Better Bird Behavior

So Teioh is finally starting to behave again. Not completely, but he's better than he has been the past few days. So I have hope for that bird again, even though I have been bit so much the past few days I am still worried to even get my hand near him.

Anyhow, Editing is going good. I am more than a thrid of the way through on this first readthrough/edit, and not many changes are being made.

Anyway, here comes chapter 42 for you.

Torn
42

The afternoon was exactly what Maureen had hoped for. The heat was nearly unbearable, and her plan would perfectly offset the heat.

She was rummaging around in the garage. Julius was confused as to why, but she still wouldn’t tell him.

She finally found what she was looking for at the bottom of a pile.

“Ah-ha,” she exclaimed as she pulled a green coil from the bottom of the pile.

Julius was still confused. Maureen pulled some metal things off of a shelf and walked out of the garage.

He followed.

Maureen almost made it out to the patio when she turned and looked at Julius.

“That won’t do at all.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was going to set up and then go change, but you’ll need something different to wear as well.”

“Why?”

“Because what you’re wearing would be horribly uncomfortable.”

“What do you have in mind then?”

“You’ll see.”

Maureen put her finds on the patio and returned to the air-conditioned inside.

She went to the bedroom. Julius stayed in the living room.

He could hear her rummaging in the bedroom, but he had no idea what he was looking for.

“Found it,” he heard her exclaim from the bedroom. “Julius, come in here.”

Curious, Julius did as asked.

“Try these on,” he heard as a wad of fabric hit him in the chest.

“What is it?” he asked as he held up the scrap of fabric.

“Swim trunks. I bought them for Scott, but he said that he didn’t like the color, so they’ve never been worn. I think that they’ll fit you.”

“What goes with it?”

“That’s it.”

Julius grew pale.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, you would be incredibly uncomfortable in your clothes. Just trust me”

She dug around in another drawer, and soon pulled free another small scrap of fabric.

“Go into the bathroom in the hall and try that on. I’ll put on mine, and I’ll meet you back here in a minute.”

Maureen disappeared into the bathroom off of the bedroom. Julius eyed once again the piece that he was to try on, and then went where he was directed to try it on.

He tried the thing on. It was a little loose, but he found a string that he could use to tighten it.

He felt naked. Not only did he have too much skin exposed, but he didn’t have any armor on with this thing. He pulled a towel from the rack and wrapped it around himself.

He had barely walked into the room when Maureen walked out of her bathroom. She had a towel as well, but hers was folded and slung over her shoulder.

Julius couldn’t help but stare. The red suit offset perfectly the tone in her skin, and her pulled-back hair just barely brushed the back of her neck. She came out with a bottle in one hand and the other rubbing her arm.

“Oh, good. I see you grabbed a towel. Here, put some of this on.” She threw the bottle at him. He had to choose to either let the bottle fall to the floor, or drop the towel. He barely caught the bottle.

Maureen was concentrating on making sure that all of the sunscreen was rubbed in.

“What is this?” asked Julius.

“Sunscreen. It’s a lotion. Rub it on and protects your…” She looked up and finally saw his bare skin. It was covered with the scars of battle. She walked over and traced with a finger one long scar that ran down his arm.

Julius used the other hand to redirect her attention to him. “Kyra?”

She stood as if mesmerized, continuing to trace the ancient scars.

“Kyra?”

She shook her head and looked at his face. “It protects your skin from the sun.”

She went back to tracing his scars. “So many…” she murmured to herself.

“I told you that we are a hunted species. Some of these I earned the night that you died. Most I earned defending my right to exist.”

They stood that way, silent, for several minutes. Finally Julius pushed her away.

“We don’t want to waste the day in here like this.”

“You’re right. Can you put some sunscreen on my back?”

Julius squeezed a small amount of the lotion onto his hand. He rubbed it onto Maureen’s back, grimacing at the greasy feel of it.

When he finished Maureen said, “Turn around. I’ll get your back.”

He did as asked, still grimacing at the greasy feel of it.

Finally they were done preparing. Julius still had no idea what Maureen had in mind, and was hoping that it was worth the nakedness, and the grease.

They went outside.

“Give me a minute while I finish setting up.”

Julius waited on the steps of the patio while Maureen went around to the side of the house with the green coil and metal bits.

She returned a minute later and handed Julius the end of the green thing, with one of the metal bits attached.

She then walked over to another green rope lying on one side of the lawn and attached the other metal bit to the end of it.

She returned to the house and turned something protruding from the house.

She walked back to the steps. “Ready?” she asked.

“For what?”

Maureen grinned mischievously, and then laughed as a burst of water hit Julius square in the middle of his chest.