Cipher

Chapter 13: Swimming

Cipher stared at the pool from a safe distance. Water wasn't something Aeolians needed much of. Probably less than any human would think possible. The same way Cipher couldn't believe how much of it was before him in this man-made hole in the ground.

He understood in theory, he had flown over the ocean in a plane to get to the United States, but some part of him hadn't really believed that much water truly existed on Earth.

Sounds echoed off the glass walls and concrete floor amplifying the class's excitement. Or, at least half the class. Cipher noticed several students who looked distinctly uncomfortable, almost as uncomfortable as him, as he sat cross-legged against the wall.

Isaac didn't join with the others, but Cipher could see some excitement leaking around the edges even as he sat next to Cipher waiting for class to start.

The officials made sure Cipher was not required to participate in this unit; and for that, he was grateful. Coach Meyers called everyone to get in the pool; a few students had hints of jealousy, others disdain as they looked at him seated as far away as possible.

There was a lot of splashing and shouting throughout the class period and Cipher was glad when it was over. He had to force himself to wait for Isaac rather than leaving as soon as they were dismissed.

"So what's up?" Isaac asked as they headed to lunch, his hair still damp. "I get that Aeolians don't really do the whole 'water' thing, but you acted like the pool was lava."

"I think I would be more comfortable if it were full of lava instead," he muttered as he pushed through the door and into the blinding sunshine outside.

Isaac followed, giving him a strange look. "Really, lava?"

Cipher breathed deep, closing his eyes for a moment, soaking in the sunlight. "Yes," he walked toward their tree. "At least there was lava on Aeolus, from what I understand its molten core was very similar to Earth's. There were no oceans or pools. I don't even think there was that much water on the planet."

"But water is needed for life," Isaac insisted as they sat in the shade. Joslyn had gotten there before them today.

"Life as you know it." Cipher joined them, sitting in the grass.

She looked up from her book. "What are you two arguing about now?"

"Water," Cipher answered simply.

"Water?" Joslyn looked to Isaac for clarification.

"We started the swimming section of P.E. today," Isaac explained. "And Cipher doesn't swim."

"Glad I'm not in P.E. anymore," she said. "Did you never learn how to swim or something?"

Cipher practically flopped onto his back in frustration, "Aeolians are not made for water." he heaved a tired sigh. "Humans and Aeolians are not the same. For us... too much water is bad for anyone. However, our 'too much' is a tiny fraction of your 'too much'. Aeolians are designed for a dry desert climate. Not pools of water."

Joslyn could hear the anxiety in his voice, even behind the frustration. He wasn't just tired of explaining it; he was tired of thinking about it. And she couldn't blame him; he was having to put voice to what made him different. She felt the same frustration bubbling up every time someone insisted on asking too many questions about her brother. He had died and they couldn't seem to just leave it at remembering the good things. No, they had to make her relive the loss again and again just so they could say how sorry they were. It made her feel isolated, set apart from everyone else, judged for a single part of her life.

"Okay," she said. "I'm sure we'll learn about it in Bio when we get to the Aeolian unit. For now, how are you guys doing on that English paper due on Friday? I think I'm almost finished."

Isaac groaned as Cipher shrugged. "I finished it last night," Cipher said. "I would have finished earlier, but I completed my mathematics homework first."

"Dude, where do you find time to do all these things? I almost never see you working on anything." Isaac asked. "I've been trying to get it done for the last week and a half, but Econ is insane right now."

"Who do you have?" Joslyn cut in.

"Mrs. Connors. You?"

"Mr. Kingsly."

Isaac gave her a half-hearted glare. "Of course you got the easy teacher." He turned back to Cipher, eyebrow raised in question, "so?"

Cipher shrugged again, "there is nothing else to do at night." He stifled a yawn. "Humans need so much sleep," he said even as his eyes started to droop.

"Look who's talking," Joslyn smiled, poking him teasingly with the toe of her shoe from where she sat against the tree.

Cipher playfully swatted her away, "a total of five hours is a full and healthy amount of sleep for me." He sighed, eyes closed. "Just not all at once."

"Well now I'm jealous," Isaac shook his head, mouth turned in a half-smile. "Except for the sleeping through lunch thing." He looked to Cipher for a retort, but found that he was already doing his 'sleeping through lunch thing'.

Joss noticed as well and sat forward. "So was P.E. that bad?" she asked.

"I didn't think so," Isaac said, taking a bite out of his lunch. "He just sat against the wall, blank faced the whole time." But now that he thought about it, he had noticed Cipher's marks seemed to be darker when he was stressed out, but he wasn't positive.

Joslyn saw Isaac's brow pinch. "What else?" she sounded concerned.

"Probably nothing," Isaac shook his head. "I was just thinking his marks were darker than usual while we were in the pool area." They both glanced at Cipher lying beside them. His complexion was warm, the marks swirling across his skin were light.

"I don't think he's exaggerating about the water thing," Joslyn said.

"Not even a little?" Isaac questioned. "I mean it's water."

"How often does he exaggerate things? And how often do you see him do anything with water? I mean anything. I don't think there's even been a storm since he got here; I honestly don't know if he's seen rain."

"That's crazy, everyone has seen rain." He paused, "I mean, yeah, he doesn't drink anything at meals... or ever. But it's water." It was so fundamental Isaac didn't know what else to say.

Joslyn had to admit that it sounded outlandish. To think that someone on Earth had never experienced rain. But that was it, wasn't it? Cipher wasn't from Earth. He had come from a completely different system with different rules. Who was she to say what was and wasn't possible for him?

Maybe that's what she liked about him, he was something new and different in a place where she was surrounded by memories and pitying looks. He was so interested in learning about humanity in general that he didn't seem to mind if she changed the subject when it hit too close to home. Her brother had been the one person who'd understood her. Now that that was gone she felt untethered and alone, but maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.

Similar thoughts ran through Isaac's head for the rest of the day. It was crazy that someone on Earth might have never seen rain. Isaac lived in a desert under a drought most of his life, and even he had seen several heavy storms. He kept forgetting that Cipher wasn't actually human. He was a person, but not human. How could he even guess at what life was like for Cipher?

He stood waiting for Cipher at the front of the school. Ready to leave, he checked his phone for the third time. Cipher was late. Late without a message to say why. That never happened. Maybe he got held up at his last class.

Heading back inside, Isaac stopped cold. A bag was flung open down the hall. He rushed to it hoping he was wrong, that it wasn't Cipher's.

His phone slipped from his hand as he reached for the bag; his fears confirmed.

He ran. He heard a commotion and followed it, praying he wasn't too late.