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I had everything I needed to post yesterday, but I forgot that yesterday was Saturday, so here it is a day late.
“I still don’t see why you had me switch shifts if we weren’t going to be leaving until the afternoon,” Marissa grumbled. She had been totally packed the night before and now sat board out of her wits by a window in Franny’s room. Typically she would have just tossed a change of clothes and a few necessities in her much used backpack and been ready in 10 minutes, but Franny had insisted in helping her pack. With that the case last night her room had looked as Franny’s did now; clothes strewn on every surface. Franny had been utterly dismayed at the “pitiful selection” she’d had to work with and insisted that Marissa take a shopping trip with her very soon.
Marissa did have to admit that in comparison to Franny’s wardrobe, her’s was very limited. Not that she really cared, she had no patience for clothes shopping and she’d never had the money to go out and just buy clothes because she wanted to.
“Which do you like better?” Marissa looked at the scraps of cloth Franny had in her hands, one hand held something black, the other, bright green.
“First, what are they?”
“Bathing sutes, what else?”
“You are going to sun bathe?” Marissa asked suddenly alert?
Franny laughed, “Not in the peak of the day, these are for the morning and evening.”
“Oh, well, then the black, less chance of having anything mistaken for a lime,” Marissa joked.
“Limes?” Franny glanced down at her ample chest.
“Okay, limes on steroids,”
“That is more like it.” Both women exchanged serious looks for about half a second then burst into laughter.
“What is with the uproar?” Jason asked from the door.
It took a few tries, but eventually, Franny was able to get “Limes on steroids,” out between breaths. The confused look that clouded his face only sent the women into a new fit of laughter. Marissa was finally able to regain her composure and finally looked up at Jason. He was leaning against the door jam looking extraordinarily beautiful. Marissa marveled at how easy it was to live with the Havenwards now that she knew. Sure, it had never been hard, but she hadn’t noticed the tension until it was gone. Now that they no longer had to keep up charade in front of her, everyone was more relaxed. When she had gotten back from work that night, Franny had come bounding up to her and hugged her enthusiastically. “Welcome to the family ‘Rissa!”
Marissa had looked to Jason confused. “Remember those “adaptations” I told you about? This little freak has adapted even more. She hears thoughts.”
“She reads minds?” Would the hard to swallow stuff never end?
“Nope.” Franny answered her unspoken question.
Marissa looked at her startled, “Each of us is born with something special, something unique. Even I am surprised from time to time. Do not worry. I try not to listen most of the time. Some thought are just hard to miss, and then there is you, your thoughts are all over your face, no listening required.”
Marissa thought about that for a minute, then turned back to Jason, “What’s your adaptation?”
“How is your hard to swallow meter?” Jason ran his fingers down her cheek.
“It can handle a little more.”
“It is not much different than your gift.” Marissa winced at its mention. “It is a gift, nothing to be ashamed of, but you got me off track. You see things that will happen, I see things that have happened. Think of me as a walking History Channel.”
“Hmm,” Marissa hadn’t known what to say to that.
The sound of Franny’s renewed laughter brought Marissa back to the present, “Thank god, please save me. Franny has had me trapped playing dress-up for the past two hours.”
“Are you done torturing my girlfriend, or is there still some of her patience you want to test?” Jason asked his sister blandly.
It gave Marissa a small thrill to hear him refer to her as his girlfriend. They weren’t dating in the traditional sense, but they did spend all their spare time together.
Franny stifled a giggle. “No, we are done. I will take our bags down to the car, we would not want to forget anything when we leave.” Franny took her large suitcase and made a face as she also took the backpack from Marissa’s feet. “I really wish you would take me up on the offer of a real piece of luggage.”
Marissa shrugged and smiled innocently, “Why? We’re only going to the weekend, right?”
Franny huffed away. “That girl has an odd obsession with clothes. Did you know she threatened to take me shopping when she saw the inside of my closet? She called it a fashion travesty, and that no closet that size should have so few clothes.” Marissa then smiled to herself. “So, I told her to make my closet smaller. I thought she would choke.”
“I am sure she will recover. And if you do not go shopping with her, she will just pick the clothes out for you.” Marissa looked appalled at the idea. “How about we go and get something to eat before we leave?”
Marissa couldn’t help but shudder. Once the secret had come out, the family hasn’t tried so hard to hide their eating habits from her. She had joined them for dinner once, and had excused herself every time after. It didn’t disgust her, they did use utensils and the like, but the smell of raw meat had always upset her stomach.
Jason read her hesitation, “Do not worry. I do not need the extra iron right now, we can have a proper meal in town.”
“I still don’t see why you had me switch shifts if we weren’t going to be leaving until the afternoon,” Marissa grumbled. She had been totally packed the night before and now sat board out of her wits by a window in Franny’s room. Typically she would have just tossed a change of clothes and a few necessities in her much used backpack and been ready in 10 minutes, but Franny had insisted in helping her pack. With that the case last night her room had looked as Franny’s did now; clothes strewn on every surface. Franny had been utterly dismayed at the “pitiful selection” she’d had to work with and insisted that Marissa take a shopping trip with her very soon.
Marissa did have to admit that in comparison to Franny’s wardrobe, her’s was very limited. Not that she really cared, she had no patience for clothes shopping and she’d never had the money to go out and just buy clothes because she wanted to.
“Which do you like better?” Marissa looked at the scraps of cloth Franny had in her hands, one hand held something black, the other, bright green.
“First, what are they?”
“Bathing sutes, what else?”
“You are going to sun bathe?” Marissa asked suddenly alert?
Franny laughed, “Not in the peak of the day, these are for the morning and evening.”
“Oh, well, then the black, less chance of having anything mistaken for a lime,” Marissa joked.
“Limes?” Franny glanced down at her ample chest.
“Okay, limes on steroids,”
“That is more like it.” Both women exchanged serious looks for about half a second then burst into laughter.
“What is with the uproar?” Jason asked from the door.
It took a few tries, but eventually, Franny was able to get “Limes on steroids,” out between breaths. The confused look that clouded his face only sent the women into a new fit of laughter. Marissa was finally able to regain her composure and finally looked up at Jason. He was leaning against the door jam looking extraordinarily beautiful. Marissa marveled at how easy it was to live with the Havenwards now that she knew. Sure, it had never been hard, but she hadn’t noticed the tension until it was gone. Now that they no longer had to keep up charade in front of her, everyone was more relaxed. When she had gotten back from work that night, Franny had come bounding up to her and hugged her enthusiastically. “Welcome to the family ‘Rissa!”
Marissa had looked to Jason confused. “Remember those “adaptations” I told you about? This little freak has adapted even more. She hears thoughts.”
“She reads minds?” Would the hard to swallow stuff never end?
“Nope.” Franny answered her unspoken question.
Marissa looked at her startled, “Each of us is born with something special, something unique. Even I am surprised from time to time. Do not worry. I try not to listen most of the time. Some thought are just hard to miss, and then there is you, your thoughts are all over your face, no listening required.”
Marissa thought about that for a minute, then turned back to Jason, “What’s your adaptation?”
“How is your hard to swallow meter?” Jason ran his fingers down her cheek.
“It can handle a little more.”
“It is not much different than your gift.” Marissa winced at its mention. “It is a gift, nothing to be ashamed of, but you got me off track. You see things that will happen, I see things that have happened. Think of me as a walking History Channel.”
“Hmm,” Marissa hadn’t known what to say to that.
The sound of Franny’s renewed laughter brought Marissa back to the present, “Thank god, please save me. Franny has had me trapped playing dress-up for the past two hours.”
“Are you done torturing my girlfriend, or is there still some of her patience you want to test?” Jason asked his sister blandly.
It gave Marissa a small thrill to hear him refer to her as his girlfriend. They weren’t dating in the traditional sense, but they did spend all their spare time together.
Franny stifled a giggle. “No, we are done. I will take our bags down to the car, we would not want to forget anything when we leave.” Franny took her large suitcase and made a face as she also took the backpack from Marissa’s feet. “I really wish you would take me up on the offer of a real piece of luggage.”
Marissa shrugged and smiled innocently, “Why? We’re only going to the weekend, right?”
Franny huffed away. “That girl has an odd obsession with clothes. Did you know she threatened to take me shopping when she saw the inside of my closet? She called it a fashion travesty, and that no closet that size should have so few clothes.” Marissa then smiled to herself. “So, I told her to make my closet smaller. I thought she would choke.”
“I am sure she will recover. And if you do not go shopping with her, she will just pick the clothes out for you.” Marissa looked appalled at the idea. “How about we go and get something to eat before we leave?”
Marissa couldn’t help but shudder. Once the secret had come out, the family hasn’t tried so hard to hide their eating habits from her. She had joined them for dinner once, and had excused herself every time after. It didn’t disgust her, they did use utensils and the like, but the smell of raw meat had always upset her stomach.
Jason read her hesitation, “Do not worry. I do not need the extra iron right now, we can have a proper meal in town.”