Chlorine and the smell of too many people stinks up the sidewalk outside the natatorium, emanating from the doors leading to the building, sulking out, saturating Caleb's lungs. He curls up in a corner near the door, between the brick wall and a "pillar" that juts out a bit from the wall for decor. Caleb chooses the location because corners are more comfortable for curling up in. He draws his book closer, curling the pages between the covers and letting them fall. Such a soothing sensation on the tips of his fingers, simplistic and conventional.
Caleb ignores the din of splashing and cheering and chatter and yelling and laughing, seeping through the cracks encompassing the edges of the doors. It's much quieter out here, but it still takes some effort to prevent the racket from troubling him. Each noise is still sudden and random, still volatile and unpredictable. Luke is on the varsity swim team, now that he's a junior, things are incredibly competitive. This is the year where colleges are really looking at him. Sixteen, two years away from college, and Caleb is resigned to his fate of constant attendance at swim-meets, still only eleven years old. He occasionally shakes his head, trying to ignore the voices, splashes, and cheers, but it feels as if it's ringing in his brain, constant and ever-present.
A pair of white vans steps into view, marching into his peripheral vision with toes resolutely turned toward him. Caleb hesitantly peers upward in confusion, brows rising. He doesn't know anybody who wears white vans. He doesn't hang out with the kids who keep up with the trends. The girl has dark brown hair, big brown eyes, a slightly impish smile quirked upon her lips.
"So, is this the reading corner?" she asks, holding up her book. It's well worn, spine cracked, pages dog-eared, corners bent from flicking them absentmindedly as she reads.
"I guess?"
"Mind if I sit next to yah?"
Caleb hesitates. Her behavior is abnormal from girls he's met before. In sixth-grade, they all still seem to have the "cooties" aversion to anything male, or they are too shy to approach guys, or they act like one of the bros. However, he's one of the nerdy, "weird" kids. Girls aren't exactly something he deals with on a regular basis, as foreign a species as the family cat that only shows up from the fissures and clefts of the house to be fed once a day.
"I guess?" he mumbles again, deciding it's best to be polite and kind. After all, this girl doesn't seem particularly annoying. Her grin appears to brighten, practically blinding as she plops down. She leans back against the clay without care, cracking open the book. There is a familiarity in the motion. She has done this many times, and that reassures Caleb.
"My name is Alexis, what are you reading?" she asks, attempting to ignite conversation between them. Caleb lifts his book, providing a silent answer as her eyes absorb the cover design.
"Ender's Game... What's it about?"
Caleb bites his lip. She clearly wants to hold a conversation, but Caleb is not in the mood. He feels exhausted and worn down, sodden with the scent of chlorine and the damp feeling that purveys the air in and about the natatorium. He turns the book to the back and shows her the blurb in answer.
"Oh, huh. So it's a space book, right...?"
She wants to know about the book, and with the way she inflects her voice and glances at Caleb, she wants to know his name as well. Lots of questions, lots of matches falling upon damp, sodden kindling.
"Caleb, and kind of? It's more about… fighting, and strategy," Caleb answers, pulling the book back and opening it back to his current page.
"What's the best thing about it so far?" she queries, the impish smile back. A strand of hair dangles in front of her face as she tilts her head down and turns it toward him. Caleb's brows furrow. What a strange thing to ask. Not the best part, not his favorite scene. The best thing about the book.
"The symbolism. There's one chapter called Phoenix, which is the 'army'"- Caleb says, doing air quotes -" he's in. As the chapter goes on, it discusses how Ender feels like he's stuck, no longer progressing, caught in an endless cycle," he explains, and he continues to talk, his passion rising from the ashes of the dull swim-meet. His eyes sparkle, like the crystals in brown sugar, warm and sharp. He goes on for a bit, before finally picking up what he and his therapist had been working on. Stop talking if the other person isn't interjecting. He cuts off suddenly, looking down and furrowing his brows.
"Like a phoenix," Alexis finishes softly, closing the loop of explanation, which in itself comes back to the beginning. Caleb nods, a satisfied smile on his face. He tucks his lips inward, cheeks chubby and round as he softens the smile, not wanting to blind Alexis with an unwarranted grin. They were discussing symbolism, not cracking jokes. Don't smile too widely unless someone's cracking a joke.
"And then throughout all of it, there's this giant that he has to deal with in this game he plays, and it"- Caleb stops himself, a huff departing from his lips. He doesn't want to spoil anything.
"I guess I'll just have to read it then," Alexis muses, the impish smile back. It was a mischievous thing, somehow comforting and sweet, but still a playful gesture. Caleb laughs softly and nods.
"Yeah, you should," he grins, smile shy and soft. He meets Alexis's eyes before looking off to the side, tentative and as flitty as a bird.
"Maybe I can borrow it from you when you're done," Alexis hums thoughtfully, "Tonight I'm just reading one of my favorites though. My parents are at some meeting with the principal about donations and deals with their coffee shop. I got bored and wandered," she divulges.
Caleb nods in understanding. This makes more sense now, as he has never seen her at a swim meet before, but she is wearing a bracelet with their middle school letters stamped on it. The two continue to talk, leaping from topic to topic, laughing softly, gasping over shared interests. She ignores Caleb when he randomly shakes his head, as if trying to crack his neck. He's trying to loosen the loud noises that soak into his brain, shaking like a wet dog. Caleb cracks a joke, and she laughs. Caleb follows as well, amused and amicable in her company. The conversation is easier than normal. She doesn't seem off-put by his slightly strange mannerisms.
"Yo, Caleb! Let's roll!" Luke calls from across the ways, where his family now stands. Caleb glances up, only now noticing the increasing stream of people leaving the natatorium, the chatter swelling, eddying about until it pools in the small groups that break off.
"Sorry, I've gotta go," Caleb apologizes, climbing to his feet. Alexis gasps and digs in her pocket until she pulls out her phone to hand it to Caleb.
"Give me your number real quick," she nearly demands. Caleb quirks a brow at the assertive nature of the statement but does as she requests. He hands it back, gives her a light wave, and heads off to his family.
"Absolute Chad levels of energy. A total player!" Luke rags, grinning with pride for his brother, and the golden piece draped over his neck to hang loosely on his chest. First place, as usual. Caleb huffs as his dad ruffles his hair, attempting to ward off the attack and blushing.
"Not," he mumbles as his only answer. A defensive glint sharpens in his eyes, not wanting to talk about the subject. He feels caught in the act, knife in hand, though the two hadn't gone within a mile's radius of flirting.
"It's cute," his mother hums. A knowing smile dons her lips as she pats Caleb's shoulder, and the family walks to the car.
"Insolence," he glowers, pouting, and the family laughs, climbing into the car and heading home. Caleb huffs and shoots a glare at his family. A soft click sounds out, simply to ensure he's still doing fine, and he shakes his head, a slight smile gracing his lips.