Ugly Naked People

Cuddling in beside her on the subway, Rave wrapped a mischievous arm around Astrid’s shoulder. Action was a form of language. An arm around a shoulder said, “This girl is my girl, and I want the whole world to know it.” They had entire conversations without opening their mouths.

Astrid blinked three times fast. She swallowed hard. Public displays of affection made her nervous, and she felt like she’d been tossed naked into a barren corridor—there was always a chance someone might see. Why couldn’t Rave keep her hands to herself? Astrid glanced around the subway before realizing the act of turning her head only confirmed there was indeed something to stare at. She froze, but the desire to examine strangers’ reactions proved too hard to suppress. Her gaze shifted across the car to check out every figure in her peripheral vision.

“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?” Rave finally challenged.

If Astrid asked her to move her arm, Rave would move it—this, she knew. “What good are words?”

“True,” Rave agreed, tugging at the dry tips of Astrid’s blond hair. “We have pretty thorough discussions without them.”

With a weak smile, Astrid inched forward in her I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-velvet subway seat. Her shoulder snuck beyond Rave’s reach. Rising up, she stood by the subway doors. As she waited for the train to pull into their station, a wave of dizziness destabilized her like an earthquake. Her head grew too heavy to hold upright. It fell back before she could stop it.

As Astrid’s muscles went slack, Rave leapt up to grab her by the armpits. For half a second, she imagined giving in to the overwhelming warmth of Rave’s body. She fought the urge. Grasping the brushed steel pole, Astrid straightened up and away from her girlfriend. “I must have got up too fast,” she preempted, convinced Rave would scold, See? This is what happens when you don’t eat!