Josh came in, looking at this slob of a girl in front of her. He thought about how when she started, he actually thought she was not the worst looking girl in the world, and when he had saw photos of her from her college days she was a total babe. What the hell happened to her? Josh wondered to himself, trading off astonished disbelief at this, and anger that she could be late again. He wanted to ask her how things could have gone off the rails this bad. Clearly, she had a drinking problem, but did that really explain the complete lack of motivation besides that? He knew she had a college degree and a failed marriage, did she thing it was below her to be working at the restaurant?
Instead of asking her these things, he directly took action.
"Madison," he said, "sorry you came in today, but you're fired."
"What?" she said, somewhat shocked by that.
"I'm sorry, this isn't working out."
Madison got up and approached him, trying to playfully hug him like she had when he started. Possibly trying to flirt her way out of a problem as she had so many times in her high school and college years. However, she was no longer in the same universe of appearance as that version of herself, so it failed, and Josh stood firm.
"Madison, I'm not kidding," he said, "don't make me have to call security. If you leave now, I'll let you leave out the back so you don't have to walk past anyone."
Madison was defeated. As meager as the pay was, she needed this job. She wanted to cry on the spot, but she kept her composure, and walked out the back door. After she left, Frankie walked to Josh's desk.
"Josh, was that really necessary?"
"Seriously, Frankie? You of all people should know how big of a drag Madison was on this restaurant."
"Oh come on." Frankie wanted to vouch for her friend, who was clearly having some kind of problem with her life. Madison just was not the same person she was when she started working at the restaurant, and Frankie feared what would happen without the (albeit small) level of responsibility and structure that came from this job.
Josh was not going to let Frankie get out a rebuttal, however; "I should have fired her weeks ago, and you know it. She was dragging you down worst of all. I know you two get along, which makes you a rarity on the staff, but believe me, you're better off without someone like that derailing your career."
My career? What, as a waitress? she thought to herself. Frankie figured this was a fight she was not going to win, so she gave it a rest.
Meanwhile, Madison had gotten back to her apartment, and cracked open a beer. What was she going to do? She had not spoken to her parents since the divorce, and, well, she knew what had happened with Cassi. Madison seemed out of options--there was not much breathing room left in her checking account, so she needed something quick, and she figured she could always find some kind of entry level job somewhere.
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