Taking a Dive in the Deep End | Metric School of the Arts

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 15, 2016 19:35:46 GMT -5

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Post by Shelby on Jun 15, 2016 19:35:46 GMT -5

Click-clack-click-clack.

Toni's flipflops slapped against the tiled floor of the currently empty and otherwise silent indoor swimming pool, creating a vacuum of echo's around the young woman's ears as she traveled to her usual spot in the middle of the bleachers. With a sigh, she set her bag down, took her sunglasses off, and took a look around. No one, just as she suspected. The water in the pool was as still as glass, mirroring the image of the ceiling and lights above it, and the smell of chlorine and musk from the men who had been running around the place an hour ago commingled with one another. But it didn't bother her. This was all such a welcome, almost warm, sight to Toni, no matter how... Weird it may be, but being around a pool was nice. Being around bodies of water brought her a sort of peace like nothing else in this world could, no matter where she was, no matter what it smelled like. As long as she was alone with no one to bother her, she was fine. Stuck in her own world with her own thoughts like she liked to be.

But she wasn't alone that late afternoon, not in her thoughts anyway. For the past couple of days she continued to rethink and over analyze the messages she sent back and forth between the Clay guy--some who, she continued to remind herself, she had never met, someone she didn't know--and came back to the same conclusion: they didn't make any sense. He didn't make any sense to her, and the fact that she actually agreed to meet him at the pool, her one sacred place at this school? What the hell was she thinking? What was she doing getting pulled into the allure that there may be one person out there in the world who may understand her just a little bit? What was she doing taking his offer just like that without even thinking about it? She had paced back and forth in her room that night after agreeing to meet him, had thought about sending him another message to back out of this little meeting, but in the end she had been too afraid. She couldn't... She couldn't go back on her word after saying yes. That would be rude.

But were there times where she needed to be rude?

Running a hand through her hair, Toni shook her body off, stood up from the bottom bleacher she was sitting on, and pulled off the plain white t-shit she had on to reveal to top portion of her plain black one piece swimsuit. Then she pulled off her one size too big gray sweatpants to reveal the rest of her swimsuit that was covered by a pair of black with white trimmed board shorts, something to keep her as covered as possible while in the pool. She was already skinny enough; she didn't need her hipbones showing through the tight material of the swimsuit so she saved herself the embarrassment by wearing shorts with her swimwear; always had, always would. And now that she would actually be meeting someone here she didn't want... Other things showing, even if they wouldn't be shown... God, what was she doing?

Maybe he wouldn't show up. Toni had been banking on that for the past couple of hours as she tried to quell the rushing thoughts that continued to run through her mind like nothing ever had before. It's not like they had ever set a specific time, so maybe by the time she was done with her swim and gone he would have never showed up. Or maybe he had already come by, not seen her, and decided that she wasn't worth the trouble. Yeah... Yeah, that could have worked out. Then she wouldn't have had to worry about him. Then she could swim in peace. Maybe she could already do that. She took another glance around the pool building, saw that it was still empty with no other sounds other than her own breathing, and started towards the pool after she slipped her flipflops off her feet. Her face was void of makeup--another mistake, she pointed out to herself should this Clay actually make it here--and her hair was pulled back into a sleep ponytail, no stray hairs out of place as of yet.

She dipped her feet down into the water and looked into it. Ripples spread out, rings of water running along the pool until they dissipated. Without waiting another minute in case Clay did decide to come, Toni closed her eyes, pushed herself off with her hands, and dipped her body into the cold water of the pool. It rushed through her body, the cool that wrapped around her skin and spread through her body at first. Her eyes refused to open, her hair started floating to the top, and she curled herself up into a ball as air bubbles spurted from her intrusion to the water. And just like the feeling this always gave her, it was captivating. Feeling the bubbles brush against her skin, listening to the water rush through her ears, listening to her heart pound in her chest--it was all so intimate! If there had ever been a time where Toni had been able to learn most about her self it was in the water, where she wasn't judged, where she wasn't pushed away. Instead of repelling off of her, the water molded to her body and liquefied around her, made her float and feel weightless. Made her feel... She couldn't even describe it.

For the moment, thoughts of Clay escaped her mind. As her body started to adjust to the water's temperature, Toni finally emerged from the shallow depth and brushed her hands over the top of her head. She even gave off a small smile as she felt the water start to spill off her body. For now... She was going to enjoy this. So she started to swim, lengthening her arms out in a breaststroke and pushing her legs through the water so that she could glide effortlessly through. She dove into the water and navigated her way through through the water.

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

pierce
Swag Master

Joined: August 2015
Posts: 1,079

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 16, 2016 1:12:26 GMT -5

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Post by pierce on Jun 16, 2016 1:12:26 GMT -5

Clay outfit:
janitor jumpsuit with sleeveless black hoodie underneath
swim trunks
shoes and black socks

So maybe Clay was being too creepy for his own good. Could he help it though? Not really. He was too used to following Toni by now, ever since first laying eyes on her. It was a reflex – and even though they'd made plans to meet at the pool, Clay had began following her trail from where the college meshed in to the high school grounds. He felt comfortable, sunken in to the distance and seeing Toni flit inside the athletics building to meet him. Him... Clay could barely convince himself that he was worth talking to her face to face. And here he was - here she was entering a building to swim with him.

He didn't even really know how to swim.

He used to... but it was one of those faded out and splotchy memories that contained his whole family, when he'd taken lessons. There were too many terrible things, moments... stacked on top of those memories, made hazy by his daily doses of medication. He wasn't sure he even wanted to try and sneak the happiness out from under all that turmoil, neglect, vengeance, and clinical recovery - wouldn't be worth the consequences. Clay doubted it anyway, and his doubt was always quickly reinforced by Lucian's logic. He didn't need those happy memories. They only served to confuse him, distract him. They didn't do him any good when he was locked up in his room, malnourished and wondering the time of day... wondering when Gordon would get home - so they wouldn't do anything for him now. Clay could play that broken record in his head over and over again, but a curiosity always surfaced, that six year old wanting to jump out of him and experience the childhood that had been stolen away by his brother. It made him hopeful that maybe he could try to see if any of those lessons had stuck, but the hope and his doubts warred with each other in his head.

What he was sure of though was that he was about to meet with Toni. He'd had his eye on ever since he saw her - he'd just so happened to be mopping up a spill in the modeling center when her class was released. Clay wasn't only drawn to her large eyes. The way she didn't seem like the other students around her and how she didn't look like she was full of herself struck him as well. And then, when he worked up the gall to speak up on the chat box, she didn't rebuff him. Even when he told her that he was a janitor there she still was interested in learning more about him. Clay just wasn't used to that genuine kind of kindness. He hadn't felt worthy of anything in the majority of his existence, since his parents' passing - but he had to wonder if he would at all be worthy enough of her attention.

It was why he kept his distance, why he watched from afar as she walked to the pool area and waited until she went underwater before he slipped in and moved in to a spot under the bleachers. He just... wasn't ready to reveal himself. He could just hide away and watch as she so naturally glided through the water - but he had to step out sometime. Not only would he regret not going through with the offer... but him buying swim trunks for this would've been a complete waste. Clay thought about his only friend - at possibly the worst time. Lucian would get a huge kick out of this, if he found out... but no, he wouldn't. Not if Clay could help it. He knew Lucian too well, just like he knew him. He'd likely taunt Clay with her, threaten her safety, use her as leverage... as much as Clay enjoyed the acts of hurting people with Lucian - he didn't want to have to hurt her, or get her hurt by him just because he had interest in her.

He pushed away the thought and returned his gaze to the pool - Toni's figure cutting through the water's surface like a sharpened blade. The sound of the water as she turned echoed many times over. It stirred the absolute silence and compelled him out of hiding. His steps made no sound nor echo. He was so accustomed to remaining as quiet as possible that he never stopped - his steps starting from his heel, the rest of his foot following lightly until he stood about a foot away from the edge of the shallow end. Clay kept his hands in the pockets of his work jumpsuit after pushing the hood off his head. He waited until Toni swam back to speak up, generally not great at greetings nor social cues. "You look like you could keep going for awhile," Clay observed, his blue eyes pinned upon her as he stooped from his stance - slipping his hands out and crouching beside the water to test out the temperature with the tips of his fingers. "Is the water... normally this cold?" He was sure that eventually he'd get the job of pool cleaning eventually, but he sure wasn't going to hold his breath on that.

Last Edit: Jun 16, 2016 1:40:23 GMT -5 by pierce

the Girls:
Tamara Dudley * Cleo Leon * Julietta 'Remy' Polait * Eloise Temple, PI * Perla Mercer * Lynn Goodwin * Lilith Peters

the Guys:
Bennett Dudley * Elliot Sadler * Lance Fleece * Clay Carpet * Wade Rawlson * Sylvan Peters * Clint Clark * Miles Lambert * Marty Rivers * Calvin Powell

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 17, 2016 10:21:41 GMT -5

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Post by Shelby on Jun 17, 2016 10:21:41 GMT -5

She wished that she would have thought to bring her goggles so that she could open her eyes underwater, but, as it was, Toni was stuck leaving her eyes closed or be forced to suffer the unfortunate consequence of having her eyes sting because of the chlorine. She decided to just leave her eyes closed. It let her imagine herself in a different place--it let her imagine herself swimming back in the lack in her parent's backyard, where she could open her eyes. She could imagine the aquatic plant life tickling her legs and arms as she skimmed her body along the bottom of the pool; she could imagine the the wisp of sand kicking up and stirring with her movements. There were no fish in the lake, luckily, but boats tended to lazily wade to and fro in the hotter summer months so that families could enjoy a nice day out in the sun. Her parents would usually be doing the same, except her mother would likely be lounging on the dock soaking up the rays of the sun while her father might actually be out in the water with her, splashing her and challenging her to a race.

Those were the moments when she was truly happy.

But instead of the sun shining it's warm rays down on her as she started to surface it was only the fluorescent lights from above, and instead of hearing the lapping of natural waves from the wind or the sounds of birds calling out from overhead it was only the sound of the water hitting the side of the pool. The realization today was almost a disappointment, a sensation that gave Toni a sense of home sickness. She missed her parents. She wanted to go back to them, wanted to get back home for the next break, but knew that she had to wait for that time to come. She breathed out a sigh and rung out the hair caught in the ponytail with her eyes still closed. Standing in one of the shallow areas of the pool, the water stopped at the middle of her stomach and chills ran up her arm, and despite the memories that ran rampant through her mind of her family home and the lake, she was still... Relatively happy. She was alone with her thoughts, alone in the water with no one to disturb her, and that was all she could ask for at this point. She had even forgotten about Clay as she dropped her arms and let the palms of her hands lay on top of the water gently, as if she were trying her best to not disturb the placement of it.

Oh, if only that sort of peace would have lasted.

She hadn't heard any footsteps and she hadn't heard any sort of breathing, so when she heard a voice come out of no where Toni couldn't help but gasp and, in a sudden movement, crouch her body back into the water. She wrapped her arms around her chest and dipped her body into the water until everything under her lips were submerged and she was forced to breath out of her nose. Turning to look at the intruder with her eyes lowered and with her body tense, Toni felt the nerves run through her body until she say the young man standing by the edge of the pool by the shallow end. He-But--Was this?

She blinked her eyes in confusion but refused to move from her defensive position. Instead she took the time to over look his choice of attire--a jumpsuit with some sort of hoodie underneath it and a pair gym shoes--and the one thing that she could get out of his appearance was one thing: he certainly looked like a janitor. She gave him a level gaze afterwards, letting her sweeping eyes go back to his face as he dipped his hand into the waters to test it. "Normally, yes, "she said, raising her head just high enough to reveal her lips. "I think they keep it that way for the athletes, but I think it's better this way. It's kind of uncomfortable swimming in a warm pool--kinda starts feeling like a bath after a while." She went silent again, almost unsure, as she turned her eyes to look away from him just barely. "So, you're Clay?"

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

pierce
Swag Master

Joined: August 2015
Posts: 1,079

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 17, 2016 12:25:07 GMT -5

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Post by pierce on Jun 17, 2016 12:25:07 GMT -5

Maybe he'd intended to catch Toni off guard like that, maybe not, but regardless her reaction struck Clay as entertaining. Though it didn't exactly show in his expression, a delight tensed inside of him - his shoulders straightening back as he watched her ease so slowly in to his company.

He was used to people's knee-jerk reaction of him. It was either cold indifference, complete unease, or fright. Word around school helped with the latter - though him being a psycho may be proven true with some deep digging, it didn't define him completely. He wasn't thinking about how alone they were right now, how if he wanted to ... how the water she'd looked so graceful in could easily be used against her. Nothing of the sort crossed his mind, though it easily might have had he been convinced to skip his dosages.

Right now though, Clay was docile. The medication softened him at his edges and cleared his mind of the violent tendencies that would have otherwise had free reign over him. His employment here required him to stay on top of his regimen, which was not only highly beneficial for the whole school but for himself as well. He preferred to think clearly without being haunted by his traumas and conflicts. He actually felt like a person this way, instead of some monster.

Tilting his head slightly at her words, he looked down to the water - noticing the distorted and wavering image of the lower half of her body submerged before his eyes traveled up to her face. "I guess that makes sense then." he replied, the way he spoke was short but not totally devoid of feeling. His head straightened from it's tilt as a sort of confirmation to her question, the right corner of his mouth rising slightly. "And you're Toni."

He could see how the fluctuating surface of the water played against her eyes as she turned them away, her beauty was almost hypnotizing to him. "I'm sorry if I snuck up on you. I'm not a noisy person." Definitely an understatement, but somehow Clay felt it was necessary to point out what would eventually be obvious. "I have my swim trunks under this but," he sort of hesitated to say it. He didn't like admitting his weaknesses - that was dangerous according to Lucian... but what harm would it do to tell Toni? Probably no harm at all. "I should of told you before. I haven't swam in over ten years."

Last Edit: Jun 17, 2016 12:25:52 GMT -5 by pierce

the Girls:
Tamara Dudley * Cleo Leon * Julietta 'Remy' Polait * Eloise Temple, PI * Perla Mercer * Lynn Goodwin * Lilith Peters

the Guys:
Bennett Dudley * Elliot Sadler * Lance Fleece * Clay Carpet * Wade Rawlson * Sylvan Peters * Clint Clark * Miles Lambert * Marty Rivers * Calvin Powell

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 17, 2016 13:38:40 GMT -5

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Post by Shelby on Jun 17, 2016 13:38:40 GMT -5

And there it was again--the apprehension that Toni felt last night as she contemplated the pros and cons of meeting up with Clay. She wondered what she was say to him and what she would do once and if he got here, and now that the moment was here, she found herself frozen and stuck in place, not necessarily scared, but nervous beyond belief. She was reminded again that this wasn't something that she did; that the only meetings she had with people were when she had to do their makeup and their hair, and those were with models for assignments in order to pass a class. She was able to talk to those people with a sort of ease that came natural--she had to know how to talk in order to be a cosmetologist who wanted to boost women's' confidence--but even with the model's it was different. They never needed her to speak. They were confident with their bodies, the camera loved them, and people actually wanted to see them. Whether or not they had been made fun of at some point in their life, they had been able to overcome the struggles and come out on top to love their bodies or, at the very least, had been able to come to a point in their life where they accepted themselves. And she hadn't come to that point yet.

But having a one on one conversation without a mirror sitting in front of them, without bright lights heating them up and showing his pores, with no hair products or straighteners heating to the side, Toni was lost. People didn't ask her to hang out and she never asked either. She was a loner by nature through the events of her life and now that she was faced with a different occurrence she almost didn't know how to take it.

She was trying to take it in stride, however. Though she still wasn't changing her posturing or lifting her body to stand in the water, Toni listened to Clay's voice and let it seep in to her mind. He didn't look like she expected, nor did he sound like she had expected--with a name like that she had half a mind to expect him to come out with a drawling southern accent and cowboy hat--and she was pleasantly surprised. He may be short and curt with his words, but she could almost appreciate that. Nothing drawn out to the point where it got annoying, showing that he probably had a confidence to not ramble. Maybe he wasn't nervous. Then again, maybe he asked a lot of girls to meet up with him. The thought didn't settle well with Toni, however as she overlooked his attire again, she had a hard time believing that many girls around here would actually take him seriously. As diverse as people were here, many were still superficial and wouldn't take kindly to someone wearing a janitors outfit, nor would they likely take kindly to a janitor period, or janitor's apprentice rather.

Looking just an inch aside from him again so as not to look directly at him--a natural response she had with people when not wearing her sunglasses--she caught the faint movement of his head moving, as well as the faint movement of his lip twitching at the side. Toni nodded her own heard in confirmation to him saying her name and let out another breath, her eyes catching the small ripples that bounced off the water from her breath. "No, it's fine. I'm sure you didn't mean to, so no need to apologize. You probably came in when I was underwater, so I didn't hear anything. Besides, I tend to get... Lost, like in my own world, when I'm in the water, so I wasn't paying attention to much anyway." The admission made her blush, which made her even more hesitant to look at Clay and made her even more self conscious about her appearance. She clutched her arms around her body more, wishing that she wasn't as skinny as she was, wishing that her head didn't look as big in proportion to her body as it did, wishing that her eyes were so large and round, wishing that she wasn't as pale and that she could actually get a tan instead of getting sunburned...

She tried to stop the thoughts as they came, a technique her therapist had taught her months ago to deflect her own self depreciation, by thinking of all the ways in which she was 'beautiful': her kindness, her compassion, her skills in makeup and hair styling, her ability and love of swimming, the fact that she, somewhat, grew into her looks. Clay snapped her out of her thoughts as he started speaking again, saying that he had swim trunks but then hesitating to say anything else. That caused Toni to raise her brows in his direction until he finally followed it up and tilted her head, actually... Surprised. "Really? You haven't been swimming in that long? That's--Wow, I couldn't imagine that." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Do you remember how to swim?" That knocked away the thoughts, a bit, of her self consciousness, putting them away in the chest of her mind. "You don't have to swim if you're not comfortable. I probably should have picked a more practical place, but... I'm comfortable here. Sorry if you're not."

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

pierce
Swag Master

Joined: August 2015
Posts: 1,079

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 18, 2016 0:47:53 GMT -5

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Post by pierce on Jun 18, 2016 0:47:53 GMT -5

In the time that he'd sought Toni out of the crowds around the modelling center he didn't once think he'd be this close to her. When he tried holding on to the glimpses of her he almost felt predatory, but here he almost felt as vulnerable as she looked - sunken in with the water rippling and deflecting everything from her neck down. He absorbed this image of her, not aware of his stare - not being able to look away as she spoke about getting lost in her swimming. A rosiness developed upon her face and Clay had actually been able to see it flourish across her cheek before he noticed her stiffen - the blush diminishing. His eyes veered down at the pool's ledge in thought.

He knew what she meant, he could get lost in cleaning and organizing until every single inch of space had been turned over, rearranged, and polished. Every aspect of his job served in keeping his mental health stable. It was like he was tidying up his mind as well as the area he focused on - and though there was no amount of cleaning that he could do to take back and wipe clean the memory of his brother and his childhood home-turned-prison... it gave relief. Serenity. Nothing else had been able to do that, not even drawing, which had been a hobby of sorts. Drawing easily frustrated him as much as it gave him joy, but cleaning did nothing but soothe him. If he was asked if he planned on being a janitor all his life, Clay would resign and say probably. Because really, what other occupation could keep him calm - keep him from snapping again?

The obvious surprise in her reaction caused a mild and tight smile to develop across his lips. The closest he ever got to swimming under his brothers 'supervision' was whenever he was able to use the bathtub. He nodded to confirm her disbelief and sort of shrugged at her questioning. There were no doubts that he could manage to enjoy himself in the waters. He already knew it was for the best that he not explore the deeper end of the pool, though, despite how easy she made it look.

"I want to find out if I do. I'm not scared to try." Clay informed, pausing for a second as he began unbuttoning down the front of the jumpsuit, "Being here doesn't bother me. I think it's nice... calm. I can see why you like it." As the sleeves slackened, he just let the top portion fall down his arms which were splotchy with long since healed burns. He pulled them out fluidly to begin untying his shoes there in his crouched position. He didn't mind if the back of the garment soaked up some of the water on the floor and didn't pay any concern to the seat of the pants when he sat to pull the shoes and his socks off. It had definitely seen worse anyway.

Clay was so accustomed to undressing in front of clinical attendants and doctors that he didn't give a second thought that Toni might find it unsettling of him. He stood a little so the rest of it could bundle down his body before sitting again to simply step his legs out of it, folding it in half before methodically folding it up - resting it between his shoes. His hands were dashed with soft pink scars and they hesitated at the bottom of his shirt. It was now that he glanced over to Toni. He didn't want to scare her. He quickly decided to just keep it on.... it would get a little weighed down in the water, but he could take it off before putting the jumpsuit back on. "I'll... just, leave this on." Clay released it's fabric from his hands, moving them instead to roll up his socks inside his shoes. The discolored burns on his arms, along with several scars upon both forearms should've been warning enough to deter anyone from asking to see more of him - save every doctor.

Last Edit: Jun 18, 2016 0:52:56 GMT -5 by pierce

the Girls:
Tamara Dudley * Cleo Leon * Julietta 'Remy' Polait * Eloise Temple, PI * Perla Mercer * Lynn Goodwin * Lilith Peters

the Guys:
Bennett Dudley * Elliot Sadler * Lance Fleece * Clay Carpet * Wade Rawlson * Sylvan Peters * Clint Clark * Miles Lambert * Marty Rivers * Calvin Powell

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 25, 2016 9:04:42 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Shelby on Jun 25, 2016 9:04:42 GMT -5

Thinking about it now, Toni realized that she should have set this meeting up in a more neutral playing ground, a place where both of them would have been comfortable and on even playing fields. No one having an advantage over the other, no one being more comfortable over the other. As they were messaging each other and Toni had been given the choice to choose where they met up, she had been so run over with nerves that it never came to mind to think about any of that. She hadn't begun to think that Clay may not have had any idea how to swim or that he may not have been swimming in years, and she hadn't begun to think at the time that it might have made him uncomfortable to be here, especially since he agreed to the spot. But since he mentioned that he hadn't been swimming in in over ten years, she couldn't help but let this sweeping rush of almost guilt run through her. The park likely would have been a better meeting spot, she thought, blowing a breath out of her mouth into the water, creating bubble to rise onto the surface that sputtered and popped in rapid succession. At least then they wouldn't have been alone, for one thing.

"We don't--" she started, but Clay started speaking then, saying, in a sense, that he was fine, that he wasn't afraid to see if he could remember how to swim. And then he went on to say that he didn't mind being here, that it was calm and that he could understand why she liked being here, something that... Surprised her. It wasn't something that she expected to hear, especially coming from someone like him--though what did she expect coming from somebody who she had only exchanged a couple of messages with? She just assumed that most people wouldn't consider this a calm place given that it was inside a building that projected and echoed sounds and voices, like it was doing to theirs. The chlorine in the pool was an almost stifling smell to some people, but even more so, most people would rather spend time in the outside pool and lounge out on the warm water to soak up the rays of the natural sun rather than the lights up on the high ceilings. In fact, most people would call this bland; the only time the swim building was rampant with excitement and activity were during swim meets and water polo games or during the occasional game of water battleship that usually caused a stir of students to collectively stand at the edge of the pool to cheer on their favored team or to stand on the bleachers and bang their feet and hands on the metal to make the most noise.

But, Toni appreciated it. Despite the nerves that ran through her body, she started to smile until she noticed Clay start to strip out of his clothing from the corner of her eyes. Turning her eyes and head away even more from him, she felt another blush tint her face. "Oh, well, thank you. I just like coming in here rather than the outside pool because it's a little quieter here. More people use the other pool than this one, especially with the weather out here." She sighed again, feeling a weight fall off her chest. Almost. "I'm just glad you're not bothered by being here. I should have thought about whether or not you would even like to swim before I chose here." Of course, he could have always decided to not swim if he wasn't comfortable with it, but Toni knew that would have made things even more... Awkward, with her being in the water, swimming around, and him being on land, sitting in a chair and watching her. That wouldn't have gone well. She would have felt watched, like a self conscious mess that would have continuously looked over her body and assessed herself until she brought down her self-esteem so low that she decided to leave.

Of course, the same thing could happen with the both of them in the water--a thought that made Toni shiver--but she had a hope that it wouldn't happen. She would have to work double time on keeping her issues in check it seemed.

Still, him taking his clothes off like that, despite the fact that he had swim trunks on, make Toni slightly uncomfortably, yet slightly.. Fascinated by him, if only because he wasn't at all shying away from her or trying to hide like she knew she would have been trying to do. Oh, she would have been going to the bathroom or would have hid behind the bleachers just to hide from his eyes, even if he would have been polite enough to look away from her even if she had her swimsuit underneath her clothes to hide her body. It was... The principal of the act in her mind, getting undressed. But he didn't at all seemed put off by it--just casually undressing his jumpsuit and his shoes. Toni almost couldn't help but let her eyes veer back over to him, but out of respect for him she kept her eyes away. She even turned around and put her back to him to give him privacy. It might seem childish--she was twenty and should be mature enough to look at a male undressing into his swim trunks--but Toni had her standards. She didn't know whether or not he had his own body issues or not, and she didn't want to set anything off.

Eventually she did turn back to Clay, however, when he mentioned keeping something on. It caused Toni to raise her brows at the sweatshirt/hoodie type shirt he decided to keep on, but instead of commenting on it, she merely nodding her head in acceptance. Maybe he had some sort of body issues of his own, or had something on his chest that he didn't want to be shown--she could understand, so she wasn't going to pressure him, and she wasn't going to ask him about. But... That didn't stop her eyes from roaming, as ashamed as she was after the fact. She took notice to the scarring and discoloring on his arms and felt her mouth fall open just slightly in curiosity, wondering why they were there and where they had come from. But, she didn't ask. She knew better. He may have been a rambunctious little tyke as a child who jumped off of rocks and climbed trees, or he might have been a rebellious, adrenaline junkie teenager who took to dangerous activities to get a rush, and ended up with those scars.

The only thing that put her off about that was that there weren't many scars, if any, on his legs that matches his arms.

Shaming herself for examining his body like that and even wondering why he had scars like that, knowing that it wasn't her business, Toni shook her head, bit her bottom lip, and cleared her throat. "That's fine! I, uh, I understand. I don't think that should weigh you down too much, so you should be fine." Rubbing her hands up and down her arms again and even sliding her feet against the bottom of the pool, she left her eyes an inch off Clay again. "So... You really are a janitor." Realizing how she sounded, her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Not that I didn't believe you before! I just don't know how true everything completely is on the internet, especially on that chat thing. Some people there are a little... Strange, and I guess I just didn't know who to trust. I'm glad to know I wasn't lied to, though. I think it's nice, if it means anything. People think janitorial work are meaningless jobs that are nothing, but without janitors, nothing would be cleaned. So, thank you. I don't know what you get clean or maintenance around here, but even if you're an apprentice, I think all of you are under appreciated."

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

pierce
Swag Master

Joined: August 2015
Posts: 1,079

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jun 26, 2016 3:48:22 GMT -5

Quote

Post by pierce on Jun 26, 2016 3:48:22 GMT -5

He definitely understood the perks of this facility they occupied. It was quieter, more controlled, and with just the two of them there, more intimate. Their voices collided together as they carried across the area and bounced back, it was so subtle but Clay could hear a pin drop in a place like this. “It's not easy to bother me.” he responded, “If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. But I think it will be a good learning experience, if I watch you first.” Clay didn't expect her to just volunteer to teach him, he was pretty sure her just being there giving him an example to follow would be enough. He generally picked up on things faster that way, visually – over other methods.

Clay wondered before he got in to the pool how it would feel to be that much closer to Toni, if he would let any sort of impulse take over him if he got in arm's reach of her. She looked so fragile and rare to him that he almost couldn't stomach where his mind tried to roam. If he hadn't taken his afternoon dosage maybe – but somehow he doubted even if he hadn't, the thought of hurting her would still not be a pleasant one. She reminded him of when sometimes, on the walkway through the grounds - when a lone flower would grow out of a crack in the concrete. He would watch it, in his free time, until someone trampled upon it whether on purpose or accident. When that happened, an unfamiliar twinge always pulled his brows together. Any other flower bushes and bunches he could trim and weedwhack away like nothing – but it was the momentary one, the one that had survived and thrived for long enough to bloom that struck the chord he never knew he had. He liked the thought of her, the sight of her as the sight of the singular blossom... and more so. But he wouldn't just stand by to watch her get trampled and he wouldn't – with all his willpower – be the trampler either.

He knew he enjoyed inflicting pain, upon others and himself. He knew the sounds pain pulled out of people made his hair pleasurably stand on end. It was something encouraged by his best friend and handed down to him by his brother. Even though he'd mainly been on the receiving end of the abuse, Clay always noticed the wild look in his brother's eye. There was something he got from knocking him around, a power of sorts – and after so much, after being numbed from his consistency – he began to get curious. Of course he figured out what it was, when the roles were finally reversed and Clay claimed all the power that'd been beaten out of him. He got a taste of what it felt like to have someone completely in his control, what it was like to hear the pleas for mercy, how complete it felt to surge with such adrenaline. It was a missing piece to the meaningless existence he'd known for the majority of his life. Lately he considered if that was changing, after all, his life was completely different. He was able to be social if he wanted - wasn't under lock and key and certainly wasn't anyone's punching bag anymore. The medicine he took had to be taken frequently, but Clay didn't mind it. It stopped the echoes. It evened him out. It was all a part of his routine now. Though Lucian hated the medication and often spoke against it, Clay knew it was helping.

With his jumpsuit off in the cool temperature, he could feel the places on his arms where the skin was newer and more sensitive. He was usually completely covered for good reason. His wardrobe predominately consisted of the encompassing garment. It was practical, light enough to wear in the summer and easy to layer under in the winter. Ever since he'd been assigned to his work suit – complete with his last name upon the left breast pocket – he knew he would be needing more. It may have made him and his occupation obvious, but Clay didn't care. His self-consciousness had been whiddled down so thin during the hardening his brother put him though and gradually was replaced by anger and the need for personal vengeance. The splotches were distinct reminders of Gordon – how Clay began to improvise after awhile of exacting his brother's punishment. He took all of his precious liquor and used it's flammability to torture him more, even though by then it was possible that the majority his nerves had already been fried. Clay was inexperienced with fire, but he learned very quickly – the burns on his arms marking the lessons he'd gone through before Gordon bled out completely. With this newfound experience with the element, he knew what he'd have to do to the home he'd grown up and evolved in.

Clay caught the drift of Toni's eyes as they looked over his body. He wasn't ashamed of the marks, they were there as symbols of his accomplishment. They reminded him that no one could assume power over him like Gordon did. They weren't a normal sight though, he was well aware of that. So he noted closely by the look that crossed her face when she first saw them. Her whole head remained surfaced above the water for one, so it proved to him that she wasn't scared or uncertain. Maybe she was interested, curious even. As she made it known that it would be okay to leave the shirt on, he nodded - lifting his arms back to fold the hood over and tuck it in to his collar. That was all he needed really, it served as encouragement for him to move closer to the very edge of the pool. Clay dipped his feet in the chill water, not letting the bite of the sensation grab him. Instead he nodded again at her observation, listening as her voice's echo rippled off the water and up at him. “No one would lie about being a janitor.” he began in reply, his tone soft now that he was at this closer proximity. There was a hint at humor, just how the slightly upturned corners of his mouth made his words sound. In a million years he never thought he'd be thanked for being a janitor, maybe thanked for sticking through a difficult day, or week – but not just for being one.

It meant something to him because the work meant everything. At first it meant a chance of being spared beatings, but as he came to know when his brother needed to feel that control - Clay came to enjoy every household task that needed attention. It got his mind off the situation and he could just hone in until the task was done. The accomplishment that gave him helped him, and the activity it required kept him in shape as Gordon's strength aged and weakened. “People do think that, up until they have to clean for themselves. They'll pretend we don't exist until we're actually gone. It's interesting.” Clay looked down at his knees and the water's surface below them, leaning his torso over to dip his hands in to the water. The cold spiked in to his skin and his lips drew further in to a smile, reaching deeper to submerge his forearms before bringing his left hand – cupped with the water to run up along his right arm. He did the same thing with his left arm and right hand. “I appreciate your appreciation.” He looked up at her with his eyes only before his head followed suit, the smile soft and easy as if he smiled all the time.

“I'm only an apprentice for two years. They think I'm too young. Even if they don't mind saving all the dangerous jobs for me.” Clay wasn't ashamed to say this. He kept spry enough to do all the climbing and riskier jobs they gave him without a beat. It didn't bother him, and neither did being called an apprentice. He'd been called much worse. “I like doing this, being here. It's something I zone in to, like you and swimming. It's more than work for me. It's... therapeutic.” He had to think of the right word at first, but it fit perfectly. With this, Clay lifted his body from its sitting position with his arms and let himself slip in to the waters. It was cold, but a refreshing sort of cold that sharpened his breath.

Last Edit: Jun 26, 2016 4:18:39 GMT -5 by pierce

the Girls:
Tamara Dudley * Cleo Leon * Julietta 'Remy' Polait * Eloise Temple, PI * Perla Mercer * Lynn Goodwin * Lilith Peters

the Guys:
Bennett Dudley * Elliot Sadler * Lance Fleece * Clay Carpet * Wade Rawlson * Sylvan Peters * Clint Clark * Miles Lambert * Marty Rivers * Calvin Powell

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jul 4, 2016 21:05:56 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Shelby on Jul 4, 2016 21:05:56 GMT -5

"Good point, I guess?" It wasn't a thought that had come to Toni's mind, but now that it was there, embedded, she couldn't let it go away. He didn't have to be here. He chose to be here of his own free will and didn't seem the least bit off put by her decision to come here. No up turned nose or furrowed brows wondering why they were meeting up at the damn indoor pool when they could be soaking up the sun at the poolside of the outdoor pool. No telling her no in the messages and instead suggesting another place of meeting, one that would better fit him and the agenda he may have in mind. No, as far as she could see, he didn't even have that--an agenda. He just seemed to want to hang out with her for a reason that she still didn't understand. "It's good to know that you're not easily bothered, though. I'm glad." She tried to smile, felt the corners of her lips twitch, and then they fell with the attempt as he mentioned watching her swim as a learning experience. Right, she knew she should have expected that as soon as he mentioned that he couldn't swim, but it was still a shock to her system.

Just calm down, she told herself. There's nothing wrong with that. Don't let your insecurities bother you. Just... Enjoy yourself. She didn't want to worry about her body or about Clay looking at her, watching her glide through the water in the way that she did. She didn't want to think that he would silently laugh at her or just outright point and laugh at her like people had done back at her home town in school. She may not know him, but he didn't seem like that type of guy, that type of person. The thought was enough to quell a bit of her insecurities, even if a twinge of it was still there in her mind, creeping there and making her still stay in place until she said, "O-okay! I don't really know how good of a swim instructor I am, but I guess I could try by just showing you instead. And if you have any questions you can just ask." As nonchalantly as possible, she tried to shrug if off as if it was nothing, as if she got asked all the time to teach someone how to swim or to bring about the remembrance of swimming. It came off a little awkward, though, with one side of her lips tilted up in a sheepish grin and one of her arms finally coming up to rub the back of her neck. "It'll be a learning experience for me too. But I probably need it; I have to know better ways to teach people things, or instruct them how to do something--makeup and even some hair techniques."

It was by far a difference from swimming, but teaching and instructing was still the same concept. Toni wasn't sure how often she would have to instruct people in the future how to do something, but she couldn't deny the rush of satisfaction she got when thinking about teaching some girl, woman, or anyone makeup and hair styling techniques during or after doing their makeup and hair. She wanted to give them knowledge so that they could take that information home with them and try some things on themselves, so that they could properly know how to put on and wear this certain type of makeup or how to style a simple hairstyle in this particular way. She even wanted to give advice to her clients on the best ways to keep their hair healthy and in the best shape, so that they didn't burn their hair when flat ironing it or trying to copy someone on YouTube. She just thought that people should be knowledgeable on certain aspects of the field--not to the point where they had to take a class on it or anything--but to the point where if someone had a question to ask her she would know how to answer it and wouldn't stutter or grow nervous when answering. That meant giving direct eye contact, being confident in her stance and her voice, and also just being friendly.

Toni was working on that herself, sometimes practicing in the mirror or sometimes by talking to herself, but otherwise that was it. A few classes she had taken in the past glimpsed over the importance of talking to ones client, but as far as Toni was concerned she hadn't really had any hand on exposure with that lesson. Over the course of her having to do makeup and hairstyles for clients over the three years that she had been here for assignments or projects not even a handful of them had been on regular people--people who weren't models, who had normal faces, who's job wasn't to take pictures and advertise whatever it was they were advertising. With the models she didn't have to tell them about how to style hair or do makeup. Maybe she had given a few tips here and there, but otherwise she was generally silent around them other than the few conversations that tended to spout that had nothing to do with her future and career and had all to do with what the model was doing. She wasn't looking to work on models in the future; she wanted to work on normal people, to have conversations with them, to learn from them or at least about them, but that was difficult to come by.

She'd have to talk about that to her adviser the next time she met up with her. Maybe ask if there was a certain class she could take or if there were any internships open that would actually take her that was in the direction that she wanted to actually go in.

From the corner of her eyes, still not able to directly look at Clay despite everything, she saw him slowly start to make his way into the cool water and nodded her head. Again, he made a point that she couldn't argue with; who, especially at a place like this, would lie about being a janitor? Most people would lie about being some superstar or about having a CEO for a parent (not that that was actually rare at this place she had come to learn), but a janitor? She supposed that he could have lied about that in order to hide his identity, embarrassed to admit that he went to this school and instead told people that he was a janitor. That didn't really make any sense, though when it came to people she supposed she couldn't count anything out. "I don't think it's interesting. I think it's just people taking things for granted. No offence, but I don't think I could ever do janitorial work. I'm not germoahobe, but it just seems... Disgusting, to have to clean after other people. Doing some of the lawn maintenance may be a little fun around here, but I have absolutely no green thumb, so I'd probably get fired from that." Blushing from the admission, Toni laughed lightly as she watched Clay start to acclimated himself to the water slowly. Wiping his arms down with the water with his hands was the way that her parents had taught her to get used to the water when she was younger, up until the point where she said screw it and just jumped in the water. It was a lot quicker that way--got her entire body used to the water at once. "Like I said, I think people take you all for granted. So, it's no problem." Now that she saw a bit of his smile--so easy and light! She wished she could do that!--she actually got the nerve to smile back at him.

Toni could feel herself getting a little more comfortable even when Clay finally let himself down into the water. Still with her eyes and inch off from directly looking at him she watched to see any reaction from him--chattering teeth, arms folding around his body, muscles clenching to get warmth. But nothing. He seemed relatively fine aside from the sharpened breath that she heard, something that made Toni smile softly again. She started to unwrap her arms from her body, telling herself that she didn't need to hide, that she needed to stop trying to hide behind her insecurities. If Clay seemed so comfortable in this situation around her, she didn't want to give him the wrong impression that she didn't want to be around him and that she was, for some reason, afraid of him when she had no reason to be. Even if she could feel her nerves beginning to jump again, the hairs on the back of her neck standing, she started to tread the water, lifting her legs up first so that she could float. "Well you got the job even if they think you're too young. That's got to count for something, right? They obviously trust you if they give you the dangerous jobs, unless they're jerks. Then... Well, I don't know what to say about that. But I guess if you find something therapeutic about it that's what really matters. I can understand why you want to keep the job since a lot of things like that don't come around for everyone. It's a special thing, I think." She started floating back, lightly pushing her arms over the surface of the water and creating waves in the water again, along with a crescendo of whooshing sounds. "So are your two years almost up, or are they just starting?"

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

pierce
Swag Master

Joined: August 2015
Posts: 1,079

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jul 7, 2016 13:54:07 GMT -5

Quote

Post by pierce on Jul 7, 2016 13:54:07 GMT -5

Clay couldn't have been more appreciative that Toni was willing to be his model of good swimming technique, from what he'd already witnessed it didn't seem too hard to learn. But he'd have to give it a try first. “That's good. I think you'll be a better instructor than I would. We'll both be learning together,” He noted, liking the idea of both of them teaching one another in various, small ways. It made him wonder how it would be if he actually went here, if he had a class with her. Something told him he'd likely let himself get distracted – ignoring the lessons to just watch her movements. She always looked so graceful yet fragile at the same time – it was like everything lowered in to a whisper when she walked by. He felt to urge to whisper now, even though there was no reason to. He soon realized that in this time with her so far he'd talked more than he would in a regular work week. Pretty interesting to consider.

He continued to absorb the coldness of the water, the chill of it easy to embrace now as small streams trickled down his arms. Clay cupped more up and splashed his face, a mixture of refreshment and delight upon his face if only for a split second. His wet hands moved back to moisten his neck as well, listening to Toni describe how she wouldn't be able to trade professions with him. That much was true. He couldn't imagine her doing even the lowest impact requirements of janitorial work. It just couldn't be pictured in his mind. “That is, if you even got hired you mean.” he smirked to himself, “You're not meant for the work that I do. Your hands, how – delicate they are... they're for work that calls for being precise and gentle.” Though he hadn't seen her hands up close enough to know this as absolute, Clay was sure in his statement. His eyes lowered to his hands as he spoke again, “Mine are the opposite. They're too rough and beaten to be used for anything else but manual labor.” If she knew what his hands had done, she'd probably be fearing for her life at this moment. If she ran from him, he'd want to chase her. But then, he wouldn't know what to do when he caught her. He didn't want to think about that. It wasn't often that people got away with murder, when they did they often just murdered more until they got caught. But Clay wasn't that kind of killer. Her smile towards him washed away the dark thoughts. No one else here knew for sure about what he'd done except for Lucian, and if Lucian was none the wiser about Toni – then she could easily be kept secret from him. There would be no one to tell her his horrible and bloody truth.

When he submerged himself in the water he felt that refreshing delight again, washing away the past and bringing all his senses in to the present. Clay had never been bothered by the cold much, it was mostly the heat that got to him, so the temperature of the water bolstered his spirits and solidified the easy smile across his lips. He hadn't had fun, just being around someone like this, ever. He had grown to enjoy Lucian's friendship, but he always had his plans when they were together. With Toni, Clay felt a sort of freedom to be like a kid again. It wasn't something he ever let out before, especially not in front of his best friend - lest he come across as weak. It was easier to smile around her, and to talk. It was easier to want to learn something new, or to refresh his memory from before his parents' accident. He observed how her body floated to the surface, watched to figure out just what he'd need to emulate. "They aren't jerks. I can tell. I think... they might be intimidated by me though. They give me the difficult jobs, so they don't really have to be around me." he mused aloud, his arms moving slowly under the water's surface. He bent his knees so the water rose up his covered chest and over his shoulders. “They leave me alone, which I like. It lets me work at my own pace, lets me complete the job in what ever way I want. I know I'm lucky to have the job. Even if it isn't glamorous or respected, I enjoy it.” Clay tilted his head back and felt the coldness loosen his hair, a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. He straightened out his legs and continued to look at how easy it was for her to keep afloat. "I'm in the middle actually. By the end of the school year I'll be official." Clay answered, not until now wondering if he'd celebrate the occasion. At this point he was so accustomed in the mindset that holidays and his birthday were nothing to commemorate, he hadn't bothered though technically - he could.

He experimented with the water, leaning to and fro a few times before walking forward a few feet in to slightly deeper waters. "How should I do this," he thought aloud, looking over to her. "I'm not sure how I swam before... but I don't think I ever floated on the water like you're doing." He leaned back again in attempt to copy her, trying to let his body float up but instead it just sunk - bringing his head down with it. Right away he surfaced and nearly laughed at himself as he pushed his drenched hair back from his face. "What would a beginner like me do?"

the Girls:
Tamara Dudley * Cleo Leon * Julietta 'Remy' Polait * Eloise Temple, PI * Perla Mercer * Lynn Goodwin * Lilith Peters

the Guys:
Bennett Dudley * Elliot Sadler * Lance Fleece * Clay Carpet * Wade Rawlson * Sylvan Peters * Clint Clark * Miles Lambert * Marty Rivers * Calvin Powell

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jul 13, 2016 18:08:03 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Shelby on Jul 13, 2016 18:08:03 GMT -5

A little laugh bubbled up to the surface of Toni's throat before it came out of her mouth gently at Clay's comment about her being a better instructor than he could be. With the shrug of her shoulders, she said that they'd just have to wait and see, and even jokingly mentioned that at the end of the little 'lesson' he'd have to give her an assessment on how well she had done with her teaching. Where the sudden burst of enthusiasm had come from, shaking Toni from a bit of her shyness and hesitation, she couldn't be sure, but now that she was there, watching Clay inch his way more into the water, she couldn't help but smile and take another deep breath, blushing all the while until she was able to get her emotions under control. She tilted her head up to look at the ceiling until she felt the heat of her cheeks dissipating so that her face didn't end up looking like a shiny red apple contrasting against a white sheet that was her skin. Effortlessly, her body floated along with the water, her arms spreading out, her fingers pressed together, and her legs held up to keep her afloat. It wasn't until she heard Clay's body dip under the water did she move to sit up, dipping her own body into the water up to her neck to watch as he brought himself back up.

Water cascaded down the parts of his skin that she could see, and again Toni found herself looking at his physic--those scars, but most importantly his face, eyes, and the way his hair molded to his features because of the weight of the water. The shirt that he still wore clung to his body, but she couldn't help but wonder whether or not it was uncomfortable or heavy on him. Whether or not it was, he seemed to be taking it in stride, not complaining about it or even tugging it away from his body. Must have a lot of patience, she figured, though her mind was taken away from the issue as he brought back the topic of their respective careers and her eyes were diverted to her hands which she brought up from the water to look at. Delicate, small, fragile, all things she considered her hands to be if she wasn't being too self critical about herself. Skeletal, long boned, skinny, were things she said about them when she wanted to be self deprecating. But she knew that he was right; she wasn't the best when it came to manual labor, though she had more to believe that that had more to due with her lack of strength than just her hands themselves. But... Still, hearing someone who didn't really know her say that her hands were meant for things better suited for delicate hands with a practiced ease warmed her. As she let them down, in her usual way she let her eyes veer an inch away from Clay's eyes but looked in his general direction, a meek look crossing her face as she casually shrugged her shoulders. "Well you know what they say, some of the most gentle hands are the biggest and roughest looking ones." Slowly Toni continued to move backwards in the water, languidly moving along as if she didn't have a care in the world, and then turning so that she didn't go too far away from Clay. "Who knows; maybe your hands are good for both manual labor and for other things that are more gentle. You never know until you try."

Of course, he could always be one of those rough and tough guys who only did 'manly' activities that included manual labor, beer drinking, and any other mess that men tended to get themselves into. But, then again, maybe he wasn't like that. It would certainly explain the scars running along his arms, but there could be a completely different story for those, maybe some that he laughed about, maybe some that he would rather forget about. Either way, looking at his hands then, Toni didn't see anything wrong with them. They were big, probably strong and calloused with the work he did, but she found nothing wrong with that. In fact, she found that to be a bit impressive since she herself had hands far different from his. She wondered how he held a brush in his hand, and how he held his pencils, forks, or anything, really. Was his hand writing neat or was it messy? Small or large? She even wondered how their hands would look in comparison with each other's if they laid their palms flat against one another. The urge was strong to ask if they could do so, but she decided against it, too nervous and reserved to do so. Instead, she asked, "Are you right handed or left handed?" a bit too quickly out of her mouth with her head tilted slightly to the left. Well, she was curious about it, now that she thought about it, even if the question was out of no where.

Straightening her head and feeling the weight of her water logged hair, she reached back and squeezed the strands until most of the water was drained out. Quickly setting her arms and hands back in the water, embarrassed almost, she continued to watch Clay as he moved himself in the water, getting closer to the deeper end of the pool and looking as he continued to talk about his job, something that Toni was beginning to find more and more fascinating. "Does it ever get lonely though, being alone like that all the time?" Not that she had much room to talk, given how she had no friends at this school nor had she ever made an attempt to make friends. It wasn't her thing. She was always too afraid to get close to anyone, afraid that they'd turn their backs on her or talk about her negatively. "I mean, I guess if you're doing your job, especially if you have to do maintenance on something, you don't want to be distracted by anyone or anything, so maybe being alone is best. But what do I know? I probably don't have a lot of room to speak about being alone since I'm alone most of the time. It's just my thing, I guess." Now she was rambling again, but the thought made her laugh and smile. "It's a shame that they're intimidated by you. I don't understand why. You seem like a pretty nice guy from what I've seen." But from his stature and the scars, maybe she could see how he could be intimidating.

"Maybe they won't be as intimidated by you when you're no longer an apprentice at the end of the school year. Or maybe they'll be more intimidated... But you'll be official, so that's something to be proud of." And that she couldn't help but smile of, feeling happy for him even if she still didn't really know him.

Watching him try to navigate his way through the water and float along it was amusing, so much so that Toni had to stifle down a laugh to keep from letting the noise out. At some point he seemed to be doing well, but then at other's, when his head would go back down under the water, she'd shake her head, straighter her body up, and start treading the water. Looked like it was time to start instructing a little bit. "For a beginner, I think you should get treading water down first before you start to float. But after that you should be able to float pretty easily. It's not that hard." Since he said he learned better through watching, she started demonstrating the motions as she said them. "Get your body straight, extend your arms out, and relax your legs." She demonstrated all of those easily, only becoming half conscious of the way she looked, through with most of her body under the moving water she felt as if there was a bit of a shield between him completely seeing her. "Actually, just relax your body in general, but not too much. Other wise you'll just sink again. Now, close your fingers together and move your arms back and forth, not up and down--if you do that, you'll just end up taking yourself down again--in little spurts, not long sweeps, and then move your legs back and forth slowly. And, there you go, treading water. Not hard at all. Keeps your head above water, and it's the first step in floating through the water."

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

pierce
Swag Master

Joined: August 2015
Posts: 1,079

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Jul 17, 2016 16:41:46 GMT -5

Quote

Post by pierce on Jul 17, 2016 16:41:46 GMT -5

Clay definitely began to feel even more at ease in her company when her small laugh reached his ears. It was a comforting sound, he realized the moment it faded. It made him feel like laughing too. It wasn't normal for him, but it was something that seemed familiar in a way. Just like an old melody heard as if brand new after many years. The more it seemed like she welcomed his presence here, the more Clay felt like an actual person. Not like someone who'd been made to feel like less than human for more than half of his lifetime. Maybe that's what allowed him to make the contrast between the both of their hands, even bringing the subject up wasn't like him at his usual. He was glad he had, though – for Toni's simple reply touched him. He followed her with his eyes, not aware that he may have been clearly in awe of her at the moment. Clay smiled bashfully at her open-ended conclusion, nodding and accepting the truth in her statement. “Maybe you're right.” He replied, leaving it at that but allowing her prior words to imprint in his mind.

Could he really see himself doing many gentle things with his hands? ...It was difficult to consider, though he did have to take care as to not rip the trash bags as he took them out to the dumpster and he did have to scrub the mural walls mildly so he didn't accidentally buffer off any paint when he cleaned them. Various things like that gave him the notion that his hands could be gentle, if he so chose them to be. It just made him wonder if they'd be gentle enough to reach out and touch Toni – just to feel how fragile she was and to prove to himself that he couldn't break her as easily as it might have seemed. He didn't want to feel like he'd have to hold back. Well, certain things he would need to keep to himself. But those things weren't gentle, they weren't fit for her at all and he couldn't even bear her knowing them even slightly.

He used his hands to push upon the water's surface. He liked the feel of it, of the water swallowing up his palms then just as quickly enveloping his hands whole. Toni's question came from out of the blue, but Clay did not seem off-put nor did he really react in any way. He let his hands float upon the water's surface and looked over to her, with her head tilted in curiosity. He smirked at the sight ever slightly, “Left handed,” he answered calmly, “but I learned to be right handed too, over the years.” That was mainly due to his drawing, which began shortly after his parents death and his brother's abusive guardianship. When left alone and locked up, Clay discovered how drawing would make him feel as if he wasn't the only one in his room. He could create various characters to spend time with, to send on journeys that reached much further than his small bedroom. It helped him cope at first, though later on it got him in to a lot of trouble. Since then he'd stopped doodling altogether. “What about you? Right or left?” he asked, shaking whatever recollection that threatened to spark within his mind far away. It was easier on him, to concentrate on Toni instead of anything else. It made the time much more pleasant.

Walking in the water was surprisingly soothing. Clay wandered around the middle of the pool with his hands in front of him – feeling the current of the water in between his spread out fingers. He eventually walked toward her as she asked about being a janitor, having to smile slightly. “I don't really know what lonely feels like. I'm used to being by myself, especially when I'm working. It's easier.” There wasn't an honest way to really describe to her why it was that he didn't feel lonely. If he thought back long enough, maybe he could've remembered what it felt like – but that time had been super transposed by his brother. Clay never felt lonely when Gordon locked him away, angry yes – and many other things too – but not lonely. He nodded when Toni spoke up again, a little taken back by her admittance. Though he always saw her around other people, Clay could see it. He could see her by herself, occupying her own time in her own ways. It was interesting to think about, Toni on her own, just here in the pool as he had seen before – in her own world and content to keep it that way. If it was her thing to be alone, then it was his too.

“It's not lonely for you, being alone most of the time?” Clay sort of countered mildly, smiling at the sight of her smile and sound of her laugh. He wanted to get closer to her. He could, if he chose to... but he didn't let himself approach any closer. He didn't think it would be welcome, or maybe she'd shrink away like she did when he first made himself known... either way, he was going to stay put right now. “I do?” Clay asked, pleasantly surprised that she had surmised as much from him. He'd heard the talk, how the creepy young janitor killed his whole family and tried to kill himself but it didn't work so he got locked up in a nuthouse until he hit a stroke of luck. Clay knew how true and untrue that story was. But he was glad to hear that she wasn't intimidated by him. It gave him all the more incentive to be gentle with her, knowing that she didn't fear him. “I don't know, I'm just used to people seeing me like that. Like something to be scared of. I hope it changes, when my title becomes official. I'll just have to wait and see.” He shrugged to modestly conclude before trying his hand at swimming. Not just standing in the water, but actually swimming.

It was a little discouraging, failing in his attempts to float again and again, but Clay knew persistence was key in learning things – no matter what those things were. After the third or fourth try though, he had to speak out for her assistance. He mouthed her words as if he were her own echo. Treading water. He focused on her as she began to demonstrate. Her thin arms and body were keenly observed and delighted in his wordless gaze, he spoke the word “Okay,” a few times as she explained and blinked away from the whole of her to focus on the lesson being taught. "I think I got it," he nodded slowly as he began to try and put her instructions to practice. Straightening and extending his arms were easy. So was relaxing his body, surprisingly. Normally he was at least a little on edge, but it was clear to him why that wasn't the case when he was around her. It was the same reason why he felt like whispering as he spoke to her and also why he felt real and even somewhat important when under her inspection. "Am I doing it?" he asked as his body semi-bobbed upon the pool's surface, a bit weighed down by the shirt which had grown heavy in the water. His legs and arms didn't move as fluidly as hers did, but his efforts were plenty obvious. He was keeping his head above the water without standing upon the bottom, at least.

Last Edit: Jul 17, 2016 16:54:01 GMT -5 by pierce

the Girls:
Tamara Dudley * Cleo Leon * Julietta 'Remy' Polait * Eloise Temple, PI * Perla Mercer * Lynn Goodwin * Lilith Peters

the Guys:
Bennett Dudley * Elliot Sadler * Lance Fleece * Clay Carpet * Wade Rawlson * Sylvan Peters * Clint Clark * Miles Lambert * Marty Rivers * Calvin Powell

Shelby
Swag Master

Joined: March 2013
Posts: 1,028

Taking a Dive in the Deep End Aug 30, 2016 18:21:41 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Shelby on Aug 30, 2016 18:21:41 GMT -5

Blinking her eyes in astonishment over the fact that he actually answered her wayward question about which hand he used more, Toni found her gaze moving towards his left hand as he answered. Ah, so he was a left at heart but knew how to use his right hand as well. The thought caused a small smile to puncture her lips. She hadn't met too many lefties in her lifetime, but she always thought of them to be different; not in a bad way, but in a way that signified them to be able to handle things in a different light, in a different way because of the struggles that were brought upon them because of their natural tendencies. There were too many right handed people in the world for most to care about the left handed, so they didn't get many of the basic amenities that fit their needs to make them most comfortable, like properly fitted desk so that they didn't have to sit awkwardly, or baseball gloves so that they could toss a ball around with a pal. That was something she heard her father talk about a lot--companies and manufactures needing to make more left handed gloves so that everyone could enjoy the great game of baseball no matter what. He wrote letters, tried to get petitions going to get the word out, and he wasn't even left handed himself. He just loved the game and wanted other people to be able to play it.

It made Toni imagine Clay sitting at a desk in school, reaching an arm over to try and read a text and write at the same time, awkward and unhappy because he couldn't get situation. She imagined him trying to throw a baseball around with an ill fitted glove. But he learned to use his right hand over the years. Why? When? Going into her own mind, she tilted her head again and pursed her lips, and when Clay spoke to her again, asking his own question, she flinched, blushed, and gave a sheepish smile as she looked away. "Um, right handed." Don't be so bashful, she told herself. Quickly she looked back at Clay with another smile, doing her usual action of letting her eyes not look directly into his. "I've tried to use my left, but it usually just turns into a mess when I try. It's like my brain can't process actions with it." With a shrug, she gave another sheepish grin. "But it's impressive that you've learned to use both. I can't imagine doing that."

She watched him walk through the water, like a silent observer, and started doing the same herself; letting her fingers thread through the water as if she was threading her fingers through strands of hair. It wasn't entirely different; when she was getting to know someone's hair, so to speak, she liked to let her fingers run through it so that she could get a feel for the texture so that she could figure out how best to handle it. It was much easier when there was no tugging going on, when there was no complaining on either parts; the smoother things went, the better, and besides, the better she knew the texture of someone's hair, the better she could do a hair style anyway. Not all hair could stick with a particular style; some people thought so, but it didn't always work out, unfortunately. Still, she'd never run her fingers through a bed of hair as smooth as water. No tangles disrupted the course that her fingers took. No gel made her hands sticky or slick. The water split with her fingers and let them run through freely without any argument.

The water as pulling her back in again; Toni could feel herself beginning to leave the present for her own little world, but Clay broke that reprieve of her's by speaking. He didn't know what lonely felt like? That made her take her eyes off the water and look at him with a puzzled look, but she didn't say anything to him. Maybe he was too busy to be lonely on the job, she figured. Or too busy to think about it, rather, but that still didn't answer the question of how he didn't know what being lonely felt like. Hollow. Like there was no one else in the world that wanted to be there with you. Like you were the oddity in the world that wouldn't even put you on display in a circus or zoo because you were that odd. Nobody cared. People just passed you by or only paid attention to you to call you out and make fun of you.

Her throat was beginning to close up. She blinked her eyes rapidly and closed her mind off from those horrid thoughts of her past. No, Toni had to remind herself that she wasn't alone, that she was never truly alone because she had her parents and they cared about her, they loved her and they always would. But it as hard sometimes. But she had grown so accustomed to the lonely life of having no friends to talk to that she had just accepted it. It as normal for her and this--being with Clay--was an oddity in her life. "No, I'm used to it by this point," she answered, and then grimaced. It sounded pathetic, even coming out of her own mouth. She didn't look at Clay, couldn't at that point. "I mean--it's just that... I don't really know how to interact with people, I guess? It's better for me to be alone." She was glad, and actually sighed in relief, when the conversation took a turn and went back to Clay. "Well, as far as I can see, you're nothing to be afraid of."

And her mind was taking away even more so from her embarrassing fuck up and the torments of her loneliness in life because of what she had had to deal with when she started teaching him how to tread water. She watched his movements and surprised herself by only becoming a little anxious and self conscious by Clay's eye's on her body--she tried to scrunch herself up, even to the fault of the lesson--but overall things went well. Despite the struggles that Clay found himself in, he fought himself through it ith persistence, and she appreciated it. Instead of treading water herself like she had been before, Toni kept herself upright and watched Clay's demonstration, folding her arms over her chest and watching him closely. She didn't correct him unless he asked, wanting him to do it on his own and give him space, and when he asked if he was doing it right she nodded her head. The shirt he wore was wearing him down, but otherwise he was keeping himself up a good bit. Better than she had done her first time even if her parents had told her that she was a natural in the water. "You'd be doing better without that shirt on, but, for the most part, yeah. With someone of your size I figured it would have taken much longer to learn to keep yourself afloat, but you've got it down. You're going to have to keep practicing, of course, because practice makes perfect. But I'm impressed." Again she could feel another blush come to her cheeks. "I think I've said I'm impressed too many times--like I said before, lack of social interaction with people." She shook her head from that, though, not wanting to stick with that topic.

"How does it feel? Being held up by the water like that? Don't you feel weightless almost? Like I said, it'd feel different if you weren't being weighed down, but you've got to feel something, right?"

High Schoolers:

Nora Acker || Chase Smith || Chance Smith

College Students:

Chardonnay Nicholas || Ace Harrison || Max Carter || Niko Connor || Toni Locklear

Teachers:

Jonathan Hall || Leo Fletcher

Academy Staff:

Scarlett Oak

Metric School of the Arts
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Taking a Dive in the Deep End (377 views)

Post by Shelby on Jun 15, 2016 19:35:46 GMT -5

Post by pierce on Jun 16, 2016 1:12:26 GMT -5

Post by Shelby on Jun 17, 2016 10:21:41 GMT -5

Post by pierce on Jun 17, 2016 12:25:07 GMT -5

Post by Shelby on Jun 17, 2016 13:38:40 GMT -5

Post by pierce on Jun 18, 2016 0:47:53 GMT -5

Post by Shelby on Jun 25, 2016 9:04:42 GMT -5

Post by pierce on Jun 26, 2016 3:48:22 GMT -5

Post by Shelby on Jul 4, 2016 21:05:56 GMT -5

Post by pierce on Jul 7, 2016 13:54:07 GMT -5

Post by Shelby on Jul 13, 2016 18:08:03 GMT -5

Post by pierce on Jul 17, 2016 16:41:46 GMT -5

Post by Shelby on Aug 30, 2016 18:21:41 GMT -5

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