But Asa was also a very passionate person, his blood always burning with one emotion or another, setting his veins on fire. He was a heart-over-head guy whose impulses fuelled almost every decision and choice he made, often leading to the most exhilarating or devastating circumstances.
In Asa’s world, there wasn’t room for reasoning, for logic. So, who was he to question why it was that he was ready to go to any lengths to feel validated by the girl with curly chestnut hair and incredible hazel eyes?
• ••
“How’d I do?”
“Consistent as the July heat in this town,” Wyatt said. “Thirteen seconds, exactly.”
Asa nodded and hauled himself out of the pool, where he’d just finished practicing his backstrokes.
“Keep going and you might end up being titled national champion this year, too.” He grinned. “Except, it’d be for the under nineteen category instead.”
Asa chuckled, grabbing his towel off the bleachers and wiping his face with it. “I appreciate the encouragement, buddy, but maybe boost yourself, too? You could go and claim that title as much as I’m capable of it.”
Wyatt waved a hand in the air nonchalantly. “Don’t care which one of us gets it as long as it’s someone from this school. Our school.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think the others feel the same way,” Asa muttered, referring to the other Reichenbach High swimmers.
Wyatt sighed and dropped down next to Asa, letting his towel sit around his neck as he clasped his hands together. “Look, man, for what it’s worth, I still got your back just like I’ve had since day one.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes for a few seconds. “But I can’t speak for the others, okay? They need to learn to put their differences aside and learn to accept that you’re part of this school and more importantly, part of the swimming squad here. And one of the biggest assets we’ve got on top of that.”
Asa cracked a smile and looked at his friend from the corner of his eyes, finding yet another reason to appreciate the day he’d run into this boy during freshman year while trying out for the school’s swim team. He was more than just glad they’d hit it off instantly and maintained that friendship. “Are we going to hug and cry on each other’s shoulders now?” Asa laughed. “It’d be an epic finish to that speech.”
“Screw you, San Román.” Wyatt grinned, shaking his head as he stood up and chucked the towel at Asa’s face. “See ya around, ass hat.”
“See ya,” Asa called over his shoulder as he began walking to the changing rooms in the opposite direction, the ghost of a smile still lingering on his face.
•••
“Asa!” Isla’s hands grabbed his and began yanking him towards a corner in the hallway whilst all the other students began making their way to the cafeteria.
“Yeah, what is it?” he asked in a bewildered tone, letting her drag him away as she made their way through the crowd, knocking into bodies while he kept throwing out apologies like confetti.
“So,” she breathed out heavily once they’d managed to weave their way through the throng of students and stop in a less crowded area. “You and Carmen are kind of buddy-buddy right?”
“Uh…”
“Right, so—”
“What? No, wait, I don’t even—”
“Asa,” she hissed, eyes narrowing beseechingly as she folded her arms across her stomach.
He sighed. “What do you want?”
“Well…” she started, dragging out the word as her eyes widened slightly. “She has an art journal, right?”
“I’m not pinching it for you if that’s what you want.”
She slapped his arm so hard, the sound echoed throughout that hallway. Asa winced, fighting the impulse to drag her away and dump her into the school’s pool just to infuriate her. Bitch, he cursed in his head as he examined the reddening of his skin.
“What the hell do you think of me?” She glared at him, annoyed. “Now, don’t interrupt and let me speak!” She pushed away strands of her hair from her face and fixed her eyes on him. “That means she’s good at this drawing stuff, right?”
“I haven’t really had a conversation with her regarding her talents, but I’ll let you know once I do.”
“For fuck’s sake, will you be serious for a minute?” She sounded exasperated now.
“I am being serious!” he exclaimed, his stomach growling due to the hunger that had been building ever since he’d used the pool with Wyatt during the free period they had after AP Cal.
“Well, then, ask her or something because I need a favour!”
“Why can’t you?”
“Because—” She came to an abrupt stop, her words catching in her throat as the fire that was burning so brightly in her eyes dimmed a little. She looked away with an air of dejection.
Asa stopped rubbing his forearm angrily and felt his posture soften as he looked at his best friend more carefully. “Because what, Isles?” he asked, softly now.
“Well, you know, she’d do it for you,” Isla mumbled, her voice sounding scratchy, devoid of all that fire that made Isla who she was. “You’re, well, you. And people don’t really think that much of me. I mean, Carmen’s nice, and all but she’s also good, you know? The righteous kind of good, and I don’t want her looking down on me.”
“Isles, she’s not going to look down on you,” Asa told her softly. “It’s Carmen.”
“Well, I don’t know her like you do!”
“I don’t really know her, either,”
