[Garrett's Introduction]
Garrett flipped a page and started again. Blonde reclined on a chair listening to music? She would notice. Guy with his face buried in a history book? Too boring. Brunette playing with some take-out while talking with someone? She'd have to do. He started with the table, carving the curved lines into his notebook and embellishing it with light shadows that conflicted each other. He never was particularly good at drawing, but it didn't stop him from trying.
What's her name?, he thought, Let's go with... Maria.
He didn't much like the name, but he figured he could always change it later. But what was she doing? Whatever her friend was saying to her didn't seem particularly interesting. Or perhaps it wasn't anything good. She shifted her leg and leaned over the table to reply. Garrett's eyes followed her until her friend pointed in his direction and she turned to face him. He quickly looked downwards at his notebook and began scribbling something... anything to get her to look away again.
Statistics... statistics... uh... what's the one with p-hat again?
He glanced up. They were gone. He breathed a sigh of relief and went back to scanning the room. Garrett had always enjoyed people watching, especially in large public places. It gave him a chance to remove himself from needing to think about anything in particular and let him break open a new notebook. He usually didn't have too big of a problem with other people noticing, and even if they did it generally wasn't made into a big deal. After all, awkward eye contact happens. The improvised inspiration was usually worth it too, but this time all he'd ended up with was a table and a leg.
A table leg.
Garrett grinned and connected the leg with the rounded edges of the table, swiftly replacing the girls' sneaker with a pointed heel. He scribbled on the margins a few notes about the table leg and then began adding a dozen or so similar legs all around the perimeter of the table. Finally, he took a vibrant red sticky-note and stuck it on the top of the page as a bookmark. On it, he hastily signed it, "Absurd".
Garrett flipped a page and started again.
So We Settled for the Center of Town
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LoneArcher†
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So We Settled for the Center of Town
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Ruggahissy
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"Don't be so hard on yourself."
((Michelle Wexler continued from C is for Cookie))
Michelle was leaning over Garrett and drinking from a plastic water bottle. One ear bud was dangling from her left ear, emitting a harsh buzzing sound. Her hair was pulled back into a slick braid, hiding her normally long and messy waves. She was wearing a blue swimsuit with a large A on the chest and a Star Wars beach towel wrapped around her waist. Her skin was more tanned than usual and she smelled strongly of chlorine. She performed a short little wave as she continued drinking.
"I lived with an artist for a long time and a lot of times he thought his stuff wasn't good when it was great. He gave me a lot of his 'junk.'"
Michelle walked around to the front of the bench and sat next to Garrett.
((Michelle Wexler continued from C is for Cookie))
Michelle was leaning over Garrett and drinking from a plastic water bottle. One ear bud was dangling from her left ear, emitting a harsh buzzing sound. Her hair was pulled back into a slick braid, hiding her normally long and messy waves. She was wearing a blue swimsuit with a large A on the chest and a Star Wars beach towel wrapped around her waist. Her skin was more tanned than usual and she smelled strongly of chlorine. She performed a short little wave as she continued drinking.
"I lived with an artist for a long time and a lot of times he thought his stuff wasn't good when it was great. He gave me a lot of his 'junk.'"
Michelle walked around to the front of the bench and sat next to Garrett.
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LoneArcher†
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Garrett looked up in panic but relaxed when he realized it hadn't been the girl he had just been drawing. He exhaled and chuckled a little bit, glad to see it wasn't. It had never happened before that someone had caught him doodling or writing about them, but he was in no rush to have such an awkward conversation. He closed the notebook and placed it on the table as Michelle sat down across from him. It wasn't that he was necessarily embarrassed by someone seeing what he was doing, but so much of what he worked on he considered scraps.
"Oh, hey. Sorry, I just-- I don't know. I didn't know you were there."
He pulled a water bottle out of his backpack and took a swig before placing the notebook in the backpack and sticking his pencil behind his ear. In the periphery of his vision, he noticed the same brunette in the distance talking to someone else. He quickly averted his eyes and covered the side of his face with a hand.
"Sorry, I think she thinks I'm weird. This is embarrassing."
"Oh, hey. Sorry, I just-- I don't know. I didn't know you were there."
He pulled a water bottle out of his backpack and took a swig before placing the notebook in the backpack and sticking his pencil behind his ear. In the periphery of his vision, he noticed the same brunette in the distance talking to someone else. He quickly averted his eyes and covered the side of his face with a hand.
"Sorry, I think she thinks I'm weird. This is embarrassing."
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Ruggahissy
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Michelle leaned with her elbow on the table and her cheek in her hand. She looked a Garrett thoughtfully as she took another drink. She blinked and wiped a drop of water from her eye that had fallen from her damp hair. Her strap moved a bit, revealing the perfect outline of the swimsuit where the skin was still pale.
"Well yeah, I was being sneaky. I snuck up on you. Sneaky sneaky."
Michelle stretched her arms above her head and seemed to collapse down, bringing them down to the table and plopping her head on top of them. She peered at Garrett's wavy image though her water bottle.
"Who? The girl? I wouldn't worry, I don't think she noticed you. Anyway, she'd probably be flattered. Girl's like being made into art. 'Paint me like one of your French girls' and all that."
She pushed her finger into the cracks in the table and chewed on her lip absently.
"I ditched swim clean up today. I didn't feel like stacking up all the boards and fins and paddles and pull buoys. I'm hiding out here so don't tell on me, okay?"
She paused.
"You never felt like joining swim? I know you're into water polo, but a lot of the players join swim so they have something to do on the off season."
"Well yeah, I was being sneaky. I snuck up on you. Sneaky sneaky."
Michelle stretched her arms above her head and seemed to collapse down, bringing them down to the table and plopping her head on top of them. She peered at Garrett's wavy image though her water bottle.
"Who? The girl? I wouldn't worry, I don't think she noticed you. Anyway, she'd probably be flattered. Girl's like being made into art. 'Paint me like one of your French girls' and all that."
She pushed her finger into the cracks in the table and chewed on her lip absently.
"I ditched swim clean up today. I didn't feel like stacking up all the boards and fins and paddles and pull buoys. I'm hiding out here so don't tell on me, okay?"
She paused.
"You never felt like joining swim? I know you're into water polo, but a lot of the players join swim so they have something to do on the off season."
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LoneArcher†
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He sighed and peaked through the cracks between his fingers at the girl across the student center. She still hadn't turned, so he figured he was probably just being paranoid. Turning his full attention to the girl sitting in front of him, he dropped his hand and decided to actively avoid looking in the direction of the table-legs girl. He stared purposefully forwards for a couple of seconds before glancing again in the direction of the girl across the room. She was gone. She was actually gone this time. Shaking his head slightly, he turned back to Michelle.
When Garrett turned his attention back to the table, he saw Michelle staring at him through her water bottle with her head resting on her arms. Garrett did a double-take. Clearly, he had missed something.
Garrett snorted, "I don't do that kind of art," he thought for a moment and added, "or art at all really. They're just doodles."
He couldn't help but grin a bit at her explanation of why she was there. He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone on the swim team was in the area but he didn't see anyone.
"Yeah, sure. My lips are sealed. And, I don't know about swim. Just not my thing, you know?"
To be totally honest with himself, he hadn't really thought about joining swim. He took another drink from his water bottle.
"I think it's the laps. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I can't jog on tracks either."
He absent-mindedly scratched his shoulder.
"Doesn't sound very exciting." He quickly added, "To me, anyway." He smiled sheepishly, "Think they'll be mad you're not there?"
When Garrett turned his attention back to the table, he saw Michelle staring at him through her water bottle with her head resting on her arms. Garrett did a double-take. Clearly, he had missed something.
Garrett snorted, "I don't do that kind of art," he thought for a moment and added, "or art at all really. They're just doodles."
He couldn't help but grin a bit at her explanation of why she was there. He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone on the swim team was in the area but he didn't see anyone.
"Yeah, sure. My lips are sealed. And, I don't know about swim. Just not my thing, you know?"
To be totally honest with himself, he hadn't really thought about joining swim. He took another drink from his water bottle.
"I think it's the laps. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I can't jog on tracks either."
He absent-mindedly scratched his shoulder.
"Doesn't sound very exciting." He quickly added, "To me, anyway." He smiled sheepishly, "Think they'll be mad you're not there?"
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Ruggahissy
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Michelle noticed Garrett's attention was focused on something behind her. She quickly looked back and then resumed her semi-collapsed state on the table. She smiled a little to herself, thinking perhaps he was smitten with the girl he'd been looking at so intently and doodling. Michelle didn't really know him well enough to tease him about it though, so she contented herself with the smile.
"I already suggested not being so hard on yourself," she sighed lazily.
He at least seemed to think her joke was somewhat funny. It tended to be hit or miss when she'd say something she'd mean as a joke as to whether or not the other person would get it. Uncomfortable pause would ensue and then she'd have to stand around like a doofus and tell them it was a joke, which, there really is nothing more awkward. Michelle was feeling more relaxed than usual, probably due to the fact that the swimming had used up her energy and the sun had lulled her into a sort of sleepy state.
He said he didn't really like swimming and Michelle didn't appear offended by it.
"Mmm, it's not just the laps you know. Despite being the captain, I.....I can say it's not really very much fun. It's grueling in ways that normal sports aren't."
Michelle pulled herself up and squeezed the bottle a little, making the plastic crinkle and crack.
"Have you heard of swimmer's burn out? It's like.....it's not a team sport so there's no sense of camaraderie or community. Everything is individual so everything you do you are on your own, with the exception of relays and even then you have your own time. You have to do the same action over and over and over and there's no music or company. And when you do race....you can never win. There's no real winning. Sure, you can be the fastest person in that race, but you aren't racing against the other people. You are racing against yourself, like, an ideal. You want to have a faster time. It's almost incidental how you finish compared to the others. You can win a polo game against another team, but I'll never have a concrete accomplishment. I'll just always be trying. The isolation and the unclear and unattainable goal gets to some people and they burn out. They hate it, but they are so good at it they don't know what else to do."
She finished her drawn out, thinking aloud stream of speech and perked up a bit.
"So yeah, it's not for everyone. Plus polo players have really weird stroke. They might be peeved I didn't stick around but I'll make up something. I'm there all the other times. As long as you don't snitch," she said, putting a finger up to her mouth.
"I already suggested not being so hard on yourself," she sighed lazily.
He at least seemed to think her joke was somewhat funny. It tended to be hit or miss when she'd say something she'd mean as a joke as to whether or not the other person would get it. Uncomfortable pause would ensue and then she'd have to stand around like a doofus and tell them it was a joke, which, there really is nothing more awkward. Michelle was feeling more relaxed than usual, probably due to the fact that the swimming had used up her energy and the sun had lulled her into a sort of sleepy state.
He said he didn't really like swimming and Michelle didn't appear offended by it.
"Mmm, it's not just the laps you know. Despite being the captain, I.....I can say it's not really very much fun. It's grueling in ways that normal sports aren't."
Michelle pulled herself up and squeezed the bottle a little, making the plastic crinkle and crack.
"Have you heard of swimmer's burn out? It's like.....it's not a team sport so there's no sense of camaraderie or community. Everything is individual so everything you do you are on your own, with the exception of relays and even then you have your own time. You have to do the same action over and over and over and there's no music or company. And when you do race....you can never win. There's no real winning. Sure, you can be the fastest person in that race, but you aren't racing against the other people. You are racing against yourself, like, an ideal. You want to have a faster time. It's almost incidental how you finish compared to the others. You can win a polo game against another team, but I'll never have a concrete accomplishment. I'll just always be trying. The isolation and the unclear and unattainable goal gets to some people and they burn out. They hate it, but they are so good at it they don't know what else to do."
She finished her drawn out, thinking aloud stream of speech and perked up a bit.
"So yeah, it's not for everyone. Plus polo players have really weird stroke. They might be peeved I didn't stick around but I'll make up something. I'm there all the other times. As long as you don't snitch," she said, putting a finger up to her mouth.
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LoneArcher†
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Garrett absent-mindedly scratched behind his ear and bit his lip. He was a bit surprised by how passionately Michelle had spoken. He hadn't really thought of the solo nature of swimming and how it would affect sport mentality and morale. One of the things that he liked about water polo was the near-constant affirmation and the feeling that everyone had each others' backs. It was a sense of fraternity that he didn't always feel he had in his life. Not knowing how seriously she felt about it, Garrett tried to gauge the socially acceptable course of action. Should he just agree with her? He didn't want her to think that he wasn't listening. But at the same time, he didn't want to look like he was trying to invalidate how she felt. He decided he wasn't qualified to say much of anything. After racking his mind for an appropriate response and failing to find one, he shrugged a bit and took another drink from his water bottle.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
Disaster averted. But didn't that sound dismissive? Garrett tried to hide his exasperation with himself. While he prided himself on being able to write articulately and speak charismatically, the two did not always synergize as quickly as he wanted. Sometimes he wished he could pause time to have the time to think about all of his possible courses of actions. Until then, he'd have to content himself with attempting not to stumble too much when faced with a situation he was unfamiliar with.
"I won't tell anyone," he forced a grin, "I promise. Besides, who'd take my word over yours?"
That was better. Surely that sounded better. He was trying to get the conversation back in an area he was more familiar with.
"What've you been up to lately? I haven't really been keeping up too well with everyone. Nate's been home for a little while, so my parents have been making us spend all our time together. Not that I don't love them, of course," he added quickly, "It's just exhausting."
As much as he enjoyed spending time with his family on occasion, all the time together was slowly making him stir-crazy.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
Disaster averted. But didn't that sound dismissive? Garrett tried to hide his exasperation with himself. While he prided himself on being able to write articulately and speak charismatically, the two did not always synergize as quickly as he wanted. Sometimes he wished he could pause time to have the time to think about all of his possible courses of actions. Until then, he'd have to content himself with attempting not to stumble too much when faced with a situation he was unfamiliar with.
"I won't tell anyone," he forced a grin, "I promise. Besides, who'd take my word over yours?"
That was better. Surely that sounded better. He was trying to get the conversation back in an area he was more familiar with.
"What've you been up to lately? I haven't really been keeping up too well with everyone. Nate's been home for a little while, so my parents have been making us spend all our time together. Not that I don't love them, of course," he added quickly, "It's just exhausting."
As much as he enjoyed spending time with his family on occasion, all the time together was slowly making him stir-crazy.
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Ruggahissy
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He responded to her long, depressing monologue after a moment. She laughed a bit and her wet hair bounced. She settled back in with her hand propping up her head via her cheek. Her fingers rested lightly against her face with the tips of some of her fingers near her eye.
"Yeah. No one will believe you anyway. Good save. 'I saw the girl's swim captain running around in nothing but a wet swim suit.' Sadly, more believable than you'd think."
He'd changed the subject to something more familiar and she was happy to oblige. Her soft gaze flickered between Garett and the table.
"Oh you know, I'm alright. School's winding down so it's like, the lull period. I'm looking forward to the senior trip like woah. It's gonna be so cool," she said dreamily. "How is Nate?"
"Yeah. No one will believe you anyway. Good save. 'I saw the girl's swim captain running around in nothing but a wet swim suit.' Sadly, more believable than you'd think."
He'd changed the subject to something more familiar and she was happy to oblige. Her soft gaze flickered between Garett and the table.
"Oh you know, I'm alright. School's winding down so it's like, the lull period. I'm looking forward to the senior trip like woah. It's gonna be so cool," she said dreamily. "How is Nate?"
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Ruggahissy
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Somewhere in the background, Michelle thought she saw a fellow swimmer clad in similarly soggy attire. She stretched her arms upward, twisted together and got up from the table.
"I think they're on to me. I better go. Remember what I said about your art, kay?"
She ruffled Garett's hair as she walked by. Michelle looked at him and took a few steps backwards. She held her finger up to her mouth and winked, then turned and skipped away.
((Michelle Wexler continued elsewhere))
"I think they're on to me. I better go. Remember what I said about your art, kay?"
She ruffled Garett's hair as she walked by. Michelle looked at him and took a few steps backwards. She held her finger up to her mouth and winked, then turned and skipped away.
((Michelle Wexler continued elsewhere))