Cole and Vanessa

Vanessa hated to admit it but she sorta liked the new Cole.
they had gotten over some kind of bump

there was no more talk of sci fi versions of Cole's current state
no more conspiracy theory books on the coffee table
no more Drs.

perhaps something had happened ,perhaps something spiritual.or maybe it WAS just stress.
a little breakdown she surmised could often cause one to rebuild into something better
the old Cole was always making her feel like she was naive or downright dumb.always arguing about things like food additives or challenging her over  some obscure literary reference


always watching what he ate but what she ate as well.
his carefully followed fitness regiment and self imposed rules for himself about how much tv he could watch or
trans fat he could stomach


Cole had previously seemed to go out of his way to appear as unkempt and disengaged
as Cole felt a serious writer should

now he didn't need to spend 10 minutes fucking up his air
 or "scandalize" the gentrified "poser" public
by wearing only  pajama bottoms
on a Sunday morning bagel run

 for his once his deliberate  disarming demeanor and look had now become something genuinely disarming.
Since being "takin"
or "tagged"(hearing THE VOICE)
Cole was every bit as insane
AS ANY "INSANE" WRITER HE HAD ATTEMPTED in emulate


in fact Cole appeared so intriguing these days
he was picked up twice by the local police
.Once shirtless and in boxers in a gully behind the Whole Foods Market
.and another for appearing intoxicated on a park bench near the river

.The police claimed he was non responsive,even towards their flash lights which they shined in Cole's face.One officer told Vanessa he appeared to be in some kind of deep trance attributed to special K or PCP use
on both occasions it was Vanessa who got him out of lock up
both times her presence and excuse of "work stress" negated a trip to a psych ward.

Upon release Cole rested his head like a puppy on Vanessa chest,smiling like a puppy who'd been rescued.
Cole ,who usually  was so reticent about both private AND  public displays of affection

.
everything about him was changing.

no more put downs about her taste for "conform rock"or "comfort movies"

he'd even begun holding her hand.

she'd begun stopping by his apartment after work to help him out ,do some light housecleaning and make him "eat his vegetables"

they even began playing card games.
but usually he would just put his head on her lap
and ask her to tell him stories

Cole who had never seemed to listen to anyone
was now a patient confidant

Cole seemed to be enjoying listening to her story
           of some silly day spent with her mother and sister making Easter eggs only to realize the eggs weren't boiled...
                   but an errie feeling suddenly seeped into Vanessa that made her stop speaking.
 the feeling that she was being somehow "watched' or studied.
                   not by Cole
 but someone or something else
she slid Cole's head off her lap
and placed her hands on the sides of his head bringing him face to face
          Vanessa studied his eyes as if
this would help here see something.

"what?"Cole asked

 cameras.
would she next be checking his ears for-microphones...seems lunacy was contagious

"what's wrong ?" Cole asked
He knows what's wrong, Vanessa couldn't help but think.

and Cole's eyes,although not in any way visibly
rendered
 somehow gave away "some type of tell'
                  that he had gotten the jist of her recoil
she was sure

Evan yawned
Cole yawned 
EVAN Cole's tele-Operator
   Nancy Drew would GET OUT  of the apartment
so he could begin to drill dumbass 
on this being ONE of the several REASONS we don't mention IT!

her mind flashed back to weeks before,
in the university library
reading a thesis concerning brain computer interface and cyber design implications
she had returned to the thesis and several articles three days in a row

it being that difficult for her to process what Cole's shrink had suggested concerning Cole's new apathetic qualities.

and the reality,according to the periodicals
 of real life Body Snatchers

strange how just plain old   daily life eradicated the crisis period of Cole's sudden mysterious bout of "schizophrenia"

after all since his hospitalization he had  all but stopped stopped talking about "the incident"
 about being 'chosen'

 somehow his new" ortherworld-liness"had just become the equivalent of him having a new hair cut that might take  some getting used to

she wanted to ask him if he still heard from this angel ,this  being named 'Evan Rainy" he had spoken and written about
back when he wrote.
back when he was Cole
she suddenly remembered
asshole Cole

who was not This Cole
 in a fetal position wearing a pajama bottoms
and practically cooing
at her  childhood recollections of picking blueberries when she was 9

'Who are you," she suddenly snapped  not quite at  Cole
 but to some type of " THEM"who had somehow co- opted Cole.Stole .Taken.Altered Cole...


'what?" Cole said.Eating potato chips
Evan bit into a candy bar...and looked at his waych..hopingCole would mimic the gesture.so this vanessa would know it was time to leabe them alone


"nothing "she said collecting herself,wishing she had never spoken to Dr Boa or retained so much bizarre neuroscience,looking into his eyes,still not finding him she said,"I'm tired.i have to get home,no more stories"

"Twix" was all Cole said,"these potato chips taste like Twix."

"night Cole"Vanessa said
"night cunt,' Evan graphed
'night cun-"Cole said

"what?" Vanessa said

"night run ,"Cole said."we should make a  run and get some ice cream.Some ice cream and some Twix"

"do i look fat?" Vanessa asked Cole.
"no"Cole said
"i wasn't talking to you Cole"Vanessa said
"what?"Cole laughed.
"maybe we should skip the desserts and you too Cole ."she said patting his once flat stomach,"but than again you're eating for two aren't you. dummy..I mean honey"


Vanessa looked at Cole
Cole, with a little boy smile on his face and once again realized once more,that in a way, she could care less what was happening or had happened .He was so much better this way.
Sensing she had calmed down he laid his head on her chest and kissed her hand.
Evan took off his headset and wiped his lips,spitting out as much Vanessa as he could without a spittoon on hand