A/N: This random little bit of story came prancing into view when I first saw The Covenant. Not the old one, the new one. I decided that Caleb had to break up with his girlfriend, because it's just not fair for all the other girls who are madly in love with him (me...AHEM...) to see him with another girl. Although...it kind of contradicts itself later on. But you'll see. Read and review please!!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Covenant, or any of its characters. Although I wish to god I did. Drooling commenses.
"Come on, Caleb, you're such a wimp," Tyler said, prodding him in the back. Caleb snarled and stepped forward. The edge of the cliff they were all standing on dropped mercilessly two hundred feet down to the crashing waves below.
Caleb peered down and shuddered. Despite having his powers, he was still wary of heights, and didn't approve highly of jumping off skyscraper sized cliffs to crash seconds later into the frothing sea below.
"You just gotta-" Tyler started again, reaching for Caleb's arm.
"Screw off! If you're so eager for someone to jump off a cliff, why don't you do it?" he snapped. Pogue stepped into view in the scant moonlight and addressed them.
"Guys, we don't have to do this. It's just a little fun, that's all. If Caleb wants to ditch us, that's his problem. We've-"
"I'm not ditching you! Is it illegal to take my time, now?" Caleb retorted, once again gazing down to the black sea. After breaking up with her, he had never been the same. He segregated himself from his friends and took to strolling aimlessly in the woods. He didn't return phone calls and hardly went out anymore. This was one of the rare occasions where he allowed Pogue and Reid to persuade him to come to the cliffs and do some cliff diving.
But as he stood there in nothing but his swimming shorts, he contemplated his situation and decided he didn't want to be there. What he really wanted was to go home, pour some shots and wallow in his misery for a few hours until the chiming of the clock put him to sleep.
"Come on, Caleb, just one jump? One? That's all we're asking," Tyler said, abandoning his rebukes for a moment.
Caleb ruffled his jet black hair unnecessarily and sighed deeply. One wouldn't hurt.
"Fine," he grumbled. Tyler and Reid shot each other high fives and whooped.
"I'm first!" Reid shouted, moving to the edge of the cliff and gently shoving Caleb aside. He spread his arms wide, displaying his hard muscles, rippling with strength, and threw his head back to the moon.
"Alright, hot stuff, enough with the show off," Pogue said, striding forward. With a huge grin, he gave Reid a tremendous shove that sent him reeling off the cliff.
"You bastard!" they heard him shout as he rapidly descended, his voice trailing away until it was lost in the wind. They all looked eagerly over the edge but their view was obstructed by a thick fog that was creeping in.
They finally heard the splash along with Reid's colorful language that expressed how cold the water was.
"You next, man," Tyler said to Pogue. He shrugged, already at the cliff, and leapt off with a grand sweep of his arms that suggested he was going for an Olympic medal.
"Who's the show off now," muttered Tyler. Caleb managed a smirk, something he hadn't been able to do since the breakup.
"Guess I'm next, right?" Tyler said after Pogue's splash met their ears.
"Guessed right," Caleb said, the despair slowly sinking in again. He hoped the rushing air and cold water would drive it away.
Tyler moved to the edge and jumped without hesitation. He whooped all the way down and Caleb actually laughed a bit when the splash came and Tyler came up, still laughing.
"Come on, Caleb, get down here!" Reid's voice floated up, muffled by the fog.
"Coming," he muttered. He went to the edge, letting the brisk air caress him as if welcoming him back from a long journey. He gazed out into the star-strewn night, amazed as always just by how many little lights there were. 'Beautiful,' he thought. Like her. Like she was. His eyes stung and he hastened to clear his head.
He looked down at the fog infested waters and shivered. The water would be very cold.
He assumed his diving position, one that he was so used to before he quit the team. He just couldn't bear to be around friends or his favorite sport without being reminded of her.
With a final sinking feeling in his stomach, he leapt off.
The air became more hostile as he descended. It whipped around him; his hair, his cold skin, threatening to carry him away. He reveled in it. It took his mind off her.
The rush was astounding. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he fell through the darkening fog, making him feel dizzy.
After what felt like several years he hit the water, its coldness washing over him like a blanket. It wrenched him from his misery and turned his veins to ice. Reid was right; it was excruciatingly cold.
His breath escaped him in a whoosh and he fought his way to the surface. When he broke it and looked around him through stinging eyes, he didn't see anyone.
"Guys?" he called. His voice seemed to hover over the water like the fog, which was quickly surrounding him.
"Over her, Caleb!" came the reply, somewhere to his left. He made his way towards it.
He darted through the cold water, his rippling muscles making short work of the icy waves. He suddenly felt his foot connect with something solid that wasn't rock. He manuevered around to face it.
What he saw made him jump.