Been thinking about it. Been thinking about it a lot actually.
You know that yellowed plastic colour, old computer casings, that sort of piss-tinted grey? That's bromine leaching out from the flame retardant. Whole point of the additive was to stop shit catching fire and now every one of those beige boxes is basically evidence of its own decay.
Anyway. Tuesday still works for me.
Tuesday works, I guess. But who's actually driving out to pick it up? I'm not taking another shift at the warehouse just to move your e-waste. The yellowing is just the start; the whole thing's probably leaching into the groundwater by now. We're just delaying the inevitable, aren't we?
I'll drive, Christ. You don't have to do a single thing except show up. And don't give me the groundwater bit like this is some slow poison — it's not a metaphor, Rafe, it's a Tuesday pickup. Nobody's watching that lot after six anyway, I checked twice.
Fine, you drive. But if the foreman catches us, I'm saying you dragged me there. And "nobody's watching" is exactly why it feels like a trap. Why Tuesday? Why not just dump it in the alley behind the strip mall and be done with it? I'm not getting my hands on that sticky residue.
Because Tuesday's when the compactor's down for service, that's why — no crusher means it just sits there in the yard, not buried in scrap. Alley's stupid, cameras on the pharmacy back door cover half that block. And blame me all you want, I don't care, just don't freeze up on me when we're actually there.
It's not freezing up, it's common sense. The compactor being down means we're dealing with loose, heavy shit that takes forever to move. You want to lug old beige boxes yourself? I'm not wearing my good shoes. And if it gets suspicious, I'm walking out. I've got a headache coming on anyway.
Wear whatever shoes you want, I'm not lugging it alone either — that's what the dolly's for, it's already in the truck. And the headache's not gonna get worse from twenty minutes of standing around. You keep finding new reasons. Just say if you're out, don't dress it up as a shoe problem.
I'm not saying I'm out, just pointing out how easy it is to get pinned. You move the dolly, I'll watch the perimeter. And don't act like you're doing me a favor by not making me lift. I've got a meeting tomorrow I can't miss if I get stopped. Just keep it quick, okay? No talking to anyone.
Nobody's talking to anyone, that's the whole point of Tuesday. Twenty minutes, dolly, gone. You watch the gate, I load, we're back in the truck before your headache's even peaked. Just don't bail on me at the last second like you did with the Marlin thing — that's all I'm asking.
Don't bring up the Marlin thing. That was different; the water rose. This is just plastic. But fine, I'll watch the gate. Just don't expect me to explain anything if a guard asks. And if that dolly squeaks, we're done. I'm not getting caught because of a rusted wheel.
Water didn't rise, you saw a flashlight and panicked, that's the actual story. But whatever — dolly's fine, oiled it Sunday. Guard's not gonna ask, he's on his phone the whole shift, I've watched him three weeks running. Just be at the gate at six sharp, don't make me wait around like an idiot.
You know it was a flashlight. Don't rewrite history just because you want the afternoon off. Fine, six sharp. But if the dolly starts squeaking, I'm walking. And don't expect me to carry anything heavy. I just want this over with so I can go home.
Six sharp then. You don't carry a damn thing, I've got it handled. Just show up and keep your mouth shut at the gate — that's the whole job. We'll see how Tuesday goes.
Yeah, six sharp. Just make sure you don't change your mind at the last minute like you always do. I've got too much to lose if we get caught. See you there.
I don't always change my mind, that's twice, and both times you talked me out of it first. See you at six. Don't bring the good shoes.
Right, the bad ones. They're already scuffed enough. Just don't make me wait while you fiddle with the dolly. If anyone asks, I was picking up a delivery for the manager, not looting a yard. See you at six.
Fine, "delivery for the manager," whatever gets you through it. I won't be fiddling with anything, it's oiled, I told you. Six o'clock. Don't overthink it between now and then, you'll talk yourself out the door.
I'm not overthinking it. I'm just tired of your optimism. You think oiled wheels mean nothing goes wrong? The manager's gonna ask where the delivery was, and if you can't handle that, we're dead in the water. Just keep the truck running.
Nobody's asking you shit at six in the evening, the manager clocks out at four, you know that. Truck'll be running, engine on, don't even need to shut the door all the way. Stop stacking up problems that don't exist yet and just be there.
I know when he clocks out, I work here. Just keep the engine running so I don't have to wait in the cold. And if the guard looks up from his phone, you're the one talking. I'm just standing there. Don't mess this up like you messed up the Marlin thing.