ArchivedLogs:The Invisible Leading The Invisible

The Invisible Leading The Invisible
Dramatis Personae Jack, Sergio
In Absentia	2015-08-22 "Just a practice kiss, huh?"
Location <XS> Pool - B1
Like any indoor pool, the room is lined with tile and smells faintly of chlorine, the rippling water occasionally casting wavy reflections across the walls when the sun shines through the high, narrow windows at just the right angle. Unlike many, the facility is respectably large, of Olympic length and of sufficient breadth for a respectable number of lanes, with an array of retractable diving boards set up at the deep end. The pool is quiet this late, not long before curfew. Despite a commonality in /some/ of the student body, a lot of the residents /aren't/ hiding, but upstairs watching. Sergio (square cut, hibiscus print shorts) sits at the edge of the pool, in the shallow end. On display, his once tan skin is still quite paled and his formerly jockish physique has considerably diminished. His legs are partially submerged, and he swings them gently back and forth as he leans back in thought. Swimming isn't necessarily the safest idea given his condition, but he isn't /really/ swimming, is he? It might not be entirely safe but Sergio isn't alone in the pool this evening. There's a pair of simple blue board shorts with a sharky design and a ghostly outline of a person moving below the surface of the water towards where Sergio is. Jack's spent most of the day hiding away from people and not watching the protesters and right now is the same. Surfacing with an unseen green, Jack lightly splashes his roommate as a greeting. Sergio jolts, springing up a hand too-late. With a giggle, he runs his palms over his face and through his hair. His short black faux-hawk is already damp, suggesting this may not have been the first time he's been splashed. He giggles, pretending pout as he wipes off his chest, "Don't be salty 'cause you have a crush that I know about." Gingerly, he flicks up a foot to splish-splash in Jack's vague direction. Jack laughs as he's splashed, the water hitting the invisible guy and giving another ghost-like outline as the water runs over his form. "I'm more chlorinated than salty right now," he jokes. "I um...I don't mind if you know. I mean...I don't think it'll end up being more than a crush and I'm probably an idiot but...uh...yeha." Sergio smiles, tilting his head, "What? Man, don't say that. You need to get some confidence." He gestures flatly with a hand, eyebrows waggling, "It's all about confidence." Slowly, he turns his hand on his wrist until he's suddenly pointing straight at Jack. Jack jumps slightly, moving to rest his arms on the edge of the pool. He looks up at his roommate and chuckles. "Easier said than done," he says. "I mean...I'm still getting used to actually...trying this sort of thing. And I'm not even sure if this guy even...y'know, likes me that way. I'm just hoping to get to know him better and see if we click." This is going to sound bad. Sergio widens his eyes, shifting them to follow Jack. His imagination is running wild. "So, are you like?" He presses his lips thin, curving them at the corners before his whole mouth spreads into a cheshire-cat smile, "When you say you're still getting used to this sort of thing...?" He gets flustered, blushing over his neck and chest. "I've made out with a few people." He chokes, going redder, "Girls. I mean, besides this /one/ time." "You've ...dated ...guys before? I just figured, you were on your own, maybe you have all this experience." He ends up farther away from whatever question he was originally fumbling with, "You're gay or?" It's one of those times Jack is glad he's invisible because he's blushing furiously, giving a deer-in-the-headlights look. "Oh man," he almost squeaks, burying his face in his arms for a moment. He's quiet for a long moment, taking a breath. "I'm gay," he clarifies. "I just...never dated guys before," he explains. "Before...my parents weren't exactly the most..." he frowns, trying to figure out the right words. "They would have thrown me out if they knew I was gay even if I wasn't a mutant. So I never...I mean I went out on one or two dates with girls from school but it was nothing. And then I was on my own and didn't think anyone would want an invisible freak so I didn't even try and...no, I have like...zero experience. Never even kissed anyone before." "Mmn," Sergio brings his fingers up to press on the bridge of his nose to fight off a moment of dizziness. "Really?" He asks after it passes, honest disbelief crossing his face. "Not even once..." The teen shakes his head in disbelief, offering a toothy grin. "Like not anything?" Sergo flicks his fingers down into the water to splash Jack, again. "I can't help but wonder if your invisibility isn't tied to your self-confidence, dude. You should start just straight up telling people like, look: I'm really good-looking. And then, making out with them." "Really," Jack replies. "Not even once," he adds, blushing worse. "I told you...I never...had a chance to," he says. He sputters when splashed again, splashing back. "No, I'm invisible even when I am confident...wait, what?" he squeaks again. "That...you think that'd work?" Sergio laughs, leaning away from the water as Jack retaliates, "Couldn't hurt. Let people imagine what they want." Like he said, he's made out with a couple people i.e. HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THIS STUFF. "Dudes, I mean." He gulps, brushing water droplets from his face. "I made out with Kenny Ka'ana'ana once, on a boy scout camping trip," he admits quietly, before defending himself, "But I had like, almost half a wine cooler. And he was invisible." Okay, maybe he was visible. "But my first kiss was uhm, Jennifer, this blonde girl who lived up the block from me. It was just practicing or some stupid thing. She was really pretty and nice. I mean, she still is. She's not dead or anything." Jack quirks an unseen brow at that defense. "He was invisible? I kind of doubt that...how'd you even get wine coolers as a boy scout even?" he asks, grinning even if it can't be seen. "Just a practice kiss, huh? She still like you or did she move or something?" "Somebody's older cousin or brother or sister got them. Those things are strong." No, they aren't. "Nah," Sergio looks down to his feet in the water, watching the ripples fondly. "I don't think she ever liked me /liked/ me liked me. Y'know? We were just trying to spell out our names in each other's mouths or something stupid that somebody told her to do. I actually think she's dating stupid Kenny, now." His voice grumbles with just the faintest hint of bitterness. "Anyway, you shouldn't over think it. I know, I know, I over think everything," Sergio, who planned that last zoo trip down to the minute, rolls his eyes dramatically, "But you just gotta take the risks." "Overthinking is something I tend to overdo," Jack admits, a little embarrassed by the admission. "You'll find someone better than her," he says after a moment, recognizing bitterness when he hears it. After another long pause, Jack nods. "Alright...guess I'll take another risk and ask him on another date when I see him." "I'm more worried about staying conscious when I make sudden movements than getting to first base, right now," Sergio says from behind his lopsided smile, shrugging a shoulder. "Worse thing that can happen is that he says no." ... "Maybe warn me and I'll make sure there's some Ben & Jerry's around just in case." He giggles, slowly pushing up from his seat to stand. He towards over the pool and Jack, planting both hands on his hips as the water runs off of him. "Alright. I'll see you up there. I have to call my mom back before she blows a gasket." "Hey, you'll pull that off too," Jack replies with an unseen grin. He snickers in reply to the ice cream statement. "I go more for cake than ice cream," he jokes. He stays close to the edge as Sergio stands, making sure his roommate doesn't fall. "No you won't," he chimes with a laugh. "But I'll catch ya later, man." Sergio laughs, "You're right, I won't!" Walking with a little bit of swagger towards the locker rooms, the teen throws up the back of his hand before disappearing behind the door, "Later!"