“I disagree,” she says and then is gone.
This. This is exactly what I didn’t want. Call me petty but now I have nothing. No reason to feel like there’s something to her and me. Now I’m just like everyone else.
“Maggie,” I grind out.
A wave splashes me, shooting water up my nose. I sputter and wipe a hand down my face. “Real mature.”
20
Maggie
Well,this sucks. Roe’s my partner. Supposed to be, at least. He made me put my faith in him and trust him, and now he’s making me feel like I fucked up. No way. He’s supposed to be thrilled, curious at worst, but not annoyed. This is why sharing with people is a stupid waste of time.
I go Under and slip to the other side of the pool as soon as it’s clear he’s being a dick. I may have accidentally kicked water in his face as I swam away.
It’s so easy and painless now. I can be in the water all the time and not even worry. I only want him to be happy for me. I want him to suggest experiments to try. Not this bad attitude. He punches the water, splashing himself in the face more. He shakes it off like a wet dog. What could he possibly be mad about? This is awesome! I’m invisible even to him. What’s not to love?
Oh.
I’m on a delay but it clicks. Maybe he likes that he can see me when nobody else can. He scans the stones surrounding the pool’s edge, probably looking for my wet footprints.
“Maggie, I’m sorry. Are you still in the water?”
My nose barely sticks above the water, my body floating to make as few movements as possible.
“Maggie?” He looks toward the door and punches the water again. “Way to fuck it up again.” He’s barely audible over the whirring pool filter but it’s enough to make me soften a little. I drift toward him. The water softly ripples out around me as I gently propel myself back toward him. He lets out a breath.
“Idiot,” he grumbles again and I smile.
“Can you hear me?” I ask but he doesn’t react at all. “Roe!” I scream but still no reaction.
Hmmm. His face is centimeters from mine. He makes no movement save his roaming eyes. He can sense I’m close because he’s no longer flailing like a buffoon. He’s as still as prey waiting to run for it. Or maybe a predator waiting to launch.
“Maggie?” He reaches out a hand, blindly searching for me. It’s easily avoided. The water moves a lot, though, and he glares at the area. “Maggie? I’m happy for your powers. I am. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
I come Up right next to his ear and whisper, “And?” before I go back Under immediately.
He startles but not too much. “And you’re very good at what you do?” A slow grin lifts the corner of his mouth.
I swim around to the other side, coming Up just long enough to say, “And you’re jealous?”
His head whips to the left; he half-heartedly swipes. “And I’m oh, so jealous of your great magical powers.”
I swim out of arm’s reach and come Up again. “That’s what I thought.” I kick to stay afloat and my chin is barely above the water. “You can’t hear me at all when I yell. I was right next to you. Did you hear anything?”
“When you were Under? No. Wow.” He pushes off the wall to come at me but I swim away.
“Are you still mad?” I ask.
“No.” The dirty liar.
“Good.” It’s sort of sweet how he pretends to be happy for me now. Even though his eyebrows still pout. “I learned something else I can do. It’s really, really cool. Are you ready?”
“I don’t like how you’re smiling.”
My grin grows Cheshire cat sized. “Don’t worry.” I go back Under. I pop back Up to add. “Go back against the wall and don’t move.”
“Great.”
