The shop bell dinged as the usual midnight blue cat made her appearance. She hopped up on the counter, sliding over to the register where her crocodile friend stood. "Hey, Bea! Are you free to hang out today? I have so much energy right now!"

"Nope, just got a new shipment of rock salt, as well as several calls about furnace repairs. Winter is our busiest season."

"Aww, please? Why can't you just ignore the calls and have some fun?"

"Believe it or not, road trips cost money, and the method by which you get this money is through a thing called work." Mae groaned upon hearing the same lecture for the 5th time. "I explain this to you many times. If you promise to be on your best behavior I'll let you come along."

"Nah, I think I'll try talking to Gregg. Last time I went with you I didn't get to do anything. If you get locked in a basement again though just let me know, I'll bash your way to freedom!"

"Hehe, I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, see ya around Beabea." The cat waved to the crocodile and exited the Ol'Pickaxe.

"Later Mae."

Once Mae had made her way to the Snack Falcon, she was - surprisingly - met with a hard-working fox who was in the middle of trying to multi-task restocking shelves, and manning the register. "What's up Gregg? You wanna hang out today?"

"Hell yeah man!" He looked back down at the box of snack bags and let out a sigh. "But unfortunately I can't. Someone forgot to restock the shelves for this week. Christene found out about the whole smashing light bulbs thing so I am kind of on my last thread. As great as it would be to quit and just hangout…"

"Yeah… I know… Bea has already gone through the whole money talk with me earlier."

"Sorry dude."

"It's okay," Mae assured and was about to head out.

"Hope ya slip into the road and get run over!" Gregg called out.

"Hope ya get crushed by a box of cans on the top shelf!" Mae shouted back with a grin before exiting the store. The smile didn't last long as she started walking back home. Gregg and Angus were working hard and would be moving out of Possum Springs for good in the upcoming year. The winter rush has left Bea buried in her work. Mae stopped in her tracks as her heart began to sink as she came to a terrible realization, she was getting left behind.

Mae kicked off her snow-covered boots and sprawled out onto the empty couch, staring up at the rose-red ceiling paint, absently finding random patterns, shapes, and figures that form as paint dries. "Well, this sucks." She said to herself and reached for the tv remote and flipped on the tv. She flipped through several channels of static before landing on the "Garbo and Malloy" program that her father watched as much as I liked hanging out with her dad, she didn't much care for the content the program produced, but at least it was consistent. Something that hasn't changed.

She spent hours watching the program before it chained into several ads and promotional material. She had long since tuned out. Tuned out the tv, tuned out the world, even tuned out herself. Everything was just, there, it existed, it was all just stuff, just shapes. She was alone, surrounded by nothing but shapes. The shapes didn't care whether she was there or she was somewhere else. It didn't matter to them what happened to her. Because all they were, were just-

"Your home early," her mother's voice brought her out of her downward spiral. "Something happen?"

"Oh, hey mom. Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You don't look fine, is it about what happened at college?"

"No, it's something else." Mae sat up on the couch, giving room for her mother to sit down next to her. "Everyone just seems like. Well… like they're ready."

"Ready?"

"Yeah, ready to move forward. Gregg and Angus are planning to move to Bright Harbor in the Spring, and Bea's been starting to get things to work a bit better for herself. I've been kind of the same since I got home and we've been hanging out less and less. I feel like they're moving forward and I'm getting left behind."

"Have you thought about trying to catch up?"

"Yeah, but I don't really know-how. I don't have a plan, I can't handle college very well, and I don't know how to hold a job."

"Well it's true you haven't worked a day in your life, but we should probably start somewhere. Perhaps you can apply for some of the community jobs. They don't pay much, but it's simple work and will give you some experience working."

"Community jobs? Such as…"

"With the winter season being in full force, someone needs to shovel the walkways. The city council raises funds during seasonal events such as the Harfest which is used to either purchase land, supplies, and services that help the community."

"I don't know… seems like a lot of work."

"That's because it is. Jobs always are. So, do you want to give it a try?" Candy asked. Mae thought about her mother's suggestion before nodding.

"Yeah, I guess I could give it a try."

Candy clapped her hands together happily. "Good! I'm glad. Now you'll need to have your own snow equipment. The Ol'pickaxe usually sells them during the winter, they also sell ice scrapers so make sure you buy one of those too." Mae's mother pulled out a wallet from her purse and pulled out a $10 and a $20 and handed them to her.

"Have you been planning this?" Mae asked a bit skeptically, finding it a bit odd how quick her mother was to get her all set up for this.

"Not necessarily this specifically, but I have been keeping an eye open for opportunities for you.

"Thanks, mom. I'll give make sure to do my best."

"I know you will. Once you set your mind to something nothing can stop you."

"Well, college didn't really go exactly as planned."

"That was something your father and I forced onto you. Not something you really decided to do on your own. But I can see that you want this, so I will support you whenever I can. Oh!" Candy was taken aback slightly when she was suddenly embraced by her daughter.

"You're the best mom I could ask for," Mae whispered as she hugged her mom tightly.

"Aw, sweety I love you too." The two remained in a loving embrace for a comfortable minute before pulling apart. "Well I should probably get to bed, After today I am pretty beat. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, thanks again, mom."

"You're welcome." Mrs. Borowski went upstairs, and shortly after Mae would hear her parent's bedroom door shut. Mae looked out the window and realized it had indeed gotten pretty late, not as late as she usually stays out, her dad hasn't come home from work quite yet. She decided that maybe it would be a good idea to go to bed at a reasonable time. She reached for the remote and flipped off the tv. She then hiked up the stairs to the attic. Her computer rested closed by the side of her bed, she decided to check her messages and saw a notification from Gregg.

"Hey man, sorry bout today. I'll be free this upcoming Thursday, we should hang out then! I've got the perfect crime! See you then."

Mae smiled and did a double-check that no one sent her any more messages in the past 5 seconds before shutting off her laptop and tucking it under her bed. She didn't quite feel super tired yet, she glanced around her room before laying eyes on her bass. She picked it up and sat down on her bed. She recalled the first song that they played when she got back home and began to play and sing with some "modified" lyrics.

Dust on this tired old street
Mark corners where we used to play
Dust trace our tired old feet
In circles as we pace our time away

I just wanna die anywhere else
If only I could die anywhere else
So come with me let's die anywhere else
Anywhere, just not here

*Da-da-bada da-da*
Somethin' about some kids going to play
Stuck where the *hmhmmhmm hmmm hm*
Watching all our autumns drift away

I just wanna die anywhere else
If only I could die anywhere else
So come with me let's die anywhere else
Anywhere, just not here

And if they ever hear my name,
Will they know I walked alone?
Doing something streets
I forgot what goes here

And will they ever stop to think
I don't remember these lyrics
Well, But that's okay because

I just wanna die anywhere else
If only I could die anywhere else
So come with me let's die anywhere else
Anywhere, just not here
Oh wo!

Mae fidgetted with the green slips of paper tucked away in her jacket pocket as she made her way up Maple Street and to the City Centre where she passed a 4 member group consisting of a red bird, yellow fox, a blue bear, and a blue crocodile. The group seemed to be arguing about something regarding the rundown theatre between the Click Clack and the Snack Falcon.

"It's of Historical note!" Argued the blue bear

"It's dangerous and a den for unruly teenagers. I propose we convert it into an outdoor theatre."

"Great, and outdoor theatre, and where do you propose we store the props?"

"How about where we put the old spring parade supplies? We don't do that event anymore so it's not we need to keep those around."

"But those are of-"

"Andrew I swear to god if you say Historical note one more time!"

"Excuse me," Mae interrupted causing the group to cease their bickering and turn to her.

"Oh hey, what can we do for you kid?" The yellow fox asked.

"Adult actually, and I was wondering if I could apply to shovel the snow off the sidewalks?" The red bird took out a clipboard and lifted up the top layer. "All the positions have been filled, sorry, try again next year-"

"Actually! Hold up!" The Blue Crocodile butted in. "Dave Amad, one of the names on the list. Apparently, he's gone missing which means there is no one to clear the hill. We all know how bad it is simply walking up when it's covered in ice."

"Hmmm." The red bird pulled out a red pen from their shirt pocket and crossed out one of the names on the paper. "You have a shovel and ice scraper?"

"Not yet, but I was about to get one."

"Alright, do you understand what you'll be doing?"

"I mean, kind of."

"You'll be clearing the sidewalks from the bridge all the way to the memorial on both sides of the road. You'll be clearing snow and scraping off ice build-up at the beginning of every day in which it snowed the previous day."

Just thinking about how long that would take made her want to groan and forget she ever wanted this, but no, if this was the only to keep from being left behind then she wouldn't give up now, especially before she has even given it a chance. "Alright, I understand."

"Good, now, what's your name and address?"

"Margaret Borowski, 128 W, Maple Street."

The council member wrote down the provided information, replacing the name and location that had previously been written down. "Now… where were we?" He asked turning back into the group, leaving Mae standing there a bit confused.

Sure it's not like they needed a super formal interview for her, it wasn't something that required much skill or knowledge. She just expected there'd be a little more to it. With a shrug continued walking up the hill, trudging the snow. It had snowed heavily the night before, leaving nearly half a foot of snow covering the sidewalk. It was no wonder they wanted to hire someone to clear the snow. It would be a huge pain to walk through if it got any higher.

The walk to the Ol'Pickaxe took almost twice as long as normal. Snow accumulated inside her boots and was now grinding against her shins rather uncomfortably like shards of glass. She shook the snow out the best she could before entering the hardware story.

Rather than being greeted by Bea standing infront of the register, there was a familiar green bird standing there. "Germ?"

"Oh, hey Mae."

"Where's Bea?"

"She went out."

"Out? Out where?"

"She didn't say. She just told me to work the register."

"I guess she probably got called out to do a repair. She was talking to me about them yesterday. Anyway, do you know if there are any Snow shovels and Ice scrapers?"

"Yep."

"Good, I need 1 of each."

"Okay." He responded… there was a bit of awkward silence as they both just stared at each other.

"Well, could you get them?"

"Sure." He stepped away from the register and went into the back before coming out with both a wide blue shovel and a flat steel ice scraper. "$28.95"

Mae took out the ten and twenty that she had big rubbing between her thumb and forefinger. "I have thirty." Mae handed the cash to germ who opened the register, retrieved her change and place in the ten and twenty. "Here." He handed back her change and which Mae pocketed before picking up the newly purchased tools. "Thanks, Germ, say hi to Bea for me when she gets back.

"Okay."

Mae looked up at the sky and to her disappointment there was still plenty of daylight, meaning there was no excuse for her to really skip and ignore any responsibilities on the first day. She looked down the street and sighed. This was going to take a very long time.

Starting from the Memorial, Mae leaned the ice scraper on the statue and made her first dent out of many by burying the end of the shovel into the freshly fallen snow. At first, she found it actually kind of fun. Scraping off the snow from the sidewalk and moving into a pile at the side. It reminded her of some of the satisfying videos she'd watch that would involve power washing or power washing equivalent. However, she began to feel colder and colder as her clothes became wet from work alternating between the snow shovel and the ice scraper. Areas where people frequently walk through has packed snow and made it harder to scrape off.

Almost 6 full hours did it take to clear nearly half a mile of snow. Her hands were shaking and her toes felt numb. "What the hell!? This sucks!" She whined and tucked her hands under her arms trying to warm them up, but to no avail. She dragged herself back to her house along with the shovel and ice scraper. She rested tools against the side of the house and marched inside, taking her boots off at the door and setting her coat on the coat hanger. She curled up on the carpet of the front room, letting out a relaxed sigh as the warm heated air enveloped her. "Both sides of the road." She remembered the red bird saying.

"You've gotta be effing kidding me."