!” she called ahead.

He stopped and waited for her to catch up.

“Hey Bea,” he said.

She noticed he must have washed in the sink. He smelled of her cheap liquid soap.

“Going home?”

“Yeah. It’s not going to be fun.”

“You’ll be okay. You want to do lunch first? My treat. It’ll be my payment for yesterday.”

“Sure! Where?”

“Come on, let’s take my car. We’ll go out to the Interstate. I gotta drop by the bank first.”

“Thanks again Bea.”

“Don’t make a big deal about it. Come on, my car’s around back.”

On the way, Bea pointed out the new house being erected at the edge of town.

“That’s the Grant house. Where all that lumber is going.”

“Holy shit, that’s gonna be huge! Who’s buying that.”

“General manager of the Ham Panther.”

“Damn, he must be making some bank!”

“Yeah. I’m lucky to have gotten the bid for it. I think my friend pulled a few strings, plus I gather he wants to keep good relations with Possum Springs. I feel like I’m being used as a pawn by the Establishment, but what am I gonna do? Turn down the bid?”

“Careful Bea. Pretty soon you might BECOME the establishment!”

“Fat chance,” She replied as she pulled into the bank parking lot. “ Anyway, I gotta stop in here and deposit a check. Be right back.”

A few minutes later she was back. Her radio station had been changed, but she decided to let it slide.

“How about a sub sandwich?” she suggested.

“Sounds fine by me.”

They drove out to a gasoline station/sub shop by the Interstate.

“So what do you do for fun, Bea?” Casey asked as they got their food and sat at a booth by the window.

“I don’t have fun, Casey. You might as well accept that. My life is the Pickaxe.”

“Surely you must do SOMETHING else?”

“Well, I have a friend in College Town that invites me to parties sometimes. That’s kinda fun.”

“College brats? A bunch of privileged, pretentious assholes if you ask me.”

Bea tried to calm her instantly rising anger.

“Some are,” she said, uncharacteristically not blowing up. “But some are really good people, with really good ideas Casey. Don’t lump them all in together, okay? You don’t know them.”

“Hmpf. If you say so Bea.”

“Yeah, I do say so. Look, just because someone’s smart enough and ‘privileged’ enough to go to college doesn’t necessarily mean they’re assholes. And a lot of those ‘privileged college brats’ are working their asses off trying to pay for school too. There are plenty of poor, homeless assholes too you know. “

“Like me?”

“You’re not homeless, Casey.”

“No. Just an asshole. Sorry Bea. You’re right. I don’t know them. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. But you are an asshole.”

“Thanks.”

“Come on, let’s get back to town. We can finish on the way,” Bea said, gathering her food.

Casey followed, looking downcast.

“Bea… I’m really sorry.”

“I know, Casey. We really don’t know each other that well yet. I have a temper on certain subjects, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

“Look, Casey. I like you. You probably know that by now. But this thing… whatever it is we are doing. I don’t think it’s going to work.”

Bea saw Casey nod from the corner of her eye as she drove back to Possum Springs.

“But, I do like hanging out with you. And, to be honest, I really do need a friend.”

“Me too. Friends is okay.”

“Yeah. Who knows what tomorrow brings? But friends is enough for today, right?”

“It’s plenty. More than I had yesterday.”

“I’ll take you back to your house. You ready to face your parents?”

“Yeah. Drop me off at the end of the block though. I’ll walk from there.”

“Okay.”

They drove in silence a few minutes before Bea spoke up again.

“Casey. That ‘unfinished business’...”

“Yeah?”

“It’s me, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought so. Casey, don’t hang your life on me. I’m not leaving Possum Springs anytime soon. You… well…”

“I’ll do what I want, Bea. I may hate this town, but I don’t hate everyone in it.”

Bea sighed. “I know.”

She pulled to the side of the road out of sight of Casey’s house.

“Casey? Look… if things go bad over there,” she said as he climbed out. “You… well… drop by again. I don’t mind.”

“You sure? I’ll probably take you up on that… if things don’t work out.”

“Yeah. I think I am. As a friend. At least for now. See you later basket Case.”

“See you later Bea.”

She watched him as she turned around and drove back to the Pickaxe. He was looking towards his house, as if summoning up the courage to face his parents.

“What the fuck are you doing, Beatrice Santello?” she said aloud. “This will never work, and you know damn well it won’t! You’re just going to end up fucking up your friends too.”

She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she brushed them aside angrily. Fucking wimpy ass gator-girl.

“I just… need a friend is all,” she answered herself.

She stayed parked behind the Pickaxe for a long time before she got herself together enough to face the rest of the day.

*****************************

She was surprised when Casey dropped back in in the late afternoon.

“Hey Casey. What’s up? How’d it go?”

“It’s okay. Ultimatum from the parental units of course, but they let me back in.”

“Good. Whatcha doing back here?”

“Oh, I just left my wallet in the back room. I’ll go get it.”

Shortly he returned, waving his wallet.

“See you later Bea,” he said. But something about his demeanor seemed distant.

“Casey?”

“Yeah?” he replied, stopping at the door. She noticed he wasn’t looking at her.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, a touch of anger in his voice. “I’m okay. Just… stuff.”

“Well, alright… Casey, if you just want to talk sometime…”

“Thanks. Later Bea,” he said abruptly and left the Pickaxe. She watched him cross the street and head back up the road. He didn’t look back.

“What’s all that about?” came the voice of Germ.

“Oh. Nothing. He’s got some family issues. I thought he got them worked out, but… maybe not.”

“Ah. Don’t we all?”

“That’s a fact. You about done with the restocking?”

“Yeah. I just finished.”

“Well, hold on. I’ll get your pay for today.”

********************************

Bea didn’t see Casey again for a couple of days. Germ reported that he had been to the practice on Wednesday night though, and seemed okay. Even upbeat! He had a new song they were working on, but otherwise it seemed to be normal old Casey to him.

“Well, that’s good,” Bea said, though secretly she couldn’t help being a little disappointed that he hadn’t been to see her. She decided she would message him that night.

After she’d gotten back from the Pickaxe and had finished dinner and cleaned up with her dad, she retired to her room and turned on the laptop.

“Casey? You there?” she sent to his icon.

No reply.

Instead she chatted with Angus for a while about nothing in particular when Casey’s icon began flashing.

“Gotta go, Angus. TTYL”

“TTYL”

She opened up Casey’s icon.

“Hi Bea. You still there?”

“I’m here.”

“Sorry, I’m not on my computer much. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing really. You doing okay?”

“Yeah, I got rid of all the shit Mom was pissed off about.”

“Good. You still using?”

“No. At least, not since Sunday. Which reminds me. I have a new song, but I need a bass line for it. If I send it to you, think you can come up with something by this Sunday?”

“I’m not very good at coming up with my own stuff, Casey, but I’ll give it a shot.”

“The file’s just instrumentals. I’m still working out the lyrics.”

“Well, send it on over.”

“Coming now…”

The download icon flashed up and she approved and saved the file. The filename was “forbea.mp3”

“Got it. I’ll work on it tonight.”

“Thanks Bea. I’ll see you Sunday night if not before.”

She contemplated if she should send the next line she’d typed.

“Casey, are you mad at me or something?”

Finally, she deleted it and closed the connection. Just because he hadn’t seen her in a couple of days… Well, she HAD friendzoned him, after all. That’s what she wanted, right?

She asked Mr. Applebaum, but he just stared at her.

“Well you’re no help,” she said to the concrete statue with mock anger.

She looked at the pack of cigarettes. Then she looked at the drawer. But instead she just turned off her laptop and went to sleep.