Freaks in the City by Maree Anderson Page A

could think of a way to get him
back.
     
    ~~~
     
     
     

Chapter Six

    Sharp prickly impulses needled Jay’s muscles.
She ignored them, telling herself she should be content to lie in
the shelter of Tyler’s arms. Faint light filtered through the
blinds and crept up the comforter to tease her determinedly closed
eyelids… which snapped open at the faint squeal of a door.
Footfalls in the hallway.
    Vanessa.
    Jay considered swearing rather pointless. It
didn’t make her feel better or empower her in any way, shape, or
form. Consequently, she didn’t swear unless it was the most
appropriate response for any given social situation. But… damn that girl.
    When alone in her apartment, Jay would
unselfconsciously do whatever she deemed necessary, whenever she
deemed it necessary. If she felt the urge to explode into motion
and run up a wall—see whether she could make it further across the
ceiling than last time before gravity held sway—she did so. If she
wanted to test whether vriksasana , tree pose, did indeed
improve concentration as claimed, then she would stand on her left
foot with her right knee bent and her right sole placed on her
upper inner thigh, for an hour or two without a qualm.
    Of course she made every effort to moderate
her behaviors and experiments with Tyler present, confining her
physical activities to more socially acceptable outlets, such as
performing katas or running through tai chi forms.
    Reading, too, was a pastime she enjoyed.
Sure, she could scan the entire contents of a book in minutes, but
for Jay, reading wasn’t about quantity. She loved analyzing and
puzzling over the author’s word choices—why this particular
word here and not a suitable synonym? She loved how words combined
into phrases that provoked vivid images and emotions. She loved the
rhythms of words, and how changing those rhythms could so
drastically alter the ambiance of a particular segment. She would
devour a book from cover to cover, savoring every word, every
sentence, before starting straight in on the next. She bought a
stack of books every week from various bookstores, and felt no need
to apologize for her passion. Many humans were passionate about
reading, too.
    There were times, though, when she would do
something extraordinary without fully considering the implications.
Like rearranging all the furniture in the lounge while Tyler was
taking out the garbage, because she wanted to test the feng shui of the living space as per the book she’d just finished
reading. Once he’d gotten over the initial shock of rearranged
furniture, Tyler hadn’t been bothered. He knew what she was,
accepted those parts of herself she chose to reveal. He didn’t make
her feel like a freak.
    But Jay could not risk doing something out
of the ordinary in front of Vanessa—not when Vanessa would be
watching, judging. And now she was already up and about, and making
it difficult for Jay to be herself. Again.
    She slowly eased from Tyler’s embrace,
careful not to disturb his slumber. There were times when
possessing superb fine muscle control was advantageous and this was
one of those times. Once on her feet, she glanced down at herself.
Light cotton shorts, a t-shirt, and bare feet would not be
considered suitable jogging attire. It would doubtless draw
unwanted attention—could even lead people to conclude she was
trying to escape someone who meant her harm. She eased open a
drawer and pulled out a pair of sweats.
    On her way out, she swiped her iPod from the
tallboy and her sneakers from the floor by the wardrobe. She cast
one more glance at Tyler before she pulled the bedroom door shut
behind her.
    She discovered Vanessa peering into the
fridge and muttering to herself.
    “If you’re looking for milk, we’re fresh
out.” She’d intended to get up early and slip out to purchase a
carton. “There’s a UHT carton in the pantry.”
    Vanessa straightened with one hand on her
chest where she doubtless imagined her heart was