The Minotauress

Clintwood Middle School, and they both would've gone to the same high school had they not dropped out in the seventh grade. The two went back a ways in a history of petty crime, willful auto-sexual malfeasance, and entry- level redneck hooliganism.

'So's what'cha doin' now?' Dicky asked.

Balls stood hands on hips. When a young pregnant woman rolled a baby carriage by across the street, he spat. The woman was Hispanic, and he thought it might be nice to cornhole her on her hands and knees and then pull out just in time to send his load into the carriage. That would serve the bitch right for violating immigration laws.

'Fuckin' pepper-belly immer-grints,' he complained. 'Their men take all our jobs fer cheaper, then all's they do is keep their women knocked up shittin' out them little spic babies'n goin' on welfare. Ain't right.'

'No, it ain't.'

Balls continued to eye the young woman. 'Like ta squeeze the milk outa them fat tits, I would.' He slapped Dicky on the back and laughed. 'Bet it tastes like tacos!'

Dicky laughed out loud. 'Bet it does, Balls! Bet it does!'

'But you ask me what I'se doin', I'se beatin' the street lookin' fer a job.'

'Dang, man. Ain't much in the way'a work here these days. Most places're closed up, ‘cept the Wendy's.'

'I know me that,' Balls snapped and pointed at the pregnant Hispanic. ''Cos of them. Hard-workin' American fellas cain't git no work 'cos they take all the jobs.'

'Most of the gals work in the sewin' shops, and the fellas work in the meat-packers,' Dicky informed.

Balls pointed down to the corner, to the Wendy's. 'Even that place is full up with 'em. I'se asked fer a appler-kay-shun, but the spic manager jabbered somethin' at me shakin' his head.'

'Ain't right, man, just plum ain't.'

'What about that Jiffy Lube? It still here?'

'Yeah, but it's closed, and I heard the drug store don't hire ex-cons. But, ya know, Pappy Halm still owns that Qwik-Mart next to the Greyhound stop. Maybe he's'll give ya a job.'

Balls frowned. 'That old dog turd? No way. He caught me shopliftin' Neccos when I was a little kid, so's he told my Daddy and, a'course, my Daddy beat the shit outa me'n stuck a lit cigarette in my bag. So's then I went to Pappy Halm's house that night and shit on his car, and ya know what?'

'What?'

'He caught me doin' that, too. Called the poe-leece fer that one. My Daddy had to pay a fine on account I was a minor'n then he beat the shit out'a me again and sat my bare ass down on top'a the wood stove to teach me a lesson.'

'Gawd dang!'

'Anyways, I need me a job to tide me over fer a month so's I kin eat, but after that I'll be just fine.'

Dicky scratched his head. 'What's happenin' in a month?'

Balls smiled again, the smile like a sneer. He lowered his voice. 'I gots me a big score.'

Dicky's jowls drooped. 'A score as in a heist?'

'Sort of.'

'Dang, Balls. You just got done gittin' outa the joint. Whys do somethin' that could git'cha right back in?'

'It's a shore thing, Dicky, but I gots to make me some kind'a money till then.' He looked more intently at Dicky. 'You got a job?'

'Dang straight,' Dicky was proud to state. 'I'se a... maintenance man.'

'Maintenance? What kind?' but Balls pronounced the word as 'kand.'

Suddenly, Dicky was less enthused to talk about his position of employment. He kicked one of the plastic bags. 'I do laundry'n stuff, cleanin'-up work.'

'Yeah? Fer who?'

'Just a... a place across the street.'

Balls looked across the street. He saw a liquor store, a thrift shop with a CLOSED sign, an ice-cream parlor with a CLOSED SIGN, another place whose sign read simply RELAX AT JUNES, and a shoe store with a CLOSED sign.

'Laundry, you say?' Balls questioned, confused. 'Where ‘cross the street needs laundry done?'

Dicky shuffled his feet. 'Aw, just a place, but the pay ain't bad—five bucks'n hour under the table.'

Balls raised a brow. 'Righteous,' but then he squinted across the street again. 'So's... where do you work?'

'The place that says Relax At Junes,' Dicky finally admitted, trying not to blush. 'Ain't nothin' I brag about much. See, it's really a massage parlor. Ya pay twenty bucks fer a massage, then if ya tip the gal another twenty, she jerks ya off.'

Balls shook his head. 'Hail, a buck's a buck, I guess, but... ' Balls squinted at the laundry bags. 'Dicky, I still don't git the laundry part. Laundry? From a jack shack?'

Dicky opened one of the plastic bags, and out wafted a rich, stifling yet readily familiar scent that was turning into a stench.

'Ho-boy!' Balls exclaimed. He stepped back, fanning his hand before his face.