I was afraid that would weird me out a little bit, but the mall is a much different, much colder place in the non-Christmas season. So I very amiably ...pent most of the morning and early afternoon listening to the two women argue about shoes. Mrs. Szerchenko also insisted on buying me a hideous baseball tie. All in all, the first part of the day went just about as well as I would have predicted if you had told me I was going to spend it at women's shoe stores in the mall.Practice that afternoon. Freshly released I left my door, out to get laid. And why not? I was after all, 22 years old. I had thought, I had loved but damn, it's time to Fuck, I thought.So down on highway 51 I went that night for what seemed hours. Cars, people, no eye contact. Searching for a green eyed goddess he spotted me, and as a cheetah in dusk he pounced."hey, do you have any matches" he grinnedI settled my head up and my eyes focused, um, yes I chattered, hold this.My cd player, my cigarettes, some loose. I did not feel it when I was fired out into space and did not know I was not on the right course. I did not know there was a flaw in the capsule or that those on the planet knew we were coming.Time slipped by unnoticed.Debris salvage is boring and routine but Hansen sat up when the ship picked up something not on the scan. He turned on the outside monitor and jerked up and hit the grav tractor shutdown, "shit!"He spun and hit the system fleet emergency comm, "this is Oh Joy we have a drop. I kissed Mum and mumbled goodbye again, but as I was kissing her offeredcheek I felt myself being pushed to one side and to my dismay that lastlittle security was lost as Di shut the car door.I was so self-conscious now, I couldn't look towards the man, I wastrying to look away, my hands trying to pull the hem of my dress down asmuch as possible. They were taking so long to say goodbyes and talk andall the time I could feel the eyes of that cleaner boring into me as Istood there.Eventually Mum.