Project Nebula

To See

A prism-like trove of attractive people in their expensive swimsuits. Swimming in the translucent water and dipping their pedicured feet. Fire is what I saw. Spiked rocks of Hell is what I felt when I first touched it years ago. More importantly, my chest wouldn't stop pounding. I feared it from a few yards away, looking through the entrance of a mens' locker room, where everyone was putting on their swim trunks. I was still fully clothed.

"Dude, are you getting dressed?" Indigo asked, holding out a pair of black swim shorts.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go out there with my shirt off," I stuttered.

"You'll feel better when you get in, not panicking in here and not getting in."

I reluctantly held the pair of shorts. I couldn't imagine myself in them. Indigo pulled the cloth from my hands. He bit his lip.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to force you or anything."

"No, I got this," I said.

I stepped into the largest stall, sneaking past every stranger who was facing my general direction. When I got out, I felt better than what I anticipated. No one was looking at me. I tiptoed out the locker room door. I went to far end of the pool, the shallowest, and dipped my foot in, slowly. The water was surprisingly cold at first, but felt warmer once I sat for a while longer.

"Beautiful," I whispered to myself.

I sunk deeper into the water, where my entire head was concealed. I could see Indigo lower his feet below the distance.

"Peirson!" a distorted voice called. "Peirson?"

I sprung back up, shaking the water from my hair. My vision remained blurred for nearly a minute, afterwards. I looked up, to see an older girl wearing a lime green one piece bathing suit. She was slender and had wet, blond hair.

"You could've drowned down there, Peirson!" she complained.

"Wait, you're Harper!" I splashed back into the water, "What the hell do you want?!"

"You need someone to keep you company!"

She was correct. Indigo waved goodbye as he walked off back into the locker room. I sat next to her at the edge of the pool. She crossed both her legs and her arms. I believe that's a girl way to subtly cover their lady parts. I did the same thing. Not a mirroring thing. . . I just can't restrain myself from doing it.

I listened in on other visitors' conversations as Harper disturbingly examined my entire body. I kept scooting over, away from her.

"So this is where you've been slacking off" Harper rambled on.

"Why do you care so much?!" I snapped back, "Why does everyone think they own me?"

I got up and slid over to the snack kiosk. Not to eat anything. Just to adore the scent of what I could be consuming if I wasn't so conscious about my weight. What I said about the members was only half true. I'm not even my favorite member. Indigo is the nicest.

My house was messier than ever. Indy's suitcases were piled to the ceiling, along with that tote bag he showed me a while ago. He was in the kitchen, firing up one of the front burners on my stove. I laid on my folding couch in the living room, scrolling again through my phone. Still nothing about a dead teenager from our school. Indigo rummaged through the fridge.

"How do you like your chicken parmigiana?" he asked, twirling his spatula around in his hand.

"Please don't open the windows!" I warned him, "The smell of parmigiana is going to attract Xander to my house!"