Freaks in the City

by Maree Anderson

  He heard the lock on the bathroom door engage. Damn. Now what was he supposed to do?

  “She wiped off the message I left you on the whiteboard,” Jay said, brushing past him to lean on the wall. “I suspected she might.”

  Tyler gave her WTF eyes. “If you suspected she might pull something like that, why didn’t you, I dunno, write me a note and leave it on my pillow or something?”

  “I was giving her the benefit of the doubt. Isn’t that what… we are supposed to do?”

  Tyler figured the ever so slight pause meant she’d been about to say “humans”. And it bothered him she had to censor herself because of their unwanted guest. “She’s gotta go,” he said. “I don’t care how dire her situation is.”

  “Don’t be such a hardass, Tyler. Everyone makes mistakes.”

  He snorted. “Yeah. But she’s way the heck over her quota. No frickin’ way is she getting a free pass on this one.”

  “Who said anything about a free pass? Tyler, you’ve only got six point th—” She paused. “You’ve got about five minutes before the bus arrives.”

  “I’ll make it.”

  “No you won’t. I’ll give you a lift.”

  “And what about our little problem?” He jerked his thumb at the bathroom door. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to leave her here on her own?”

  Jay wrinkled her nose. “Botheration.”

  Tyler snickered, amused despite himself. “Botheration?”

  “What I really want to say would sear your eardrums. Please, just this once take a cab? And leave me to handle this.”

  “You sure? I can take the next bus.”

  “You’ll be late for your first class. And I’m sure. Grab some cash from the bedside drawer.”

  “Okay. Just this once. Text me if you need me.” He leaned in to whisper, “Like, if you feel an overwhelming desire to strangle Vanessa properly this time. I’ll come straight home and help you get rid of the body.”

  Her lips twitched. “I will.”

  He pressed a quick kiss to the side of her mouth and headed for the main bedroom to grab the cab fare. As he wandered back down the hallway, he hesitated outside the door to the bathroom and seriously considered pressing his ear to the door. But with her super-cyborg hearing, Jay would know he was listening in. And she would have every right to be unimpressed to the max he didn’t trust her to sort this without him hovering.

  He raced upstairs, grabbed his artwork from the studio, and headed out the door.

  ~~~

  Chapter Seven

  Jay stood to one side of the shower cubicle and waited for Tyler’s oblivious ex-girlfriend to notice she wasn’t alone. Vanessa hadn’t switched on the extractor fan and steam billowed from the cubicle. It lingered in the air like a finely woven shroud before descending to pearl each surface with a delicate mist. Jay extended an arm and watched as her outer dermal layer absorbed the moisture.

  The water shut off. Jay heard a breathy sigh. There was a pause, and then the shower door opened. Vanessa stepped from the cubicle and blindly reached for the towel she’d left on the heated rail.

  Jay handed her the towel.

  “Thanks,” Vanessa said automatically.

  Wait for it….

  Her shriek was slasher horror-worthy. She certainly had an impressive lung capacity.

  She whimpered and clutched the towel, vainly trying to hide herself behind it.

  “Oh, please,” Jay said. “It’s not like I haven’t seen naked bodies before.”

  Vanessa blinked water from her eyes. “I locked the door!”

  “Yes, you did.” Jay left it at that because the implications should have been obvious.

  Vanessa’s eyes grew huge. She reminded Jay of a bedraggled bushbaby—one of those small nocturnal primates with the big round eyes, native to continental Africa. Except Jay didn’t find Vanessa the least bit cute.

  “Wh-what do you want?”

  Jay folded her arms across her chest. “What do you think I want, Vanessa?”

  “I-I have no idea!”

  “Sure you do.”

  Vanessa thrust back her shoulders and stuck out her chest.

  Oh, please. Really? Jay resisted the impulse to roll her eyes.

  “If we’re gonna have a bitch fight, can I at least get dressed first?” Vanessa asked in a calm, even tone that belied her frantic heartbeat.

  Okay, that was mildly impressive. Jay gave her points for sheer guts. “Whatever makes you comfortable.” She made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “After you.”

  Vanessa scuttled past her and headed straight for the dubious sanctuary of her bedroom. Jay gave her two minutes to armor herself with clothes before striding after her.

  She had pulled on sweatpants and managed to struggle into the crop top Jay had provided for her by the time Jay entered the bedroom. She snatched a look at Jay and grabbed for a t-shirt. Her moan of distress sounded unnaturally loud.

  Jay halted, waiting until Vanessa had shoved herself into the t-shirt. Cornered animals tended to attack, and she had no desire to inadvertently injure Vanessa if the girl lashed out.

  Mmm. Interesting. The need to “bitch slap” Vanessa and yank a few handfuls of hair from her scalp—maybe rake her nails down that pretty face—had all but vanished. And thankfully, the seething heat that had rippled over Jay in waves from the instant Vanessa had invaded her home had been replaced with a more familiar cool calm logic.

  A quick analysis of her reactions to various events led Jay to conclude her normal state of being had returned because Tyler had displayed no overt signs of being physically attracted to Vanessa—despite her accosting him clad only in a towel. He’d been angry, irritated, exasperated. But there had been no hint of underlying sexual tension that would suggest a hidden attraction to his ex.

  Jay found it even more interesting that she had unconsciously registered this fact and her physiology had reacted accordingly, allowing her to deal calmly and logically with Vanessa. Processing information at an unconscious level and reacting accordingly might be the norm for humans, but not for cyborgs. She was still changing, evolving. Becoming more and more humanlike.

  “So?” Vanessa visibly trembled with tension.

  “So, I’ll make this easy for you, Vanessa. And I’ll be painfully blunt so there’s no misunderstandings. Tyler is mine. You had your chance and you blew it. If you even think of making a play for him, I’ll make you sorry you were born. Is that clear?”

  “Y-yes. Of course. I wouldn’t…. I would never—”

  “But you did, didn’t you?”

  Vanessa’s lower lip did what Tyler would describe as a “primo wobble”. Jay remained unmoved. “Didn’t you, Vanessa?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I made a play for him.”

  “You kissed him.” That much had been obvious from the state of her lips.

  “Don’t worry, he didn’t kiss me back.”

  “Oh, I’m not worried. But I would like to know why you kissed him.” Jay asked out of genuine interest. Human emotions and the often illogical actions they provoked were endlessly fascinating.

  Vanessa sank onto the bed and sagged. She clasped her hands tightly before wedging them between her knees. She couldn’t meet Jay’s gaze. She wiggled her toes and stared fixedly at them. “You want the truth?”

  “That would be nice.”

  Vanessa peered up at her, suspicion etched in her features.

  Jay puffed out a sigh and trusted it successfully conveyed exasperation. “I was not being sarcastic. Just tell me the truth and then we can move on.”

  “Okay. Tyler’s a great guy. And when we were together, I was happy—really happy. Only….”

  When she didn’t continue, Jay prompted, “Only, what?”

  “I didn’t realize it at the time. So I threw it all away. I threw him away. And I just wanted….” She swallowed. “I just wanted to feel like that again.”

  “Happy.”

  “Yes. Is that so wrong?” Defia
nce colored every word.

  “It depends on your personal code of ethics.”

  A tiny frown pleated Vanessa’s brows as she processed this statement.

  Jay decided to put her out of her misery and help her along. “You might have been happy. Tyler might even have been happy… once he got over the guilt of two-timing his girlfriend and figured out how to put the past behind him. And your happiness would have come at a price. Mine.” She cocked her head, as she reviewed her argument. “Truthfully, I don’t believe Tyler could ever be happy with you. Not only does he not do guilt very well, trust is a huge issue with him.”

  “Trust?” Vanessa’s question lacked conviction. She knew very well what Jay was getting at.

  “Tyler. Matt. Shawn. Tyler again. Gosh, who might be the next best thing?”

  Vanessa winced.

  Jay hammered the point home. “And the lies are a problem, Vanessa. He has to have wondered how far would you have gone. Would you have let the principal expel him? What if Shawn had decided to really stick the knife in by notifying the authorities instead of contenting himself with rumor-mongering? Would you have let Tyler be charged with attempted date-rape just to cover up your drug-dealing and Shawn’s nasty little steroid habit? You could have ruined Tyler’s life with your lies. You nearly did. So what on earth makes you think you can flash a bit of bare skin and a pouty smile and he’ll want you again?”

  Vanessa’s mouth worked but she couldn’t manage to speak actual words.

  Jay didn’t wait for her to get it together. She could be as relentless as any other machine programmed to perform a task. “Even if I wasn’t in the picture, why would he want to have anything to do with you after what you did to him?”

  Vanessa hiccupped. Tears slipped down her cheeks and her shoulders shook. But she didn’t look away from Jay. She didn’t duck her head and bury her face in her hands and try to hide from the truth.

  Courage of a sort. There was hope for her yet.

  “You’re right,” Vanessa said.

  “Yes. I generally am. It’s an annoying habit of mine.”

  Vanessa managed a watery smile. “Thanks.”

  Jay blinked. “For what?”

  “I needed to hear that.”

  “Then I’m pleased I could oblige you.” She didn’t believe Vanessa would be throwing herself at Tyler again anytime soon, but it might be prudent to introduce her to other eligible males—not that she would attract anyone suitable in her current state. In Jay’s estimation, Vanessa was not one of those females who could cry and still look attractive.

  “Finish getting dressed,” she said.

  “Why?” Vanessa chewed her lip, looking all woebegone with a hefty dash of uh-oh! apprehension.

  “Because I’m taking you shopping.”

  Vanessa shot her a look that clearly suggested she thought Jay had lost her mind. “You serious?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you being nice to me?”

  “There’s nothing ‘nice’ about taking you shopping,” Jay assured her. “You need clothes. I would rather not have you borrowing mine—or Tyler’s for that matter. Buying you clothes solves both our problems. If you’d rather stay here, I can pick out a range of items for you. But I’m guessing you’d rather accompany me and help choose your own clothes. From what I recall, your style and mine don’t exactly mesh.”

  Vanessa’s gaze took in Jay’s current attire. She didn’t quite stoop to a shudder but it was a close call. “I’ll be ready in five.”

  “Make it ten. I’d like a quick shower after my run. Oh, and Vanessa?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why did you leave Snapperton?”

  Vanessa worried her lower lip with her teeth but she did manage to meet Jay’s gaze. “I needed to get away. From my parents. From the kids who keep judging me. From… everything. I needed a fresh start.”

  Part of the truth at least. But there was something she wasn’t revealing. Jay didn’t push it. She left Vanessa to “get ready”—whatever that entailed.

  Jay had only been on two clothes-buying sprees in the company of another female. Both times that female had been Tyler’s sister, Caro, who had a knack for finding bargains at pre-loved clothing boutiques. Jay’s own idea of shopping was to enter a store, analyze the offerings, pick suitable garments off the racks, and pay for them. Quick. Efficient.

  She didn’t believe for a second Vanessa would appreciate shopping for pre-loved clothing. Nor would Vanessa likely appreciate Jay’s preferred method—a method that had resulted in Caro turning a rather interesting shade of plum.

  This excursion should be enlightening. It would gave Jay the opportunity to observe Vanessa when she was out in public and likely to be distracted by the prospect of spending someone else’s money.

  There was something irregular about her sudden impulse to leave her life in Snapperton behind and come all this way to throw herself on Tyler’s mercy. Why Tyler? Why not Caro, Vanessa’s former best friend since their first day at Greenfield High? Caro pretended to be a hardass, but she wanted to believe the best of people. Despite their falling out it would have been highly unlikely for Caro to have refused to help Vanessa in these circumstances.

  Hah. It was a waste of energy to ponder Vanessa’s hidden agenda. As Father had been so fond of saying, all would be revealed in time.

  ~~~

  Nessa lay on her bed, idly flicking through a magazine while Jay did… whatever it was Jay did to occupy herself until Tyler finished up his classes. Surely she didn’t spend all day preparing meals from scratch? Nessa would have outright asked what Jay did to pass the time but she didn’t want to come across all nosy and ruin the tentative truce that had formed between them—a truce that had even resulted in Jay agreeing to call her “Nessa”.

  Shopping with Jay had been a revelation. She’d been extraordinarily generous, reeling off a list of items she deemed Nessa required, and not batting an eyelid at the cost. Nessa had been so grateful for the opportunity to purchase quality stuff that would last, instead of cheap and nasty knockoffs, she’d been desperate to do something—anything—to show how much she appreciated Jay’s generosity. Because she had little ready cash and Jay had refused to let her shout lunch, the next best option was a spur of the moment makeover for Jay. But after dragging Jay into boutique after boutique in search of a special outfit that would showcase her looks, it’d quickly become apparent the girl was extraordinarily clueless when it came to buying clothes for herself.

  Nessa shook her head at the memory. Sheesh. What was with the speed-shopping? Who did that—walked in, glanced around, grabbed stuff off the racks and bought it without even trying it on? No wonder Jay’s idea of dressing up was jeans and tops and sneakers.

  She grinned, imagining the expression on Tyler’s face when Jay got ’round to wearing the gorgeous royal blue dress Nessa had talked her into buying. Even in bare feet, on Jay the outfit was a traffic-stopper. It’d certainly stopped that snooty sales assistant mid-snark when Jay had emerged from the changing room to ask Nessa’s opinion. She’d been all, “Omigod, you’re that model from ANTM! Can I have your autograph?” Stupid cow.

  Did Tyler ever owe Nessa big-time, because Jay had been ready to put the dress back on the rack. It’d taken some fast talking from Nessa, the shop assistant, and the abruptly no-longer-bored guy waiting for his girlfriend to choose an outfit to convince Jay she looked totally hot and she’d wow Tyler in the dress.

  That girl. She had no idea how gorgeous she was. Just like she had no idea a wolf-whistle from a guy was in fact a compliment, and that Tyler would like seeing her all dressed up.

  Who could have guessed that shopping with Jay would be so much fun? Or that she’d—mock-gasp!—actually like spending girl-time with Jay?

  Or that she’d begin to realize exactly what Tyler saw in her.

  Guilt dimmed Nessa’s glow of pleasure. As if on cue, her cell phone bleeped an incoming text. Her stomach flip-flopped. There was only
one person who had this number. Heck, she didn’t even know the number because she hadn’t bothered to find out—the whole, if I ignore it maybe it’ll go away thing.

  Her hands shook as she checked the message.

  Did you enjoy your shopping excursion? Keep up the good work.

  Her stomach crawled up her throat and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from puking up the delicious lunch Jay had bought her. OhGodohGodohGod. He’d been watching them at the mall.

  She deleted the text and flung the phone away.

  She was fooling herself. Again. She wasn’t Jay’s friend. She was a spy.

  Nessa buried her face in her arms and wondered when she was gonna wise up and stop making dumbass choices that always, always! ended up ruining her life and hurting others.

  ~~~

  Chapter Eight

  Tyler resisted the urge to stick his finger in his ear and waggle it around a bit to make sure he’d heard right. Jay had taken Nessa shopping and they’d both not only survived, but enjoyed the experience? Wonders would never cease. It was like he’d been transported to some freaky parallel universe where Jay and Nessa were BFFs.

  Jay noted his reaction and responded with a skillfully quirked eyebrow that could have meant anything from “Surprise! She’s a nice kid, really—who coulda guessed?” to “I’m merely biding my time, waiting for Vanessa to piss me off so I have an excuse to stuff her in a box and ship her ass back to Snapperton.”

  Nessa tossed her fork onto her plate and leaned back in her chair. “You don’t have to look so damn surprised, Tyler. We’re both grownups. We can put aside our differences.” Her gaze challenged him to disagree... and perhaps apply the same sentiment a little closer to home.

  He swigged his soda to stop himself blurting a few painful facts. He oh-so-carefully placed the can on the coaster and settled for, “Jay doesn’t know you as well as I do, Vanessa.”