365

Tyra had left their group ages ago, so long that they had just about stopped wondering what had happened to her.  The relief of her being gone had been enough for them to discuss for days, but days to weeks to however long it had been meant the stories about her had run their courses.  Once in a while, Jen might snipe at Baxter, or, perhaps, Ross would put on a superior air, and the others would call a "Tyra" to diffuse the situation.  Nobody wanted to be a Tyra.  Though she had been tiring, annoying, and even dangerous, they still felt a sense of guilt when they found her body lodged under a cement pipe outside a crumbling, half-completed construction.

339

It was a hot day, and people were lined up outside the Dairy Queen ten deep.  Suzie could see them, and she hated them all because she wanted ice cream so badly.  Last summer, she had made it a rule not to be seen eating outside, after that little brat pointed at her and bellowed for all to hear, "Mommy, look, that lady is making herself fatter!"  It was the curse of the overweight to be self-conscious public eaters.  It had been three years since Suzie had dared attempt a buffet, not wanting to see the sadness in the eyes of the slim, Chinese maitre d who saw his profits going down her gullet.  The shame staring.  The averted looks of horror.  The guilt upon her that made Suzie simply want to eat more until her blubber would flow and absorb all those self-righteous jerks who dared to judge her.

311

"Jettison the extra."  The captain's pronouncement froze his crew.  "Now," he added to jump start them breathing again.  It was a testament to their training and their belief in their captain that all three of the crew were jolted back to work.  Ben prepped the magnetic release, and Jo went to double seal the airlocks in reverse from the rear of the main ship.

Although Gia continued rerouting critical systems in preparation for release, she was in doubt, and not afraid to question Captain Halloran.  "Captain, there could be another way.  What if we..."

"I have thought about it plenty, Gia.  This is our last chance.  Ben?"

"Mags ready, sir."

Jo skidded back onto the bridge.  "Airlocks sealed."  Gia swiveled her seat to look at Jo; to see how she felt.  Jo wasn't looking back, but her lips were tight and she seemed pale as she sat back in front of her console.

"Jo..." Gia began, only to be cut off again by the Captain.  "Gia, prepare the thrusters."  Captain Halloran dropped into his chair and buckled in; everyone followed suit.  "Ben."  The Captain ran his hand over his face.  "Release the maglocks."

115

Cybill hated only one person in the world, and she had never met him. He drove down her street nearly every day on his motorcycle--he called it a "crotch rocket", but she didn't know that term. It had neon green plastic that matched his leather jacket and pants, his sneakers, and his helmet. She had heard the phrase "Loud pipes save lives," but she didn't care. His pipes were too loud. He drove too fast. He squealed his tires. He even "popped a wheelie" on occasion. Cybill hated him, hated him, hated him.
 
After nearly two weeks without seeing her nemesis, she thought, Good. He was gone and that's all that mattered. Maybe he moved. Maybe he was arrested. Maybe he finally got into that accident he was looking for. Oh, God, maybe he was dead...

92

Usually, when you feel as if someone is staring at you, it is merely your own brain sending out electrical shots of paranoia causing increased heart rate and surface skin reactions that you interpret as eyes upon the back of your head. Julia began feeling that someone was watching her, however, when someone started watching her from across the street.

Having had a sound, scientific upbringing, Julia initially analyzed her body's reaction as a residual guilt over not marrying her former boyfriend and thereby disappointing her grandmother. It was, therefore, days before she even thought to look at the dull, blue-grey house opposite and wonder about its tenants.