You Will Be Informed of our Very High Speeds

By: M.C Griffin

Steve looks at me from the water like I’m a moron. He splashes at me, getting my shirt wet. I wouldn’t normally be this insecure if it weren’t for the bruises. They hurt now, clinging to the wet shirt. I look at Steve with the most distain. He just smiles. I hate Steve.

I tear my shirt off and jump in. The water’s quick to my spine with cold, and I shiver instantly. “This is great isn’t it?” Steve smiles at me widely and I don’t respond. I’m trying not to look like I’m having all that much fun, but knowing me, he’ll hear all about what a good time I had later. Right now though, I’m still acting like I’m mad at him.

“Nice, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, “it’s nice out here.”

“Race you to that rock?” He motions over to a jagged black rock pushing out from the water, half obscuring the moon.

“No.” I reply. He shrugs, taking off immediately.

I watch him go, slowly letting myself sink into the water. Deeper, deeper. Until my eyes are level with it, and I can only see Steve’s kicking feet. Deeper, deeper. Down, into the sea, letting my eyes open and get used to the salt in the water. I touch the bottom and cradle myself, letting my heart beat slowly and trying not to kick up for oxygen.

I see a pair of legs and I’m startled, fighting back my knee-jerk reaction and taking a moment to observe these new objects. Women’s legs. I emerge from the water, whipping my head back to fling the water from my bangs.

“What happened to you?” was the first thing out of her mouth.

I look at her dumbfounded, probably even more dumb looking on my broken face. I hesitate on response, only to notice that Steve is sitting on the beach. He retained his smile, shoving his conquest in my face.

“That was fast,” I said, referring to his swim out to the rock.

“This is Emily.” He responded.

“What was fast?” Emily asked.

Steve was swimming out to us now. I wish I could cover my face with something practical. Emily is very pretty. A Goddess with her hair matted down against her shoulders from the water. Big eyes look up at me from the wave of her wet hair, yet I still sense some hesitation from my battered eyes and nose. That even subtle hesitation makes me want to sink in this water and drown myself.

Steve initiated the q & a. “So, what brings you to this side of sunny California?”

Such a schmoozer. “Oh, well, I used to live in Palmdale but my parents moved just two streets up.”

“How do you like it here?”

“It’s a sad place really. Not that Palmdale wasn’t, but I’ve been all over California, and there are places where the people will smile. Here, it’s like they’ve run out. It’s like they used up their allotment already, and can’t anymore.”

Steve is really digging this, but I already feel left out. I tuck my knees under my hands and sink again, returning to what I was doing before those legs interrupted me.