Misty spent her life in the water. Her parents saved up to get her into an excellent school with a pool on the campus. Her sophomore year of high school, she was already one of the most gifted swimmers on the school team. She spent more time in the pool than in her dorm room. She never felt the most joy and found the most quiet time to tackle issues there.

Her legs pushed off of the stand and then she was diving. The water was moved out of her way, effortlessly, and tingled her skin as she rushed past. She kicked off the wall and all in a single moment, it seemed as if it would never end and she would have stayed in bliss for all of eternity, but her fingers soon pressed into the slick tile and she rose up for air, expertly, without any gasping desire for breath.

Slicking her hair out of her eyes, she found a familiar red finger-nailed hand extended towards her. "Hey Misty." At the sound of the voice, she grabbed it to pull herself out.

"Thank you, Drew. Nice new color." She said, referring to his nails. She finally had a chance to look at him clearly. He was the only person in the entire gym wearing jeans and a v-neck tee. He wasn't going to swim. He isn't a water person anyway. "What are you in the gym for?"

The green-haired boy grinned, "You know, hiding from the fans as usual." When Misty laughed, he continued, "Well, that's not the full reason. I also wanted to delay the inevitablity of homework and perhaps instead invite my closest friend out to eat."

Misty wasn't oblivious to his alterior motive that Drew often asked to hang out while at the academy to make the girls stop from asking him out all of the time. He found out that if it seems like he has feelings for one girl, then the others bother him considerably less.

Misty only considered this for a moment as she wringed out her hair, "Sure. Let's go. Just let me change real quick." She left with her towel on her shoulders.

His emerald eyes didn't leave her until she was completely out of view and even then, he just continued to linger. His smile faded into a look that couldn't be described in words.

"What are you standing around with your mouth wide open for?" Drew jumped until he realized it was just Dawn, the swim team captain and Homecoming Queen runner. ''Here for Misty again, I see." Oh yeah, one of the most perceptive high school students that he wasn't especially fond of. His surprise that she knew his feelings accidentally showed on his face. "She sure is clueless. When are you going to give that up? You know she only has her eyes on her swimming and won't notice those subtle hints you keep giving her."

Drew opened and closed his mouth, too many thoughts brimming and no voice to bring them into reality. "Mhmm. Right. I should've known that. Well," She saw the ginger turning the corner again and smiled at her, wrapping it up, "May and I have plans anyway so I'll see you later.''

Life just continued like that. They went to dinner at their usual place, the campus cafe where they discussed what happened in class that day, complained about their families, and talked about every inconsequential thought that came to mind. When Misty finished her hamburger and polished her fries, Drew was still picking at his salad. "What were you talking to Dawn about today?"

His fork stopped mid-air, hovering above a tomato, "W-what?" Catching himself, "Oh, nothing really."

Misty saw his hesitancy and got intrigued. She waited and looked at him to see if he'd continue. When he didn't she prodded, "Nothing? You guys usually never talk. Come on. Did she want something?"

"No..." He racked his brain for something to say but kept coming up blank yet full of all of the words that he wish he could say.

Many moments passed before Misty replied. She became distant, and Drew couldn't find a way to fix it. The mood became weird. Misty convinced him that he needed to start on his homework, and the necessary talking soothed over some of the awkwardness but not all. When he asked to walk her home at the end, she made an excuse that she needed to hurry home. She pedeled away on her bike, wondering why he wouldn't want to tell her what it was about. Drew walked home, wondering how he could've screwed things up so bad.