The Sound of Water (BoyxBoy)

7

'You should invite Jacob next time,' Nazzim says from beside me, 'he should like the beach, he is a swimmer after all.'

My hands are fisted in the rain-dampened sand, the granules rough against the pads of my fingers when I try to brush it off my skin. Nazzim and I are sitting further up the shore while the other boys on the soccer team splash around in the shallows.

We all live at a beach side town, right now we're on the North side beach. The front beach. I live - Eastern side - right above the dune paths down to the back beach. Which you don't swim at unless you have a death wish.

'Why do you say that?' I brush my hand over the front of this weirdly artsy jumper my Mum bought me a while back, getting sand all over the white cotton. I don't know the artist but I'm sure Jacob would.

Nazzim isn't looking at me, but he does draw in a long breath before letting it out in this kind of exasperated sigh, 'I'm just saying, you should invite him.'

I feel like Nazzim is getting at something.

'Okay...?' I snort, grabbing another handful of the sand. Mum's gonna kill me later when I walk sand through the house, but at least this time it won't get on the car seats (Nazzim is driving).

'And Peter,-' I look back over at Nazzim, who is giving me this weirdly sentimental look, '-just saying, it's cool or whatever.'

'Dude,' I laugh, 'what are you on about?'

'About you and Jacob, it's cool.'

'Me and Jacob?'

'Yeah, that you like each other.'

I reel backwards, my head filling with pressure and everything careening into hyper-definition, all while Nazzim is just sitting there like nothing has changed in the world. Me, liking Jacob? Jacob, liking me? That's not-

'I don't- he's a guy- why would you say that?' the words come out of me in a breathless rush and I'm trying to centre this roiling mess that's churning inside my stomach, 'I don't like Jacob.'

Nazzim shrugs and lays back on the sand, folding his hands behind his head, 'I'm just saying, we've gone to every single swim training session for the last three weeks.'

'That's for school spirit!'

My cheeks are hot, my cheeks are hot, my cheeks are hot.

'Jacob always watches you when you aren't looking.'

'Does he really?- No! I didn't mean that.'

'Peter,' Nazzim sits up again, grabbing my forearm and squeezing (I didn't realise I'd gotten so tense), 'it's cool. You don't have to say anything, I just wanted to let you know I'm chill with whatever.'

'Okay,' My voice is too small for my liking.

'Also, on the whole 'you totally not having a thing for King',' Nazzim lays back on the sand again, closing his eyes and shrugging, 'just thought I would let you know that I'm pretty sure Jacob has a crush on you.'

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