Thinking Different Thoughts

Chapter 11

I laughed. He looked uncomfortable and I knew what he was trying to say. "I was a dick, I know." I said. He looked at me with the look he always wore when someone swore. I was really trying as I knew he didn't like it, but getting out of a habit is much easier than starting one. "I understand if they don't like me. Hayley seemed to, though," I said, thinking about the weird girl I saw on my second day. She had short orange hair - like, fake orange, not natural - and short-ass bangs.

After grabbing towels and a shirt I didn't mind wearing in chlorine, we left.

"Describe le people to me," I requested, gaining a laugh from Tyler when I used the word 'le'. "I don't know any of them besides Hayley."

"She's changed her hair colour, again," he said.

"Great."

"Vic is about as tall as you, he's the Mexican guy who will randomly write down and sing lyrics he thinks of. He's a cool guy, just make sure you don't make him upset because he will beat the living shit out of you if you piss him off."

I cocked an eyebrow when he said he would beat me up, and also because Tyler just said two swear words without much guilt on his face. Granted, they weren't too bad of words. Fuck or cunt would have been different.

"Hayley has blue hair now with purple streaks. You know her otherwise."

"Right." I remembered her and Tyler laughing about something on my first day. She was sitting on his bed, across from me, and all I heard her say was 'he likes you' under her breath to him. This caused Tyler to flip shit and I personally thought it was a little funny. I didn't know who they were talking about, though. I assumed it was me. Still do assume it was me.

"Jack is tall. He's got skunk hair." Upon seeing my confused face, he said "you'll see in a minute. Don't worry. He's a nice guy, pretty cool to talk about music with if you like that sort of thing."

"What about... Jenny and the other guy?"

"It's Jenna, first of. She's got blond hair, and blue tips. She has a nose piercing, too. She's a total white girl, by the way. So don't freak out or be surprised when she says something like 'omg' or 'lol'. Or if she has Starbucks."

I nodded. I wasn't getting any of this besides Mexican guy, blue hair, skunk dude, and nose piercing. Cool. "And the last dude?"

"Frank, Gerard's 'friend'." He said, air-quotes and all. "He's short, black, half shaved hair. The shaved part is bright red. He's like... shorter than Vic. You'll recognise him." He said. We walked into a building designed especially for swimming. It had skylights and a bunch of posters saying boys or girls swimming and the year. I assumed these were like trophies or something.

We were there first, I guess, since there was no one else yet. Tyler seemed a little relieved by this. It made me extremely relieved, as I wouldn't have to worry about the other people just yet.

I understand that I was a total dick when I first arrived, and that they had almost every right not to like me, but I was still worried they would be complete dicks to me. I was fully expecting it.

"You're wearing the shirt in, right?" Tyler asked as he took his off. I nodded and asked why he cared. "Because." He answered, pushing on my chest.

I fell backwards, unaware that the pool was behind me, and nearly screamed. The only reason I didn't was because my mouth filled with the gross chlorinated water of the pool. I closed my eyes a little too late and decided to stay under long enough for Tyler to worry.

It was about twenty seconds.

I was amazed I had stayed under that long without much oxygen in my lungs. Apparently Tyler was too.