Algid (#TronnorAU)

Chapter 11: Little Johannesburg

One particular Thursday afternoon in swimming practice, the 'coach' (Mr. Hartman insisted the team called him that) had been quite stressed and filled up with 'work' (some say they spotted him sneaking off Gigi, Principal Hart's secretary, into his office), so he told the team they could do as they pleased. For the third day in the week. It was starting to bother the swimmers to have so many free days. Some left, a few stayed and fooled around in the water. Connor, on his side, decided to swim some laps in backstroke. He had a lot on his mind, and he took advantage of that time to think about it. First, he thought about how Brittany had warned him about his behavior, then about how Grace had shown interest in keeping both him and Alexis. And then, about his new found friends.

He had found himself each time less and less evasive from his new found high school clique, and more and more used to frequenting Lilly, Joe, Caspar and even Troye. It took a bit longer than expected for it to hit him that way, but it did one afternoon, before he went to his swimming practice, when Caspar invited him and Lilly over to the band's rehearsal that Friday night at his place. And for the first time since he had arrived to Yule, Connor actually did want to go.

-"It'll be fun."—Caspar had said—"I mean, you get to critic us while we play-not too much, though; we're still getting into shape from the summer. I mean Oli still needs to get his strings changed and Joe... well he still hasn't picked up yet."

-"Dude. I'm literally right here."

-"I think I can make it!"—Lilly said, then turning to Connor—"What about you, Con?"

Before answering, Connor had looked at Troye from the corner of his eye, not sure why exactly. The mysterious gas station kid had been awfully quiet that day.

-"... Yeah, that sounds fun. I'll be there too. But I'm getting there around six, you know. Swimming and stuff."

-"Cool!"—Caspar said—"Then be there after that, will ya?"

-"We can go together, eh Connor?"—Lilly said—"I know where Caspy here lives and like that you don't have to head there on your own."

Sounds good, Connor had said.

Eventually, the practicing hours were over, and liked it or not Connor and the rest of the swimming team had to leave the pool, so they all head to hit the showers. Thankfully Mr. Hartman's office was not anyway near the pool, or else they might've heard some stuff they wouldn't have liked. Much to Connor's surprise, there were three other kids left in the pool besides him, and they were all getting done changing by the time he got into his shower. He had figured they had all left by then. He didn't really know their names, he still wasn't that into socializing. But he did know one of them was Shawn Mendes, the kid whom by beating in gym class had gotten Connor into the team.

Connor got out from the shower with the towel wrapped around his waist, and went towards his locker to grab his dry clothes. The other three guys were all already changed and were all sitting down on the changing room benches, having a chat.

-"You think we'll make it to the State championship? I mean the team's in good shape."—said one of them.

-"I don't think so."—said Mendes—"Last year we didn't make it that far, and we had Coach Pepper back then."

-"I wonder what happened to him?"—said the other one—"Think it's true they locked him up?"

-"I heard it's bad."—said the first kid—"But oh well, it's not like he was the greatest coach ever."

-"That's true. But Coach Hartman isn't the best either. Just what is this? Leaving us here for a booty call?"

-"Well at least he's getting some! That lucky bastard!"