text: [Themes: Slice of life, female protagonist, marriage, family, real life]
  
  > look at your surroundings
  When you're not in your room you usually hang here, watching TV from the couch. Frank sometimes works at a little desk he's got in here, but he's normally pretty cool with you watching TV while he works. There are stairs to the south. You can get to the kitchen to the northeast and the front door and hallway are northwest.
  Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
  
  > About yourself
  You've gone with your jean cut-offs and a plaid shirt tonight. Nothing fancy, but then it doesn't really need to be.
  
  > Go northeast
  You've already got the plaid shirt.
  
  Mom's been bugging you about learning how to cook, so you've been avoiding the kitchen as much as possible when she's around. There're counters and cabinets along the walls and a table on one side of the kitchen. The hallway's to the west and the living room is southwest.
  
  > examine the cabinets
  The kitchen cabinets are closed.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You've got a flowerdy bag. The flowerdy bag seems to contain foundation, pink blush, eye shadow, and mascara.
  
  > go west
  to the west. There's a bathroom to the north. You can slip around the wall of the hallway and into the living room to the southwest.
  
  > go west
  You'll have to open the front door first.
  
  > Go north
  You open the door and go through, closing it behind you.
  
  An extra bathroom, with a john and sink.
  
  > look at the sink
  The sink's pretty clean since mom had you clean this bathroom last weekend.
  
  > go to the south
  You open the door and go through, closing it behind you.
  
  to the west. There's a bathroom to the north. You can slip around the wall of the hallway and into the living room to the southwest.
  
  > watch the tv
  Yeah, the TV's real exciting when it's off.
  
  > turn on the tv
  You click on the TV. It hums into life, showing a green-tinged Bon Jovi video.
  
  > turn off the tv
  The TV shuts off, its hum fading away.
  
  > talk to Frank
  Frank's absorbed in his work again. You talking to him more's only likely to make him mad.
  
  > Goodgirl
  Saved.
  
  > Go south
  You head up the stairs.
  
  The hall goes north to your bathroom and south to the stairs. Mom
  and Frank's bedroom is to the west, directly across from your room.
  
  > Go west
  Mom and Frank's room is okay, you guess. That waterbed of theirs is pretty sweet, even with that stupid little nightstand next to it.
  Their bathroom is north, and an open door to the east goes back into the hall.
  
  Your billfold! You'll definitely need your money tonight. It better still be in the kitchen where you left it after school.
  
  > Go south
  You head down the stairs.
  
  When you're not in your room you usually hang here, watching TV from the couch. Frank sometimes works at a little desk he's got in here, but he's normally pretty cool with you watching TV while he works. There are stairs to the south. You can get to the kitchen to the northeast and the front door and hallway are northwest.
  Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
  
  > Go northeast
  Mom's been bugging you about learning how to cook, so you've been avoiding the kitchen as much as possible when she's around. There're counters and cabinets along the walls and a table on one side of the kitchen. The hallway's to the west and the living room is southwest.
  
  > look under the table
  You glance under the table, then get down on your hands and knees. There that stupid thing is! You grab the billfold and stand up.
  
  Mom comes bustling in the kitchen with a bunch of groceries, which she plops down on the table. "Hey, Jeanie," she says.
  
  > examine billfold
  All the money you've made the last month at Hardee's is jammed in there.
  
  "Could you help me put the groceries up?" mom asks you.
  
  > look at the Mom
  Mom's wearing her plaid summer dress and has her brown hair up in a bun. She's putting groceries away right now.
  
  > talk to the Mom
  "What'd you get at the store?" you ask mom.
  
  "Right, uh-huh. The usual. Oh," she says, pulling a box out of a sack and showing it to you. "I got Wheat Thins for you." She puts the box away.
  
  > Continue
  "Don't forget I won't be here for supper," you tell mom.
  
  "Right, uh-huh, right," mom says. She sighs. "I wish you'd eat supper here a little more often."
  
  Mom says, "Jeanie dear, I'm making roast tonight. If you're still hungry when you get home, there should be some left in the fridge."
  
  "Um, thanks."
  
  "Right, right, you're welcome."
  
  > open the billfold
  You pop it open and take a quick look. All your Hardee's money from the last month is in there.
  
  > Go west
  to the west. There's a bathroom to the north. You can slip around the wall of the hallway and into the living room to the southwest.
  
  You hear a car horn being honked outside in front of the house. Must be April.
  
  > open the door
  You yank open the door. Sure enough, there's April in her old Mustang. You slam the door shut on your way out, heading for her car.
  
  That toaster's been giving you fits the last few nights. "Could you fix it?" Deb asks, like it's the easiest thing in the world. Least now you're pretty sure it's the power cord and not anything more serious. It oughta be a quick enough fix.
  
  Quick enough once you get a drink, that is.
  
  You'd think you never ate, as hungry as you get every time you go in the kitchen. But you promised Deb no snacks, so the cabinets are off-limits for you. Good thing drinks from the fridge are okay. The den is southwest.
  
  > open the fridge
  Inside the fridge, nestled among the food, are several cans of Coke and Bud.
  
  > get Coke
  You suddenly realize that you've been standing and staring into the open fridge for a while. You shake your head slightly and pull a Coke from the fridge. You'd prefer a Bud, really, but Deb's been on you about that.
  
  > go southwest
  On your way out you lightly kick the door of the fridge, closing it.
  
  You've got the desk where you work pushed up against one wall, over
  by an old stereo you keep meaning to fix. The only thing you can see from the desk is the kitchen to the northeast, but at least your back's to the TV. A worn banister and stairs to the south go up to the second floor.
  Sitting on your desk is a broken toaster, a junk box, a
  Phillips-head screwdriver, and a multimeter.
  
  You hear Jeanie clomping around upstairs. Probably getting ready to go out again tonight.
  
  > fix the toaster
  You're going to have to be more specific.
  
  > examine the cord
  The power cord's gotten pretty frayed from the toaster being plugged and unplugged so much. It's held in the toaster by screws.
  
  > hit the toaster with the screwdriver
  Before starting work on the toaster you lower yourself into your chair.
  
  Attacking the broken toaster doesn't appear productive.
  
  > Dance
  You weren't any good at dancing when you were young. What makes you think you could do it now?
  
  Jeanie comes clumping down the stairs. She's all dressed up, with her plaid shirt tied so that you can see her midriff. "You going out again tonight?" you ask her. She doesn't answer.
  
  > talk to Jeanie
  You decide to take a break from messing with the toaster. "So," you ask Jeanie, "how was school?"
  
  It's a stupid question, and you realize just how stupid it is right after you say it. Jeanie sighs. "How do you think it was?"
  
  > Keep going
  "I hated school, too. Couldn't wait to graduate."
  
  "Yeah? Why'd you even bother? Not like you need a diploma to do factory work."
  
  Should of known better than to even try to talk to her.
  
  > Continue
  "Where you going tonight?" you ask Jeanie as you lean back in the chair and stretch.
  
  "Just out."
  
  > Keep going
  You roll your shoulders some to work the kinks out of them. "Just out? Seems like you oughta stay in and rest up before school tomorrow."
  
  "Look," she snaps, "Mom okayed it. I'm just going to ride around a while."
  
  "Whoa, whoa, okay." You decide to drop the whole thing. No skin off your nose if she wants to be tired tomorrow.
  
  > Continue
  As snappy as she's been tonight, you'd just as soon not hear her talk right now.
  
  "What'cha working on?" You look up to find Jeanie looking at the toaster like she's never seen one before.
  
  > keep going
  "It's a toaster," you tell Jeanie, since she can't figure it out by herself.
  
  "Oh. What's wrong with it?"
  
  > continue
  You briefly toy with the idea of saying, "It's broken," but she seems almost interested. "Well, I think the heating element might be shorting."
  
  "Oh," she says, and wanders away. Guess she wasn't that interested.
  
  > keep going
  As snappy as she's been tonight, you'd just as soon not hear her talk right now.
  
  "Where's mom, Frank?" Jeanie asks you.
  
  > Continue
  "She's gone to the Pig," you tell her. "Why, was there something you wanted her to get?"
  
  She shakes her head. "Nah." You shrug and turn back to the toaster.
  
  > Continue
  As snappy as she's been tonight, you'd just as soon not hear her talk right now.
  
  Jeanie clears her throat. You brace yourself for whatever she wants. "Um, can I borrow some cash for tonight? 'Cause I'm kinda short."
  
  > Continue
  "You know money's tight right now," you tell Jeanie. Besides, when does she not want money?
  
  "Money's always tight." Her voice gives you a headache every time she starts whining like this. "I only need a twenty."
  
  > Continue
  Does Jeanie even listen to you? "I told you. Money's tight. Fixing the station wagon took all our extra money this month." Thankfully, she doesn't say anything back.
  
  > remove the cord
  You take the cord off of the old stereo.
  
  > eat the cord
  Which cord do you mean, the stereo power cord, or the frayed power cord?
  
  > attach the stereo cord to the toaster
  The toaster's already got a power cord.
  
  > remove frayed cord
  It's got to be unscrewed first.
  
  > unscrew the frayed cord
  As careful as you can you loosen the screws holding the cord and take it out of the toaster.
  
  > tie the knot in the cord
  You've already got the frayed power cord.
  
  I don't know the word "tie".
  
  > attach the stereo cord to the toaster
  You put the cord from the stereo in the toaster where the old one used to be.
  
  > stand
  You start to stand up, but glance at the toaster. You've got to be close to fixing it. It shouldn't take you too much longer.
  
  > plug in the toaster
  Not while you're fixing it.
  
  > screw the cord to the toaster
  You put the old power cord back in the toaster and screw it in tight.
  
  > screw the power cord
  Which power cord do you mean, the stereo power cord, or the frayed power cord?
  
  > get up
  With a start you realize that you've been staring at the wall for the past few minutes. Better do at least a little more work on the toaster before you give up.
  
  The sound of the front door slamming startles you. Jeanie's left already? Wonder where she's going.
  
  The nice thing about going grocery shopping this late is that the store isn't too crowded and you can check out quickly. It would have been better if Julie Morgan hadn't been there, making those snide comments of hers, but all in all it wasn't too bad. Now maybe Frank or Jeanie can help you put the groceries away.
  
  The carport's in bad need of a cleaning, what with all of the
  supplies for fixing the cars lining the sides and spilling out almost into the middle. It's getting so you can't hardly find space for the station wagon, though you managed to squeeze it in somehow. And you're beginning to think that you might as well get rid of the bikes. The side door to the house is to the west.
  The station wagon's door is wide open.
  
  > check your inventory
  You've got sacks of groceries and your key ring.
  
  > About yourself
  Your slacks have seen better days, but you were only going to the Piggly Wiggly. Your arms are filled with sacks from the store.
  
  > Go inside
  You'll have to open the side door first.
  
  > open side door
  Better close the car door before you go in.
  
  > close car door
  You bump the door closed with your hip, but it doesn't quite make it. It stops short, leaving the dome light on.
  
  > examine the car door
  The door's wide open.
  
  > open the side door
  It's locked. Frank must've locked it when he got home.
  
  > examine the bags
  You must be holding some five or six sacks. But it was either that or make several trips from the car, and as tired as you are, you'd just as soon get this chore done quickly.
  
  > open the side door
  It's locked.
  
  > unlock side door
  (with your key ring)
  You pull your key ring out, but drop it before you can unlock the door. "Shit!" you exclaim, then look around. Looks like no one heard you.
  
  It's just not your night.
  
  > open the car door
  You adjust the groceries and manage to pull open the car door.
  
  > close the car door
  You hit the door pretty hard with your hip. It closes.
  
  > knock on the door
  Which door do you mean, the side door, or the car door?
  
  > get the keys
  It's tough bending down and getting your keys without spilling groceries out of the sacks, but you manage it.
  
  > unlock door
  (with your key ring)
  You fumble with your keys and finally manage to get the door unlocked.
  
  > open the door
  You almost drop a sack doing it, but you eventually manage to get the side door open. You go through it and close it behind you.
  
  The living room is starting to look a little dusty, the TV
  especially. There are two paths worn in the green shag carpet, one going from the stairs to the front door, the other from the stairs to the kitchen, right by Frank's desk and the row of family pictures. The door to the carport is east.
  Frank's boots are sitting in the middle of the floor again.
  Frank is sitting in the chair, hunched over his desk.
  
  > examine Frank
  Frank is studying that broken toaster intently.
  
  > look at the boots
  Frank's left his boots in the middle of the floor again.
  
  > Kiss frank
  You don't want to distract him. Besides, you're not really in the mood tonight.
  
  > go east
  You just came from there, and with all those groceries. No sense in going back out again.