The Weirdo

Refreshed.

I felt refreshed once I stepped out of the shower, all of the sweat and tiredness were washed away and I could finally focus on the fact that I was hungry.

After I put on my clothes I left the booth, I didn't bother to look in Timothy's direction because I could hear the light snores coming from him since I stepped out of the bathroom it made me wonder just how much time I spent in the bathroom.

The bar and restaurant were three cars away. I walked for a while in the not-so-narrow hallways, I even passed by the cheap area where the people paid less.

They all had seats like official chairs and they all sat side by side to each other. This was my first time on a train but I couldn't help but feel gratitude towards the woman who asked me to pay for the second best. The Deluxe as she had called it.

I walked past them, not avoiding their stares as I passed their sides, they can stare all they want, but it won't change the fact that they were all inferior to me. When I finally reached the bar and restaurant my muscles relaxed and I decided to let out a bit of tension but not too much.

Always be alert.

Like the sisters always reminded.

I took a seat at the first place that caught my eye. The place was decorated nicely with different colored neon lights attached to the ceiling and shiny black chairs and tables. This car was the biggest I had entered, and the architecture of the train fascinated me, I wanted to meet the man who designed this…I was curious…for the first time in 10 years.

There were professionally dressed servers. They wore red dress shirts tucked into black pants and then pinned black bow ties to their collars…it was odd but I liked it.

Fancy…

"What would you like to have ma'am" The man had walked up to me, I didn't call him, he just came on his own. I stared up at him, his hair was slid back, shining with too much gel. He had grey eyes and a fake polite smile plastered on his face…I could see through it.

He was bored…tired.

His name tag read Jerry…cute.

"Ma'am?"

Huh?

Shit, I did it again. I got lost in my thoughts and forgot I was speaking to someone. I looked down at the open menu on the table and eyed the first thing on the list.

It was one of the things that were banned at the Orphanage. And for the past few months, I had been assigned what to and what not to eat…it suddenly occurred to me that this was the first time in all my 18 years that I could decide what I wanted.

Jerry stared at me, his smile was still there…he looked patient.

How professional.

"I would like a burger, beef…with…with a beer" God it felt good to say that out loud.

I stuttered at a point…I was expecting a scolding at that point. It still felt surreal even after Jerry has brought the burger and placed it in front of me and the alcohol…that I'd never tasted before and I had been warned countless times to never taste it…as to not put a stain on my perfection….

I brought the beer mug to my lips and inhaled…it smelled weird, it smelled like breaking rules….

I set the mug bag down and ate the burger in front of me. I enjoyed it, it made me wonder why we were never allowed to eat it… it is not like it tasted horrible or I had some sort of terrible allergy that would kill me.

Once I was sure my stomach was filled I did not waste any more time there, I paid the bill and left. I noticed Jerry kept staring at me like I was a weirdo…it was the other way around.

When I walked back into the booth, Timothy was still fast asleep. His chest rose and fell steadily and light snores left his slightly opened lips.

They were full, pink. They looked soft as well and I couldn't help but stare some more. I wondered what it would feel like beneath my fingers or dare I say…my lips.

I felt like I had been splashed with cold water as the thought crossed my mind. That was odd.

Never have I ever had such thoughts before, maybe because I was never given the time or allowed to.

When I sat down my body hummed in satisfaction. My belly was full and my head cleared, it was one of my favorite feelings. I took out a book from my murder mystery collection and tried to read it.

Of course, I couldn't because, after one page my mind began to drift, and thoughts began to fly in making it hard for me to focus.

They used to make us stand naked in front of males, they said our body was made and meant to be appreciated by the opposite sex. Some of those men touched me in places I later discovered were wrong to touch a lady but to us it was normal. Some of the girls used to moan when they were touched, closed their eyes, lips in between their teeth…heads bent back in pleasure.

I never felt it, even though I was touched the same way, it made me feel different from the rest of them and I think that is why the sisters had chosen me for The Gift.

"You know Cannon Joe?"

Huh?

"He's one of my favorite authors, he's a great writer!"

Timothy…

He was already up, in his undignified sitting position with his brown eyes staring at the book cover, they shone with excitement…almost everything made them shine with excitement. He was smiling again, as his eyes met mine.

Cannon Joe was my favorite and also the only author I read his books. He had a style of writing that could pull one in, wanting to know more and I took a liking to his books because it was sometimes the only thing that could keep my thoughts in one place.

The man could write but he was kind of underrated. Because his books weren't as cliché as other mystery novels I read when I was trying to find a writing style that suited me. Cannon didn't just write about murders, he wrote from the murderer's perspective.

Most of his characters were brain-damaged psyches and he was able to get his readers to relate to them…he makes us understand why they kill…he made us understand what it meant to be broken.

"…mel.."

Huh?

"Caramel…are you there?" Oh, I almost forgot Timothy was still here.

"Your head seems to be in the clouds a lot," He chuckled, and I gave him a forced smile…or at least tried to. He had no idea…