The first time I saw her she was empting a wastebasket in my office. "You're new."
She looked up and smiled. "No, just temporary, I helping Maria. I'm Roxie." The gangly teenager dropped my wastebasket back into its holder and then disappeared down our row of offices.
I went back to my paperwork. "Cool."
After the first meeting I saw her around campus several more times and each time she smiled and waved.
One day I asked our regular janitor, Maria, about Roxie. "She's on work release from the jail, they drop her off and pick her up."
I watched Maria's methodical dusting and wiping. "So, is she assigned certain buildings?"
Maria paused. "No sir. She is supposed to work in the Library, but has been helping in other areas." Maria moved on down the row of offices, slowly pushing the rolling barrel along. I am convinced that per hour wages slow the process of work.
A week or so later Maria was absent from her regular rounds and Roxie showed up to pick up my trash. "Hey Doctor Browne."
"Hey, Roxie." This same innocuous conversation went along for the entire week.
One day when Roxie tapped my door and picked up the trash I asked her, "Where's Maria?"
Roxie dropped the trashcan in her usual manner. "She's PG and has some problems, so you all are stuck with me until she gets back."
"Oh, didn't even know she was pregnant." Maria was a large Hispanic woman whose only identifiable feature was that she was about four foot tall, sort of a short brown ball who appeared in my doorway.
Roxie leaned against my door. "Don't think anybody did. Her ol man probably had to use pepper to find it to fuck." Roxie laughed and bounced out the door pushing the large gray barrel.
A couple of days later I was leaning back in my chair with my feet on my desk when Roxie appeared at my door. "Bust yer head like that."
I glanced up. "Hey Roxie, how's tricks?"
"Tricks? You gotta be kidding, my cell mate is a crazy woman. I sleep with one eye open. Reminds me, I saw a condom in your trash the other day. You must be doin' all right."
Embarrassed, I rocked forward. "Accident's happen."
She leaned against my door jam, a habit she seemed to enjoy with our daily little nonsense chats. "Bullshit. You bang'n a student?"
"Roxie, that's kinda personal question don't you think? Anyway I am holding up your work."
"Naw man, old Maria had this down to a science. It took her half a day to clean this wing. I can do it two hours. I'm ahead of schedule and the van doesn't come for me until four o'clock."
I leaned across the desk. "So, what are you in for?"