My Cardboard Balcony

by Belinda Roddie "That is the most disgusting thing I have ever had the misfortune of seeing." Todd raised his head from his plate, his mouth full. "Are you serious?" he grunted. "It's pork belly." "It's repulsive." "It's got pig brains mixed into it for creaminess." "Oh, God..." " Goes great with stout, too. Want some?" " Are you serious?" Todd, Rachel, and I were all having dinner at my place that night, and Todd had always remained the steadfast snob at mealtime. I had planned to serve deep dish pepperoni pizza before we popped in the movie of the night into our brand new flatscreen TV. However, Todd had arrived early and insisted that he make dinner...which resulted in an enormous conglomeration of pots and pans in my sink and about two hundred dollars missing from the man's pocket. He had recently received his paycheck from his management job at a credit card proces

"Well, your tires certainly left a mark." "I know." I tossed the heavy garbage bag into the water. It bobbed a bit before it sank. Danny stood there with her arms folded, her lips pursed and her brow creased like she was in deep thought. "You think they'll notice you've taken off?" "Maybe. I dunno. Not very many people notice me." I could still smell blood in my fingernails.