Elliot

Twelve

I told my dad about my grades in French class but he didn't do anything that I expected him to do. He just told me that it's okay and I need to make up to it because if I don't then maybe he'll do what I expect him to do.

After school hours, I stayed a little more late because Manta is giving me a few lessons. Her lectures are pretty much helping me, to be honest. Every session, I treat her food as a way of paying her for all the help she's providing. It's the only way that I could think of.

One school night, I decided to stay at Alvin's place because I wanted to take a break from all of those extra lessons that I took and just play video games for a whole night.

My week is just pretty much extra french studying. Everyday is just french french french french. I actually feel like an actual French person now, you know?

Peux-tu comprendre ce que je dis?

See? I feel like I could use French whenever my sister and I would have an argument. She won't understand a thing I say and she'll probably just give up and I will win. Maybe French isn't useless at all.

I skated on my way to the park today. But this time, I didn't stop by. I wanted to go somewhere else. Somewhere that isn't familiar to me. Maybe an abandoned bridge along the road, a haunted facility hidden in the city, or a weird looking vehicle sitting in the middle of the forest. Anywhere.

I passed by some places where I usually go. The school. The playground. The skate park. Alvin's house. The convenience store. It feels weird to not go to those places even just for now. It feels strange and I don't know why.

After minutes of skating to nowhere, I've arrived at the public pool. The place is open 'till nine in the evening; it's 1:07 A.M. on my wrist watch. So yes, I snuck out of the house.

I wanted to do something unusual so I decided to go out late at night. Okay, that was a lie. I've snuck out a the house a few times but it's no big deal really. It was unusual because, this time, I won't be hanging out with my peers on the skate park like I usually do.

There's this public pool that I never got to visit though I've always known there is one. I think that counts as an unfamiliar place.

I made my way to the door entrance. It's locked. Of course, it's locked. But it's so stupid of me to be going to the main entrance and not just sneak through back door.

Yeah, great plan.

That's what I did. I went to the back door and I saw that there's a gap on it. I assumed that someone must've left it open. Who the fuck leaves their back door open? Then I took my chance and sneaked inside.

I carefully closed the door behind me and walked towards another door—the door heading to the pool area. When I opened it, I was startled when I saw a person sitting at the edge of the pool.

His feet were dangling in the water. It took me a moment to recognize the person and when I did, I smiled. "Tobias?" I called out. He immediately turned around and flashed a smile on his face when he saw me.

"Elliot," he responded. "What are you doing here?"

I walked towards the pool. "I should ask you the same thing." I put my skateboard down and my hands inside the pockets of my jeans.

"I've had the urge to swim," he stood up from the edge of the pool.

"At one in the morning?"

"Mood swings, I guess," he nodded at me. "What 'bout you?"

I shrugged. "I wanted to go somewhere strange."

His eyes squinted, "And you came here?"

"Mm-hmm." I nodded.