"Getting to Know You"
"Chapter 10: Top Secret"
Jaming sat on an isolated area of the Veniccio beach, using the shadow of a large boulder to block the sun. He was sketching rapidly, the tip of his tongue poking through the gap in his teeth. So deep was his state of concentration that he didn't even realize he was doing this.
He was working on yet another platform sketch, trying to work out exactly where he had made his mistake. Or mistakes, as the case might have been. No matter how he looked at it the answers eluded him, and this frustrated him to no end. He was beginning to give himself a headache!
He paused to chew meditatively on his eraser, a nasty habit of his, and he was about to resume his sketching when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Jaming quickly lifted his head to see who was coming, shutting his sketch book with a loud 'snap'. The sudden noise startled whoever it was, causing her to yelp, and he recognized the voice right away. Meredith was a little jumpy sometimes, so he had heard her make that sound before.
"Who's there? Jaming! Jeez, don't do that!" she laughed, relieved. Somehow, she had managed to avoid dropping her fishing pole.
Jaming didn't bother to get up, a sure sign that he was relatively comfortable around her by then, and he even teased her a little. "Funny...People usually jump after they've seen me."
"Well, y'know, maybe I'm just weird," she needled him back and approached him. "What are you working on?"
Jaming tried not to read too deeply into her comment, because if he did he might take it personally, and he knew she didn't mean it that way. He moved over to make room for her to sit down, which she did after setting aside her fishing gear, but he didn't open his sketch book. "It's private, actually."
"Ah," she nodded before getting a mischievous gleam in her eye and giving him a side-long grin. "Jaming, are you drawing nudes again?"
"Wha...N-no!" he stammered, extremely flustered. "I don't...What do you mean 'again'?"
Meredith waved a hand, chuckling at his reaction. "I'm sorry, I'm just kidding."
He made as if to swat her with the sketch book and began to crack up himself. "You have a dirty mind! No, these are concept sketches. For machinery."
"See, I knew you were more than a handyman. That's interesting, though." Meredith picked up a random piece of driftwood and began to play with it.
"Interesting?" Jaming raised a skeptical eyebrow, half suspecting that she was bored by the topic but being polite.
"Well, sure," she nodded, "Designing your own machines? That's not something everyone can do."
Jaming rubbed the back of his neck and looked away to hide what he thought was a stupid-looking smile. Compliments were not something that he was used to, but he felt extremely flattered by hers, whether she meant it sincerely or not. "Most people seem to find it rather uninteresting. I thought you might, too."
"Well, thanks a lot..." she snorted, flipping the piece of driftwood into the ferns.
Thinking that he had offended her, he mumbled, "No offense."
"None taken," she assured him, "I'm not interested in doing it myself, but I like to watch other people make those things."
Jaming ran his thumb thoughtfully over the faded cover of his sketchbook, retrieved his pencil from the sand, and said without looking at her, "I don't normally show these to anyone. Until an idea is patented, anyone can claim it as theirs. But I think I can trust you. Would you like to see what I've been working on?"
Meredith brushed a stray tendril of hair out of her face, an action which he found strangely fascinating, and smiled at him. "Only if you're comfortable with it. I know I tease you sometimes, but I'm just trying to be funny. I'm not trying to pressure you."
"I'm not feeling pressured. I'd like your thoughts on the matter. It would be...interesting." He smirked, opening to some of his most recent sketches and handing over the book.
He felt very tense and self-conscious as she examined his drawings and notes, hoping to the gods that he hadn't just opened himself up to a boatload of ridicule. His more outlandish ideas usually made people laugh, and whether they meant it in a malicious way or not, his ego felt it every time. She wasn't saying anything. Why wasn't she saying anything?
Jaming's fingers twitched as he fought back the urge to say 'never mind' and take his book from her. He noticed that she was still on the same page, and he couldn't help but wonder why.
Finally, she shook her head slowly as if in awe. "Wow. This is incredible. This is that machine that was on the beach when I met you, isn't it?"
Jaming nodded as she pointed to the page, his expression giving away nothing. He couldn't help noticing that, though her nails were short as if she were a 'biter', her fingers were long and nimble. The hands of a craftswoman. 'Perhaps we should collaborate on something in the future. Something other than a garage, that is.' he thought to himself. Building the garage with her had been quite a lot of fun, and he felt that he wouldn't mind experiencing that camaraderie again.
"What's this word here?" Meredith tapped the page, squinting to make out his hastily-scrawled chicken scratch. "Aero...something."
He nodded again, looking troubled. "Aeroharmonics."
"Never heard of it."
"You wouldn't have," he sighed, sitting back against the boulder and folding his arms. "It's a theory of mine. I'm trying to...ah, never mind."
"Well...'aero' has to do with flight, and 'harmonics' has to do with music, so...you mean this thing flies using music?" Meredith cocked her head questioningly at him.
Jaming's mouth stretched into an impressed grin. "I see I've underestimated you. How did you know that?"
She smirked back and playfully nudged his arm with her elbow. "I was a bit of a bookworm when I was a kid. I guess I still am. You mean you can actually do that? Use music to make something fly, I mean."
His smile faded, and he took back his sketch book. "Not with any kind of consistency, I'm afraid. I've only had one true success, and that one was damaged beyond repair. My efforts before that were...well...unstable. Sometimes I wonder..." He trailed off, depression creeping up on him like a silent, predatory beast.
"Wonder what?" she asked, concerned. He shook his head, his previous discouragement beginning to show on his face, and she frowned at him. "What is it?"
It was getting easier to confide in her, but some things would never be easy for him to admit. "I just wonder if I'm wasting my time. Wasting my life. I don't know..." he shrugged, "Just ignore me."
"Hey...Do you think you're the first person to experience a few setbacks?" Meredith lightly touched his shoulder, but removed her hand when he looked at it. He was merely surprised by it, but she thought he was hinting that she shouldn't do that. "I don't think you're wasting your time. I think it's a wonderful idea. And I think you can make it a reality."
"You...you do?" he blinked, feeling something in his chest that he had no name for.
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, giving his arm a brisk pat before getting to her feet. "Well, I better go while the fish are still biting. See ya later."
"Yes..." Jaming agreed rather absently before he looked up and noticed that she was already walking away. "Uh...Meredith?"
"Hmm?" she turned back, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
He smiled, faintly but sincerely. "Thank you."