Title: OH[dark].t.h.i.r.t.y.
Description: [Open to one]
Tyler Simms - September 26, 2007 11:06 PM (GMT)
Weight training... It was the one aspect of swimming that he really hated the most. Why? He knew why but... why?! He'd been up since oh-dark-thirty just to get to practice. Yeah, Tyler Simms got up around five every morning just to make it to his swim practices. Then, of course, there was the running for track and the weight lifting for swimming and basketball. It wasn't basketball season just yet, so he was questioning the weightlifting for swimming. He much preferred the resistance training in the currents from the ocean.
He'd managed to run his three miles before he finally forced himself to the weight room. He hated this but at least Reid wasn't around. The guy loved to make fun of him. He wasn't sure what it was that he loved more, making fun of him because he was the baby or because he didn't like the fact that Tyler could lift more than him. Yeah, for some reason, that pissed him off. Whatever, it was finally something he was better at than Reid and he liked to gloat. Today, though, he was going to be lazy and go for low weight, high rep. He wasn't in the mood to impress anyone today.
Tyler made his way into the weight room, his shirt removed sometime during his run and tucked into the back of his shorts like a tail. He grabbed a bench and pulled the shirt out and let it drop to the floor while he adjusted the weights. God, he did not want to do this! He readjusted the weights and sighed as he dropped down onto the bench and laid down.
Alex Foster - September 27, 2007 07:19 AM (GMT)
Endorphins, the natural drug. Well, at least that's what they'll tell you in some twelve step program. Unfortunately, Alex hadn't heard that memo, but that had never stopped her from going at it anyway. Boxing, after all, had become a sort of barrier. She learned to be defensive, to take care of herself, to be able to hold her own. Her past experiences had taught her that you absolutely had to be able to fight for yourself, regardless of who you thought you could trust. One broken night. That's all it took, and she'd been turned into a completely different person.
She'd been going at it since about four am, she hadn't been able to sleep at all, she kept thinking about that night. The whole thing was weighing her down, so she'd slipped off to the gym for a little therapy. Punching things always seemed to help her.
Still, it had been at least a good hour and a half since she'd started wailing on the punching bags. If her body hadn't been exhausted before, it sure was now, her mind however was still racing, still flashing images of the experiences she was desperately trying to forget.
She tried to punch one last time, but her body simply gave out, and she fell to the floor. Chest heaving, Alex was covered in sweat. She pulled her knees against her chest, her head resting against her arms for a few moments until she heard some weights clanking around in the larger part of the gym.
She pulled her boxing gloves from her hands, tossing them into her bag as she stood to her feet, walking around the corner to see who it was. Normally, she'd have just walked on out, but it was Tyler. Immediately, she turned to go out the back entrance. She could handle any random person, but not Tyler, not today. For some reason she didn't know if she could ta..... and then she heard her name, and froze, her head dropped a bit as she turned around, and as casually as she could, walked up to his bench. "Hey, need a spot?" She asked, with a slight smile. Okay, so maybe this might not be so bad.
Tyler Simms - September 30, 2007 04:36 AM (GMT)
Tyler really didn't want to do this. He hated lifting weights. He just didn't know why... Part of it was probably because he always felt so pathetic compared to what Caleb and Pogue could lift. Whatever, it had to be done, right? No, not really. What would his coach know? He was a fit guy so it wasn't so bad and he was strong enough. The weights were just there to condition his muscles but he made up for that with all of the swimming he'd been doing, lately. At this point, he just really wanted a break from things and to just take a breath. He was starting to feel ill and that was never a good sign. Tyler rarely got sick, so if he was sick, it was bad. Very bad. Worse than that, his mother would be hysterical and painfully annoying in her worry for him. Someone was better off shooting him in the face then letting his mother know that he was sick.
For this reason, he was easily distracted and that included the entrance of another into the gym with him. Immediately, his head snapped to see who it was an he sighed in relief. It was a friendly face! Albeit, it was a girl, he still knew her and they were friends. Tyler still got a little quiet around her from time to time but it was just how he seemed to do things. It was a character flaw he'd probably carry for the rest of his life. "Hey, Alex." Oh, wow... Yeah, for a second there, he didn't think that she looked too happy to see him but he might have just imagined it. The problem with Tyler, anymore, was that things were happening that he couldn't explain and he didn't know what to trust and believe and what not to. He sat up, shaking his head and scratching at his bare stomach. "No but a reason not to need a spotter would be nice." If he was talking, he wouldn't be lifting weights and he wouldn't need a spotter. "What's up?"
Alex Foster - September 30, 2007 06:48 AM (GMT)
Lately, Alex had been coming here a lot, making her rounds every morning before school started again. It was wearing on her, but everything that was happening was wearing her down even more. Something seemed off with Tyler, he wasn't himself lately. She thought it was because of her, maybe she'd scared him off, or he was avoiding her for some reason. But despite that... Alex was worried about a lot of other things. Still, he was at the top of her list.
"No but a reason not to need a spotter would be nice.
Alex smiled, and sat down on the next bench, taking a few sips of water from her bottle. "All you guys do is work out, do you ever get a break?" She asked, wiping some of the sweat away from her face. She felt just plain gross at the moment, a shower would be nice a shower with Tyl.... heyyyyyy she didn't like where her train of thought was going. She shook the thoughts from her head, blinking a few times before looking back to Tyler. Alex sat up straight, adjusting the hem of her red short cheerleading shorts, wiping some sweat from her stomach, the only other thing covering her torso being a black sports bra.
"What's up?"
Alex smiled, "Couldn't sleep, just finished working out for the past oh... hour and a half..." She grinned, "So forgive me for not looking presentable..." She chuckled a bit, biting her lip as she looked at him. "But I'm sure we could figure out something to do... this yours?" She asked, picking up his shirt with the tips of her fingers, "God, did you fall in a sewer?" She laughed again.
Tyler Simms - October 1, 2007 04:31 AM (GMT)
Tyler didn't come into the gym unless he had to. He did his running around campus and then he was in the pool. Weights were a once a week thing and he did them whenever he had time but the nightmares were keeping him awake so they were something to do to kill time once in a while. He wasn't avoiding her and she wasn't the reason why he was acting off. If he'd known that was the problem, he would have tried to tell her otherwise. Would she have believed it? Well, he hoped so but all he could do was tell her the truth and then leave it at that. He didn't want to worry anyone but it happened, he supposed and he was just going to have to do the best he could or get over it.
He chuckled and shrugged. "We've got to keep in shape for swimming... Even after the season's over, we're still in conditioning." He, of course, was also in other sports. Yeah, he could use a shower, too, but there was nothing gross about the girl in front of him. His eyes followed her hands as she adjusted her shorts, taking in the long, toned legs and her flat stomach and... Yeah, if he wasn't careful that could prove to be a dangerous and embarrassing mindset. "Besides, I thought chicks liked guys with good bodies... Why complain? Or am I supposed to be some fat slob?" He smirked, cocking his head to the side, slightly.
Her words made him nod, slowly. "Yeah, there seems to be a lot of that going around, lately." He was just glad ot know that he wasn't the only one. "You look fine to me," he shrugged before he realized what that sounded like and turned to get his bottle of water out of his bag while he attempted to hide his blush. What? He wasn't going to lie and tell her differently. "We could start by burning that shirt but I'd have to walk around without one until I got back to the dorm," he offered.
Alex Foster - October 1, 2007 05:50 AM (GMT)
Alex had always liked being active and playing sports, and her favorite had become boxing. Still, they had no girls' boxing club here, so she'd had to join the boys'. Not that that was a problem with her, she didn't care that she was fighting boys, she just threw punches harder. But she was in the weight room training in the ring or hitting the weights at least once a day, sometimes more. It was really quite sad how much time she spent here.
"We've got to keep in shape for swimming... Even after the season's over, we're still in conditioning."
Alex smirked, and looked at him again, "And here I thought you did it for FUN..." She said quite sarcastically, grinning a bit as the conversation went one.
"Besides, I thought chicks liked guys with good bodies... Why complain? Or am I supposed to be some fat slob?"
Alex's mouth dropped open as if to say 'did you really just say that' before she giggled, shaking her head, "Okay okay... point taken, still... it's not like you have anything to worry about there..." She laughed again, and smiled, "Your body's perfectly fine, Ty..." She shrugged one shoulder, before closing her eyes and stretching her arms over her head, then bending them behind her head. She smiled again at Tyler, leaning against one of the bars.
"Yeah, there seems to be a lot of that going around, lately."
Alex just nodded, and smiled sympathetically. "Usually it's not a big deal, y'know? I just go run or work out, or box... or whatever... today just feels different... colder... maybe the weather's changing... this is my first winter here." She shrugged again, and grinned as he blushed. She didn't really know why he was blushing, the comment was incredibly innocent, but still he was, and it was cute. The thought hit her then that he was really the first person who'd made her smile this much since she was a kid... and that made her feel as if she'd made a really good friend.
"We could start by burning that shirt but I'd have to walk around without one until I got back to the dorm,"
Alex raised and eyebrow and chuckled, "And you think I'd have a problem with that?" She teased, before standing to her feet. "I could just throw you in the showers..." She laughed again, "But I kind of need one too..." She thought for a moment, and looked around, hands on her hips as she turned to face him. With a mischievous grin, she teased him some more, "Could take one together... you know what they say, save water... shower together..." She laughed, playing it off like she'd been joking, though the truth, she realized... was that she really wasn't. She held up his shirt again and smiled, "This... really needs to be washed..." She said as she started backing away, down the hall, a slight smile on her face, "Or I could just go light it on fire now... your choice..."
Tyler Simms - October 1, 2007 07:05 PM (GMT)
Tyler had been a pretty active kid, always playing soccer or swimming or something... He even did it when he wasn't in school and he was just at home with nothing to do. It helped keep him in shape and gave him something to do when the boys weren't around or too busy for him. Yeah, that happened, believe it or not. He just wasn't really all that outgoing and thy hated dragging his shy ass all around with them when they were younger. It was something that lessened with time but he knew that he was still a pain in their asses from time to time.
He chuckled at her and shook his head. Nope, no fun for him. "Trust me, Reid and the others say that they do it for the fun result afterwards but I don't ever get that prize." Chicks melted over their bodies while Tyler was often over looked. It was just one of those thing... "Um... Thanks?" He really didn't know what to say to that one. He didn't think anyone had said that about him before... It was nice to hear, though, that was for certain. It was more than that, though. She had said that his body was 'perfect'. That was definitely a new one for him and he'd be sure to brag about it to Reid the first chance he got. He'd never believe him but that wasn't the point. Tyler knew the truth.
"Might be it... They say the seasons and weather can affect your mood." He shrugged, not really sure if that was the case or not. Tyler knew that his issues were not weather related, though. He was getting hurt in dreams and then in real life... You try explaining that one. Tyler was blushing. Why was he blushing? Well, he was blushing because he was sitting there and flirting with her and he'd only just realized this. Albeit, it was a rather poor attempt of it, it hadn't been intentional. Tyler knew he didn't have a chance with her but that hadn't seemed to stop the guy instincts within him from taking over. He was spending far too much time with Reid, it seemed...
Wait... Was she flirting back with him? No, no she wasn't. Girls didn't flirt with him. They treated him like that cute little kid that they could talk to to pass the time with. His eyes rose with her body, watching her stand but not moving to his own feet just yet. Tyler laughed with her, the image of the two of them in the shower together flashing through his mind before he had to force it away. Did she know what she was doing to him?! He had a feeling that she did. "Haha, why don't we just take it back to my room and toss it in the hamper for now? I'll wash it later and then I can get my stuff to shower while I'm there."
Alex Foster - October 1, 2007 09:05 PM (GMT)
"Trust me, Reid and the others say that they do it for the fun result afterwards but I don't ever get that prize. Um... Thanks?"
Alex just smiled, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him. "Well, you should... you've got a lot more going for you than a womanizer like Reid..." She smirked, she'd had her run ins with Reid, and boy was she glad she wasn't attracted to him and vice versa. She'd have been another notch on that ever-growing belt of his, and that was not a place she wanted to leave her name. She also knew that Tyler and Reid were the absolute best of friends, and she had to watch herself if she was going to be friends with Tyler. After all, she had a quick temper, and a quicker tongue, she wouldn't hesitate to knock Reid down a few notches. And then... who knows what could happen.
That was one thing she never understood about girls, herself included... how they always fell for the bad boy, and would just pass over amazing guys like Tyler. She guessed it could be the fact that it gave them a rush, but whatever it was... wasn't worth it. They only left you in the end, or slipped a pill in your drink and let you get date-raped and then cheat on you. A lot of people thought Alex was a whore, for whatever reason... truth was, that night had been the only time she'd ever had sex. Not like it was her choice, but it was something that was constantly on her mind. It made her feel like she was marked... and she didn't want to bring someone like Tyler down with something like that. But there was still something about him that made her feel incredibly safe.
"Might be it... They say the seasons and weather can affect your mood."
"I guess... or maybe someone's using voodoo... a lot of people believe in that stuff, crazy scary dolls and all..." She giggled, if only she knew... she didn't dwell on things like that though... "magic"... wasn't real, at least in her opinion. If it was... where had her knight in shining armor been? She had to be realistic, she had to count on herself.
But there were different kinds of magic in the world. A little chemistry, a little spark... it all added up to one thing, and that probably scared Alex more than anything. That spark could eventually become a fire, and burn out of control, or worse, burn them both up in the end. Either way, once it was started, it was hard to stop. And she had a feeling neither of them wanted to at this point.
"Haha, why don't we just take it back to my room and toss it in the hamper for now? I'll wash it later and then I can get my stuff to shower while I'm there.
As Alex backed against the wall that led through the ring then pool and finally locker rooms, she smirked, holding his shirt up again, "Or I can just throw you in the showers now... y'know... don't wanna go spreading... le funk down all the halls do ya'?" She grinned, "Lord knows if you take this back to your room it won't get washed for six months..." She giggled a bit, before turning and walking down the corridor, past the ring.
Tyler Simms - October 2, 2007 07:31 PM (GMT)
Tyler couldn't help but feel a bit defensive, there. Tyler knew that she was telling the truth but no one was allowed to say those things about him. Honestly, they just didn't know... But that wasn't the point. Tyler felt that he needed to protect Reid just as much as Reid protected him. Tyler knew that Reid would give her a hard time, sometimes, so it wasn't as if he couldn't understand where she would come off saying something like that. It didn't mean that he liked hearing it, though. "Yeah, but chicks like the assholes." The comment was made more to himself than to her, even though it was out loud. He hadn't meant for it to be. Tyler just didn't have it in him to be a prick and so he would probably remain that good guy that finished last for the rest of his life. How depressing was that?
He was that good guy that you could always depend on to be there for you when you needed him. Reid was that mysterious and seductive bad boy that could totally give you the rush you needed and then take you higher with a good lay. Innocence was cute but few found it to be a real turn on. He was the one that you went to after everything was said and done so that he could clean up the emotional wreck the last guy left you in. Yeah, that was Tyler right there. Doormat. That's what he should have had written on his forehead. He didn't even bother considering the possibility that a girl would be interested in him because he knew they weren't when they came up to talk to him. It was part of the reason why he rarely picked up on the flirting of a few select females...
Tyler chuckled and shook his head as if he was dismissing the theory but he had considered that, too. Well, not voodoo but magic for sure. "I love how people get those confused," he mused out loud. Voodoo was a religion. What people called voodoo was actually hoodoo but you try explaining the difference to someone who hadn't studied the occult like him and then see where it lands you. "Besides, we're too far north." While the religion had spread, it was centralized in the south for whatever reason.
He found himself laughing at her evaluation of his shirt. Oh, it wasn't that bad! "Hey, my mom insists I bring my clothes home every weekend so she can wash them. I don't know what she's gonna do when I go off to college." Fortunately for her, he still had another year of high school before that happened. "You just wanna see me wet," he smirked. Wow, that was so not a Tyler thing to say! Maybe Reid was starting to rub off on him... He walked beside her looking down at the waters of the pool as they passed it. Hm... A nice dip would have been rather relaxing but he needed a shower and he didn't have his trunks, anyway.
Alex Foster - October 2, 2007 10:02 PM (GMT)
"Yeah, but chicks like the assholes."
Alex nodded, what he said was true... and that was the worst. "That's the problem isn't it... so I guess the blame really lies on us..." She sighed, shrugging her shoulders, and brushed the hair away from her eyes. Still, she wasn't going to pretend by any stretch of the imagination that she liked Reid. He was a jerk in her book... a big fat jerk. Despite that... Tyler was still his best friend, and no matter what, that meant... if she was going to be friends with Tyler... she'd have to deal with Reid.
The one thing Alex had always been attracted to... was was honesty. Usually, that meant the shy guys who had a good heart, but sometimes... those bad boys would fool you. That had definitely been the case with her first and only boyfriend. Still, it had been two years since then... and Alex should have moved on by now, but she couldn't come around. She still didn't trust guys, and if Tyler knew that... she was afraid he'd have nothing to do with her.
"I love how people get those confused, Besides, we're too far north."
"Well..." Alex began with a smirk, "Even so... magic can't help us... it never saved me..." She sighed, she was so stubborn sometimes. Especially when it came to things like that. She didn't believe in magic, or fairy tales, or the easy way out. She believed you had to go through hell to live your life and find the way out. Everything had to be a struggle... or at least... everything had been a struggle for her.
"Hey, my mom insists I bring my clothes home every weekend so she can wash them. I don't know what she's gonna do when I go off to college. You just wanna see me wet,"
Alex grinned, and smirked, "Ya' got me..." She teased, "Guess I woke up for SOMEthing..." She laughed again, and watched as he looked toward the water. Well... she could scare him some, right? She walked closer to him, and gently, well okay, maybe not so gently... pushed against him, toward the pool. It was an innocent gesture, though the next thing she knew, they were both falling into the pool, Alex busting her belly right after Tyler.
Alex rose to the surface, wiping her hair back, and the water from her face as she looked around. She hadn't been swimming in god... she didn't know how long. So this was... quite a different experience for her. "Tyler...?" She called, rubbing her eyes as the chlorine began to sting them.
Tyler Simms - October 3, 2007 07:27 AM (GMT)
"Yeah, I blame girls for never getting -" Wait, that wasn't something he wanted to really admit to her. Yes, he was a virgin and Reid knew but he didn't think that he needed to be broadcasting it to everyone. He was pretty sure it was obvious and all but... Yeah. That was definitely not a way to get girls... 'Hi, I'm Tyler and I'm a virgin!' Yeah, not so much. He'd have to work on that. Of course, Reid was always talking about making him a man but nothing ever happened and Tyler was almost a little grateful for that. While he loved his friend, he didn't want to be like him. Reid was just a different kind of guy. Still, if you were friends with him, you had to be able to at least tolerant of Reid. That, or keep your mouth shut about him in Tyler's presence.
Tyler was honest and polite and quiet and all of the things no one wanted in a boyfriend. He had a bad streak in him but it wasn't significant enough for you to take note of and it usually only came out around Reid, anyway. Well, he seemed to be a lot cause wasn't he? "Maybe... you're just not letting yourself see what's really magical in life. I mean, things can't be that bad all of the time, can they? What you think is just something good could actually be magic." Lame, yeah, but it was true. Life wasn't all bad and magic didn't fix everything. This was coming from a boy who knew what the was talking about.
He chuckled at her and watched the ground as he walked. "Shame... you woke up for nothing." How exactly was she going to see that, huh? Yes, he was well aware of the fact that she was teasing, so was he. Still, no sharing showers with Alex. Tyler was sure he'd jumped somewhere in all of it but he couldn't remember since it all happened so fast. His hand shot out, grabbing the first thing it make contact with. This just so happened to be her wrist and he ended up pulling them both into the pool. Oops... Well, maybe she'd get to see him wet, after all. He'd released her once under water and then swam away from her. Oh, she was so in for it, now... Swimming up behind her, silently, he wrapped his hands around her waist and then lifted her up, launching her into the air and over his shoulder.
Alex Foster - October 4, 2007 12:34 AM (GMT)
"Yeah, I blame girls for never getting -"
Alex raised an eyebrow, that question could be taken so many ways, and while it wouldn't be a far stretch to think that Tyler was a virgin... it was highly unlikely that any male over the age of 16 anymore was. Period. Besides, Alex assumed Reid would've taken care of that for him by now. Passed some girls along his way, been a wing man for him... y'know the drill. "What? Attention? You deserve all the attention in the world..." She smiled softly, reaching over to mess Tyler's hair up a bit. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she walked ahead.
"Maybe... you're just not letting yourself see what's really magical in life. I mean, things can't be that bad all of the time, can they? What you think is just something good could actually be magic."
Alex giggled a bit, and shook her head. This whole conversation was making her reminisce, and that wasn't something she wanted to do. She didn't want to think about what happened, who was involved, and who she was before... those kinds of things were best kept in messages tucked inside bottled set to sea for no one in particular to find, with no name signed. "Or maybe your knight in shining armor... turns out to be the devil in disguise..." She smiled faintly, albeit somberly, as she looked again to Tyler. There was obviously quite a bit of hidden meaning in her words, but time would tell whether she felt comfortable telling him or not. "Sometimes the princess has to learn to slay the dragons by herself..." She pushed some hair back, and smiled, and as best she could she tried to make it seem genuine.
As she rose to the surface of the water, it wasn't long before Tyler was tossing her clear over his shoulder. Her only reflex was to hold her breath, squeal a little in protest, and just wait for the inevitable. But as she sunk under the water, a mischievous light bulb went off, and she swam toward Tyler, raising herself on his shoulders, trying her hardest to push him under and dunk him. Unfortunately, she was 120 pounds of lean muscle, soaking wet... it still didn't hurt to try though. "No fair!" She whimpered, "You're too strong for me..." She giggled, floating back into the water. Her attempts were futile, more for the fact that you shouldn't really charge an opponent head on, but he was simply a lot stronger than her. As if that wasn't obvious...
Tyler Simms - October 6, 2007 05:23 AM (GMT)
Attention... Yeah, that was a good one to use. He was just going to leave it at any but he had a feeling that attention would have gone over with her better. Besides, he liked that one better. Telling the world that he was a virgin was just... not cool. With Reid as a best friend, it would have been a stupid thought but Tyler didn't get to share in that wealth. The girls Reid hung out with all thought Tyler was just so adorable but none of them looked at him as if he was any older than ten or something! See? That was the kind of thing they did! They complimented him and then played with his hair like some cute little kid! If he had thought that he had any chance with her, that had killed it right there. "Yeah, well... Little brothers usually throw fits to get attention, right? It's not pretty when I throw one." He had put Reid through the trunk of a tree, once. Did you need anything more?
"I don't believe in knights in shining armor... Maybe dented, but not shining. No one's perfect an no one's gonna fit your dream idea of them but you can't close yourself off to the beauty and magic of the world around you. If you do that... your heart goes cold and you'll be the only one to blame for locking yourself away in that tower." Okay, so why were they still using fairy tale references for the obvious issue, here? "Yeah, well, the damsel usually has to throw prince charming a bone, anyway." He was all for independent women but Tyler knew what it was like to be left outside of things. No one should have to live their entire life alone.
He spun around and grinned, waiting for her to surface. As long as she didn't pants him in the pool, he'd be fine. His sweatpants already felt as if they were going to fall off and he knew it'd be nearly impossible to walk in them once he was out. Wait, she'd come around him when he hadn't been looking?! He stumbled in the water under her weight, laughing at her attempts. She wasn't anywhere near heavy enough to push him under. He splashed a bit of water at her while she floated by and chuckled. "Maybe I'm not too strong, maybe you're just too weak." He ran a hand through his hair, the black turf spiking up and water flying in several directions. "I told you! You just wanted to see me wet."
Alex Foster - October 7, 2007 07:40 AM (GMT)
Alex had come into Spenser with the attitude that no one was going to make her fall or get in her way or even help her, at all. Her intent was that she would get through her last two years, move on, and never have to deal with the kinds of politics that went on in high school, or the heartbreak, or the drama. Since meeting Tyler, though... her ideas about high school had changed. She'd found this really awesome guy who'd become a good friend to her, and she'd realized that that was priceless. It was a completely different situation than she'd ever been in, and she was sure there was more to him than what she realized. The more she talked to him, the more she had a nagging feeling that there was something much darker buried beneath his 'boy next door' surface. She never tested it though, maybe out of fear, but mostly out of the fact that she knew she might not like what was really going on.
"I don't believe in knights in shining armor... Maybe dented, but not shining. No one's perfect an no one's gonna fit your dream idea of them but you can't close yourself off to the beauty and magic of the world around you. If you do that... your heart goes cold and you'll be the only one to blame for locking yourself away in that tower. Yeah, well, the damsel usually has to throw prince charming a bone, anyway."
"I believed in the hero once..." Alex sighed, remembering that horrible night's events, "Unfortunately he turned out to be a real toad..." She giggled, and smirked at Tyler, and what was this about throwing him a bone? Maybe she should do just that. She walked in front of Tyler, facing him, and put her arm across his shoulder, facing him, "You wouldn't be a toad would you?" She smiled again and spun around, "Cos' that would be really disappointing..."
"Maybe I'm not too strong, maybe you're just too weak."
"Ohh, you wanna bet on that big boy?" She chuckled, splashing him back, thinking just how funny this situation was. It was pretty much a basic equation... Hot boy + Hot Girl + Pool = Lots and lots of flirting. And Alex... definitely okay with that.
"I told you! You just wanted to see me wet."
Alex smirked, pushing against his shoulders, before a mischievous grin slid onto her face. She brushed her lips against his ear as she whispered, "You pushed me in, so I guess you just wanted to get me wet..." Slipping back into the water, she watched him, her cheeks flushing a deep red, certain his would be doing the same.
Tyler Simms - October 7, 2007 06:49 PM (GMT)
It wasn't like Tyler was trying to change her mind set. He was glad that he was because he didn't like to see people just shut others out the way she did. He did it but not in the same way. At least he was sincere and he wasn't just trying to get into her pants, right? He was honest and sincere and was only looking for a friendship and he had found it. There were secrets within secrets when it came to one Tyler Simms but he couldn't reveal those just yet. He trusted Alex with a lot but there were just some things that he couldn't tell her. She'd think he was crazy and then leave him and then what would that leave him with? Nothing but being alone and her thinking that he was some kind of a freak. Worse, what if she told other people about it?
He chuckled at her, shaking his head. He stopped when she threw an arm around his shoulder, a little tense and unsure of what to do. "I, um... I..." Yeah, he really didn't know what to say to that one. Wait, yes he did, he just couldn't get it out of him. Taking in a deep breath and trying to calm himself, he relaxed when she moved away from him. "If I am, I'm just waiting for the princess to kiss me into a prince," he grinned. He didn't think that he was a frog but he didn't see himself as a prince, either. Yeah, they were flirting but he knew that there wasn't anything to it. From what he'd heard, she was a lesbian and that didn't exactly spell out hot make out session in the pool.
He blushed, feeling a bit of tingling in places that shouldn't be tingling. "No, you pushed me, I just reached out for the first thing I could. But, I don't think I'm really the one that could make that happen anyway, right?" And now it was time to go drown himself. Had he really just said that? What the...?! Tyler dove under the water and swam to the edge, pushing himself up and out to sit on the wall. "I feel like I weight a ton, now," he commented, trying to change the topic.
Alex Foster - October 8, 2007 01:16 AM (GMT)
"I, um... I..."
Alex grinned, she guessed a cat caught his tongue... but it was cute how nervous he was around her when she actually started flirting with him. It was a shame too, since he was kind of too nervous to flirt back half the time. She wasn't sure if that made it worth it or took away from the affect. Still, she must've found something about him worth it all, she'd felt this wall she'd built crumbling day by day. Though it would be a process more fitting for the Great Wall of China as opposed to the Berlin wall. It wouldn't come down all at once, but he'd already seen her like few had. She'd been really happy every time she talked to him. She knew they both had secrets, and one day maybe... it would be okay to tell each other, but until then, that stronghold that kept this princess inside would stay tall and sturdy. But not eternally.
"If I am, I'm just waiting for the princess to kiss me into a prince,"
Alex shook her head, pulling some of her wet hair back away from her body. That was one thing she absolutely hated, how a girl's wet hair always seemed to cling like magnets to whatever was closest. "Well sometimes those princesses... are just a little scared too. They'd like to know their frog isn't an ogre and wants to save the day..." There were only a few things that mattered to Alex. Her friends, school, boxing, and honesty. She could only hope that all of these would fall into place. Most had, like the school and the boxing, she was still waiting on the honesty and friends part. Though Tyler had helped that out a bit. However, she was starting to see Tyler in a different light, and that kinda made her freak out a little bit inside.
"No, you pushed me, I just reached out for the first thing I could. But, I don't think I'm really the one that could make that happen anyway, right?"
Alex's mouth dropped open as if to say, 'what, who, me?' But she just laughed it off, and smirked at him, "Well y'know... that depends... can I trust you?" She grinned a bit, she knew it was different for her now, everything had changed. No matter how much she did come to like a guy, it would take some awful convincing to gain her trust after what happened. Girls... she could relate to, obviously. They were easier... she knew when dead silence meant they were upset or just not wanting to talk, she knew they would freak out if they ever went to a club without their partner, and she knew girls didn't do things like drug you and leave you to get raped. But it would take so much from Tyler before Alex could break down that last piece of brick and let him know that. Or maybe from her... She just knew she couldn't even be okay with a relationship with a boy until she could tell them what happened, and that... well... she hadn't told anyone.
"I feel like I weight a ton, now,"
Alex pulled herself up against the side, kind of disappointed that their little tryst or whatever you wanted to call it was coming to an end. But she had a lot to think about and get straight. But above all, she really wanted to spend more time with him. And that sucked. "Oh, you're telling me you don't? Coulda fooled me..." She giggled, walking toward him and holding out her hand to help him up.
Tyler Simms - October 8, 2007 06:22 AM (GMT)
Yeah, a cat had his tongue... and was burying it in the backyard. God, he was horrible at this! He could flirt back but only a little and now she was touching him and what else was he supposed to do? The boy was a freaking virgin who rarely had girls flirt with him for this long and so obviously! By this time, Reid would show up and take the girl from him and that would be that... Oh, this was just painful... She had the reverse effect on him, though. While he was tearing down her walls, she was building up his confidence. This is what friends were for, after all. He really had no one else but her to thank for that. She always stood up to Reid for him when she was around and Reid was being pushy and she was always trying to get him to see the positive aspects within himself. He would have to thank her one day.
Yeah, girls really had that drowned rat look going on when their hair clung to them like that. If it dried just a little bit, though, it was sexy as hell. "What was it you said before? Beauty and the beast? You think Beauty would turn into an ogre?" She had once called him and Reid that, making it obvious where she held Reid in her point of view. "I'm not too heroic, anyway. I'm like... the faithful steed and Reid's the dashing prince that comes in and rescues the damsel and then they go off and have a happily ever after... for forty minutes while I'm forced to go hang out at Pogue's place or run errands with Caleb," he grinned.
"If you can't, the world's really gone downhill." He was a horrible liar, he had his own secrets so it wasn't as if he was going to tell someone else's and he was a nice guy. Of course, he didn't expect her to trust him, in the least. Why should she? "Yeah, yeah..." He grinned and took her hand, standing up and then dropping down a bit as his pants fell from his hips. He managed to catch them but not before he was sure she'd seen it happen. Hopefully, she hadn't seen anything but the blush that had encased his entire body, spreading from his cheeks and then all over like wildfire. "So, um, anyway...."
Alex Foster - October 8, 2007 06:57 AM (GMT)
The whole situation with Tyler was a little weird sometimes. Not awkward, but more toward the fact that they both had an understanding of each other. They both knew there were things the other didn't feel comfortable with, or had self doubts, and they were there to help each other get through it. That's not something you come by everyday either. So it was weird, and unique, and inspiring, and true blue. Still, Tyler was the only hardcore friendship she'd formed. Sure, she had people she talked to, hung out with, and cared about, but none of them were like Tyler. And sure, she had sexual tension between a few people... mostly girls, but she, at least hoped... she was smart enough not to fall victim to someone like Reid's trappings...
"What was it you said before? Beauty and the beast? You think Beauty would turn into an ogre?"
"What do you call the cheerleaders?" Alex giggled as she watched Tyler for a minute, brushing her hair back again. She did hate that wet hair icky feeling. "I mean... honestly... have you seen them without their make up?" She smiled again, but as they exited the pool, she could feel the chlorine sticking to her skin. For a moment, she replayed the image of them in the shower together, but quickly shook the thought, biting her lip as she looked at him again.
"I'm not too heroic, anyway. I'm like... the faithful steed and Reid's the dashing prince that comes in and rescues the damsel and then they go off and have a happily ever after... for forty minutes while I'm forced to go hang out at Pogue's place or run errands with Caleb,"
"Only forty minutes? Wow... you'd think he'd have better endurance..." She smirked, giggling a bit. She was just kidding, but the fact remained. It was certain she didn't like Mr. Garwin in the least. She scrubbed against her arms, as if she were trying to rub the chlorine off, but her attempts were futile, she needed soap and water and a good scrub down. Maybe Tyler could he..... whoa whoa, she didn't know where she was going with that train of thought but it had to end there.
But then... the unthinkable happened. As Tyler stood up, his pants fell slap to the floor. He caught them quickly, but the damage had been done. Alex smirked, a blush rivaling the one that ran across Tyler's skin flushed her own, and she giggled a bit, "No wonder you're the steed..." She smiled, biting her lip as he struggled for words, "Don't worry big boy... secret's safe with me..." She giggled again, "Don't think I'll WANT to get that image out of my head for a while..." She said, turning to walk toward the showers.
Tyler Simms - October 8, 2007 07:09 PM (GMT)
For Tyler, it was awkward. He liked her, he knew he did. That crush only grew stronger as the days went on but it was hard for him to understand the rest of it when he knew that she didn't give guys the time of day. They were just friends that goofed off a lot and had fun. It was like a gay guy groping his female friend, it meant nothing. Still, they had a good understanding of one another. They knew when to stop talking about something or what topics to avoid, entirely. It was just... It was something that they had managed to learn about one another early on. Tyler was quiet and didn't talk about his personal life too often and, when he did, he was usually pretty critical on himself because everyone else was so hard on him. Alex was bold and outgoing and all but there were some parts of her that he'd never get to hear about, either.
He broke down into laughter, shaking his head at her comment. She had a point there, didn't she? They were all pretty and cute and sweet and then BOOM! Monsters! They were the ones that loved to giggle at him and flirt or roll their eyes at Reid. Yeah, monsters. "Have you seen them before competitions?! That's when they're freaking terrifying! Seriously, I think one of them ate a freshman and picked their teeth with his bones last year." It was a scary, for real. He tried to avoid them as much as possible but Reid always took that as a chance to go and mess with them.
Her words made him grin and he shrugged. Reid didn't really keep a girl in there for too long and he couldn't remember the last time that he'd actually had one in there all night. He would have gone home if he didn't think his mom would get upset with Reid for kicking her baby boy out of the dorm. Tyler spent so much time in the pool, nothing about it bothered him anymore. It was swimming in a lake that made him want to bathe right away once he was out.
The unthinkable? No, for her, it might have been but it wasn't for him. Anything that could go wrong in front of a girl usually did. Tyler felt like he was going to just die and she didn't make it any better on him as she started commentating. His mouth was dry and he swallowed hard, a lump in his throat and threatening to suffocate him. He couldn't say a single word and he was ready to just ram his head into the wall. He couldn't face her after that and so he opted for ducking away into the boy's locker room instead. Suddenly, he found a cold shower appealing and he just hoped that he had clothes in his locker because there was no way he was going to make it back to the dorm, first.
Alex Foster - October 11, 2007 02:17 AM (GMT)
Alex had begun to feel something for Tyler, and she knew it. That's why she'd been trying to stay away, because she also knew... she wasn't over what happened. It sounds like a poor excuse to hide and try to avoid an extremely hott and sweet guy, but hey, not many people could relate. But the more time she spent with him, the more she came to realize just how attracted she'd become to him. And that she was stupid for letting that baggage drag her down. Maybe it would take something like falling head over heels for her to let go of love. It was a struggle for her to be with him now, and not completely melt. If anyone had any insight into the female body language, they'd completely notice it. God she was so obvious sometimes.
But then again... as obvious as she was, boys are usually oblivious.
"Have you seen them before competitions?! That's when they're freaking terrifying! Seriously, I think one of them ate a freshman and picked their teeth with his bones last year."
"Well..." Alex began, "At least she has good dental hygiene..." She giggled a bit, trying to focus her thoughts on something other than Tyler for the moment.
Though what happened next was quite the eyeful. But Alex couldn't help but watch in surprise as he ducked into the locker room. The wrong locker room. The Girl's locker room. She giggled, and followed behind him a ways, catching him outside one of the showers. "I admire your tenacity and incredible speed at avoiding the situation..." She smirked, grabbing two towels from a nearby closet. "But next time try the boys' locker room..." She smiled, setting the towels down on a bench. She smirked as she leaned against the wall in front of Tyler. "But I could always join you..." At the moment, Alex had half the mind to strip him and have her way, but she knew the consequences of those actions would far out way the fun, excitement and fulfillment she got from it. No matter how much she liked him.
Tyler Simms - October 11, 2007 10:13 PM (GMT)
Tyler dealt with crushes all of the time. He had dealt with it and gotten over it, held them in until the object of his affection was gone... With Alex... Well, he just had to tell himself that it just wasn't going to happen for so many reason. For Tyler, the time he spent with Alex was time well spent but not time that he thought that anything was going to come from it. He had to say that there was a definite attraction to her and that he was shamelessly flirting but he didn't mean to. when he was around her, it was just what happened. He couldn't help it but it was fun. At least she didn't get upset over it. Yeah, if he had been Reid, who had experience with girls, he probably would have realized that she was flirting with him, too, but he just felt like she was being nice to him.
He laughed at her, shaking his head at her comment. It was a good distraction, this conversation. It had nothing to do with either one of them and it was light and no where near flirtatious. Yes, in fact, it was a very safe conversation now. It was almost like talking about the weather but not as pathetic.
It might have been quite the eyeful for her but it was more than enough to make his stomach flip about a dozen times and then threaten to rip itself out through his throat. In his shame and worry he had, in fact, gone into the girl's locker room. At this time of day, it was empty and he was so mortified that he just dropped his pants in front of a girl that.. Well, yeah. He needed to find his locker and then get a nice shower, fully dressed in dry clothes and then he could hide out in his dorm and just... die. Too bad things weren't going to happen like that...
"Fuck," he hissed and slammed his eyes shut, taking in her words and wishing he was just... dead. Could the day get any worse? Seriously, it was, what? Not even seven in the freaking morning! "Would it matter? You've seen everything already, anyway." He chuckled at himself and tried to make the most out of it all. "So, if you excuse me, I think I'm gonna go into the dude's locker room and get my clothes and shower and then go find a hole in the wall to die in, thanks. You keep talking about that shower like you seriously want it. You know where the boy's room is, right?" At this point, did it matter anymore? "Thanks, though. Knowing my luck, I woulda gone to shower and some chick would have walked in on me." He was trying his best to put on a good front but it was nearly impossible for him. Slipping into the right locker room, Tyler threw his clothes at his locker and grabbed a dry set and a towel He set the dry clothes on the bench and turned on one of the showers. "I swear, if this day gets any worse..." The wonderful warmth of the water seemed to wash off a thin layer of his embarrassment but only a very thin layer. If any of the guys heard about this, he'd be dead.