by MKI

Created on: March 31, 2009

Craig jumped when Julie entered the apartment. He quickly patted down his jacket pocket and focused on taking his shoes out of a file box and packing them back in again.

"What are you doing here?" said Craig.
Julie paused and briefly glanced at Craig and then averted her gaze to the welcome mat she was standing on.
"You said you wouldn't be here until six. It's four forty-three," said Craig.

Her mouth pursed into a thin line. She took a hesitant step forward, her foot not yet landing on the carpet, and then kicked off her shoes vaguely in the direction of the empty shoe rack. The shoes rebounded off the wall. Julie continued into the apartment.

"You should be happy I'm early," said Julie.
Craig put Julie's shoes on the rack and then thought better of it and placed Julie's shoes on the welcome mat, toes facing the door. He closed the file box and placed the shoe rack on top.

"I want the pigs," said Craig as he joined Julie in the kitchen.
A motley assortment of boxes (wine, paper, U-Haul, Morning-Fresh eggs) that Julie had scavenged were spread over the counter and floor. Craig couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust; some of the boxes smelled of mildew and garbage.

Julie pulled out the utensil tray from the drawer and dumped the utensils into a box. She held out the empty tray to Craig. "Yours," she said.
"I bought it for you. You can have it," said Craig. "You need it."
"I don't need it."
Craig slammed the tray onto the counter. "Right, because a box-"
"I said I don't need it," said Julie, yelling, and she slammed the drawer shut. "As if I need something else to remind me how you're-"

"I know, I know," said Craig, raising his hands to pacify Julie. "I'm a controlling jerk. If you want to keep your damn forks in a moldy box, then do it."

Julie and Craig stared at each other in silence. The only sounds were their angry breathing and the occasional car as it drove past their apartment. A lazy summer breeze blew through the window. Outside, a pair of kids laughed.

Julie forced herself to take deep breaths. Her lips moved silently as she said something to herself. "If you offer it to me again, I'll accept it," said Julie, her voice soft.

Craig snorted, leaving the tray on the counter, and went into the bedroom. He heard kitchen drawers opening and closing, cupboards swinging open and slamming shut. He knew what Julie was looking for. She swore. Then he heard her coming to the bedroom.

"The pigs are mine," said Julie, as she stood in the door way. "You never even use them."
"That's

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