Pyrex 11-Piece Bake & Store Set

Friday, September 28, 2012

Danielle did what she’d always done when she felt stressed: she died her hair jet black, went to the library, and hid in the shelves with a book. This had been her way since junior high and she saw no reason to change it now, especially since every one of her neighbors were losing their minds.

Danielle was at home only now and then, and only to make food and refill her Pyrex 11-Piece Bake & Store Set. Then she’d go out again. Danielle’s routine was pretty simple: leave early, eat breakfast, work through lunch, stay late and eat dinner at the office, then go to the library and read until they told her she had to leave. This was usually late, since they knew her now. Maybe they thought she was studious, or maybe they pitied her. Danielle didn’t care which, as long as she didn’t have to listen to a crazy woman yelling down the elevator shaft about the nature of robots.

No, that wasn’t the real reason. The real reason was Danielle didn’t care about where Pamela was learning to cook her soup or why Phil kept talking about some girl he met on the local college campus. The truth was Danielle couldn’t stand to be in that apartment after what she’d done to Craig. The words had just slipped out, the “it’s not a date” thing, and worst of all, Danielle didn’t even really believe it herself. But once she’d said it, that was that, what could she do? And what could she do to help with his missing Aunt Sylvia? Or with his mother, who just appeared out of the blue? Or poor Nestoras, who seemed heartbroken and now just kept himself locked away in his apartment? It was easier to just pop the Pyrex 11-Piece Bake & Store Set into a pre-heated oven, let it cool, throw on the plastic lids and head out the door. At work, it went right into the microwave. After work, there were no stairs or odors in the non-porous glass so it was much faster to clean. And that meant less time standing at her sink, and more time out of the house.

The library right now was as full as she’d ever seen it. A bus was outside, full of elderly people from a nursing home. Two old women sat across from her, holding magazines and judging. Danielle could hear their thoughts coming through like telepathy. She isn’t wearing her shoes and Why can’t she sit up straight? and No son of mine would ever bring her home. Danielle slid the Pyrex back into her bag, so maybe at least they wouldn’t see it.

It was then the phone in her pocket began to buzz. It was Craig’s buzz, Danielle had set it up so she could know when he was calling. The old women looked at each other but not at her. That one, she could hear them nodding together. That one doesn’t know how to handle herself.

Danielle snapped open her phone. “I’m busy!” she hissed. “I’m very busy! I’m at the library, okay? I don’t have time to talk!”

Danielle held her shoes because it let her run away faster. The old ladies didn’t look up but she knew they didn’t have to, they’d proved their point. And every time her bare feet hit the carpet it felt like she was making another mistake.

In the Box:

(1) Pyrex 1075454 11-Piece Bake & Store includes:

• (1) 8″ Square with Plastic Lid
• (1) 3 Quart Oblong with Plastic Lid
• (1) 2-1/2 Quart Mixing Bowl with Plastic Lid
• (1) 1-1/2 Quart Mixing Bowl with Plastic Lid
• (1) 1 Quart Mixing Bowl with Plastic Lid
• (1) 9″ Pie Plate

Woot