Jenna took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the management office for her apartment building. She wasn't looking forward to this, but better sooner than later.

"Come in."

She opened the door. "Nicole?"

"Oh, hello, Jenna. Come in and have a seat. What can I do for you?"

Jenna sat in front of the superintendent's desk and started twiddling her fingers. She always got nervous when it came to talking about money.

"Um, it's about the rent for the next month."

"Yes? What about it?" Nicole leaned back in her chair and crossed her left and right legs over her center one.

"Well, I mean, the due date is only a week away, and I don't think I'll be able to have it ready in time, so I was wondering if you could maybe give me an extension?" She was rushing her words, but she wanted to hurry up and rip off the band-aid.

"No, I'm afraid not," said Nicole. "We don't really do grace periods here. We do have other options for payment, though, remember? You sounded so excited about that when you got it done the first time. You aren't losing interest in it, are you?"

"No, no," said Jenna. "I'm still super into it. I just don't know how much of a commitment it is if  it stands in for a whole month of rent."

"It's really not that much of a hassle," said Nicole. "We just need you to contribute some bio-fluid to the communal supply. Your body will naturally replenish itself in about two months."

"Two months is a long time to go without something," said Jenna.

"Maybe if you're going without food or heat," said Nicole. "This way is much easier, and you're helping contribute to your community, just like everyone else."

"Well, when you put it like that," said Jenna, "how can I refuse?"

"Okay, good," said Nicole, uncrossing her legs and circling around to the other side of the desk. She opened a drawer in a cabinet and took out a clear plastic jar with a complicated latch on the lid. "What are you thinking of contributing? I'm afraid the neck wouldn't be quite enough. Maybe a limb?"

"No, it would take me too long to get used to the loaner for a limb," said Jenna. "I'd rather go with the middle."

"Are you sure?" said Nicole. "You don't get as much bio-fluid from the midsection. Not nearly so much macro-structure. I'd need to take all of it."

"I'm sure," said Jenna. "Take all you need." She lifted her shirt up to expose her belly and found the small seam below her ribcage with her fingers. The seam parted with gentle pressure, and she stuck her hand inside and felt around for the release catch. When she felt the click, she lifted her torso free and set down on one of the arms of the chair.

With one arm wrapped around the back of the chair for support, Jenna felt behind the waistband of her shorts for the other seam. She reached inside and undid the other catch, and when it clicked open, she lifted up and handed her disembodied belly to Nicole, leaving everything from the hips down sitting in the chair, one leg still nervously bouncing up and down.

"There you go," said Jenna. "This should do."

"Yeah, that should be plenty," said Nicole, taking the section of Jenna's middle and placing it inside the canister. After she closed and latched the lid, the canister started to hum, and the object that had recently been part of Jenna started to vibrate and disintegrate into bio-fluid like a room-temperature Jello.

"You haven't had trouble with your rent before, Jenna," said Nicole. "Everything still okay at work?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine," said Jenna. "They're just doing some remodeling right now, so most of us are on reduced hours for a little while. And besides that, I caught my shirt sleeve on something the other day and needed to get that taken care of."

"But the reduced hours aren't permanent, right?"

"Oh, no. I'll definitely be back in the black by next month. I might even get some extra after the stuff they're adding."

"Well, good. That's good to hear."

The canister stopped humming. Instead of a body part, it was now half full of an iridescent blue-green liquid.

"And that should do it," said Nicole. "Just let me get you a loaner and we'll be all set. You need any help getting it on?"

"No, I can manage," said Jenna. "I better get used to managing it myself for the next two months anyway, right?"

Nicole handed Jenna a small clear plastic rod with sockets at both ends. Jenna lowered her torso onto her lap and laid on her back as she felt for the latch beneath her ribcage. Once she found the latch and inserted one end of the rod, it locked into place with a twist and a click. She then lifted her upper half into place above her lower half and leaned her head forward to get as good a view as possible, and she tilted back and forth to get the other end of the rod aligned, twisting the connection into place until it clicked and she was whole again.

"And there we go," said Jenna, rising stiffly to her feet. "Thanks again, Nicole, for your understanding."

"Not at all," said Nicole, shaking Jenna's hand warmly. "I'm happy to help when I can. I'll see you at the cookout, right?"

"Right," said Jenna. "See you there."

Jenna left the superintendent's office, feeling better about her rent, but worrying a little now about all the sweaters and dresses she'd have to wear for the next two months. After all, she didn't want to have the same awkward conversation with everyone she met about how she had fallen behind on her rent.