Joe

Word Count: 492


“Hey Joe, angle that pallet a bit so I can get my forks in.”

“Ok. How’s the truck training going?”

“Rough. It’s harder than I thought it would be to see the forks through the mast. Stand back.”

“Yeah, thats what I found when I got my truck training in the army.”

Not today Joe. I’m too stressed out.

“Joe. I said stand back. Shouldn’t you be back on the line?”

“They’re singing that song again. So you know what? I’m just going to take my sweet old time going back.”

Well maybe if you didn’t tell everybody you were bitten by a werewolf they wouldn’t sing it.

“Joe, I gotta tell you buddy. I’m not too impressed with the whole Sally thing.”

“Maybe I’m not too impressed with her.”

“She didn’t deserve to get fired Joe.”

“She’s the one who got them singing.”

“And your the one who left the line crying. You shouldn’t have done that. Not when they run 36 count. They had to shut it down. That’s 200 bucks a minute bud. No wonder the big shots got involved.”

“You know what? I took it and took it and took it until I couldn’t take it no more.”

“Look, I know Sally doesn’t know when to back off. But,I also worked with her out front for a couple years. I saw a guy grab her once and she handled it without getting the guy fired. And she doesn’t go around asking for it.”

“So you think she was right? You taking her side?”

“No, I don’t think she was in the right. Verbal harassment is serious stuff. But if you make yourself a nail sticking up out of the floorboards you shouldn’t complain when you get hammered down. That ain’t right either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Joe, have you ever wondered why I’m the only one who sits with you at break?” Go easy. You're the closest thing this kid has to a best friend. Maybe the closest thing this kid has to a friend. Period.

“No.”

“Look, I appreciate a good story. But most people don’t. Especially when you start talking about dissolving babies. Or having a Russian girlfriend. Or being an ex male prostitute. And you could take a shower before coming to work.” Do you need to do this? You might destroy him.

“Everything I say is true.”

“And what I’m saying is that to get along in life you need to do certain things. And one of those things is to make an effort to fit in.” Just like you did right? Sell yourself out to get a little bit of public acceptance. Was the trade worth it?

“Who the frig are other people to tell me how to live?”

“That gonna be your attitude?”

“Darn tootin it is.”

“Well Joe. Until you back off with the whole werewolf thing, I don’t think we should talk anymore.” Ah man, he's gonna cry again.