Alive

By: Aviantei

13 mph


I've been home for three damn hours and I still haven't been able to figure out what the hell Alexander was thinking when he offered me that.

Sure, he clarified that it was going out to eat and drink with his teammates, but that just raises even more questions. Is he trying to set me up or something? Thanks to Mariya's handywork, the only people who know I was even in Team Velshtein's hangar are me and Alexander. But if he introduces me to his teammates, that means that other people will know I exist. Which isn't the end of the world, but what if I accidentally say something?

What if Alexander's already told them?

I kick at my living room carpet and just scream. There's enough space between my condo and the neighbors downstairs that I don't have to worry about anyone hearing me. "What the hell is his problem?!" If I stop overthinking the whole mess, Alexander is just trying to pay me back for making brunch. Bringing his teammates into it is most likely because he hardly gets the chance to go out otherwise, plus I've been taking up all his free time. There's no harm in hanging out with both his friends and me at once.

For him at least!

I storm across the room and throw open the door to the balcony. Wind whips by, bringing the scent of sand all the way into the city. It's late afternoon and the sun has started to creep its way towards the horizon, though not enough to start out sunset. Even so, it's hot as hell, but I don't care, wrenching open my balcony storage. It's a clustered mess of different sets of gear from my miscellaneous escapades over the years: skis and a dark jumpsuit and a rollerblade that's missing its pair. I unearth a basketball from the mess and force everything else back inside.

Playing sports was one of my favorite childhood past times, though I never played on any official teams or anything. Nate and I used to play all the time together, and we taught Caleb all the rules when he was older. I'm not super skilled or anything because I was never satisfied doing the same thing for a long time, even as a brat. But I can do enough to burn off my energy.

I toss the ball between my hands a few times, enjoying the texture. The faded orange color makes the damn thing look almost brown, but it still has enough bounce in it. I do my best to dribble, putting more force into the motion with each rebound against the ground. The concrete patio echoes in a series of satisfying smacks—until the ball slips from my hands and crashes into one of my deck chairs.

"Fuck—"

I reclaim the ball and get back to dribbling, the repetitive motions making it easier to think straight. Alexander and I have been hanging out for several weeks by now. Just because I don't have any regular social interaction doesn't mean that he doesn't. And when you get along with someone, it's normal to invite them to hang out with your other friends. This is normal.

I dribble as I pace, starting to build up speed. Once I remember that I'm on my balcony and not an actual basketball court, I stop. Last thing I need is to drop the damn ball off the side of the building and bean someone in the head. Could I afford it? Sure, but that doesn't mean I want to put up with that sort of nonsense.

Frustrated with myself, I stomp back inside, aiming for some clothes more appropriate to doing sports.

This is stupid.


What's even more stupid is that I want to go. On a Thursday afternoon I get to have the fantastic experience of shoving Cunningham Hume off the edge of a cliff and into a lake. He resurfaces a few moments later. Satisfied that I didn't kill him, I dive into the water before he can even start to shout at me. For a few seconds, there's nothing to support me at all, just that tumbling freefalling sensation of air—and then I smack into the water. My skin stings from the impact, and cold water overtakes every inch of my body.

As much as I'd like to open my eyes and enjoy the view, I don't quite trust this lake water enough without goggles. So I indulge in the sensation of floating in the water instead of the air before I kick my legs and break through the surface of the water. Alexander's green eyes are narrow slits, and his stupid hairstyle is almost weighed down by the water. I grin back at him. "You're not going to make me push you out of the plane when we go skydiving, are you? 'Cause, I mean, I'll do it, but I didn't think you were such a pussy."

"Bite me," Alexander says, without any venom. I splash some water towards him, but he maneuvers out of the way with ease. "What is it with you and the water? First the ocean, now this inland beach…" He gestures to land, where a tiny stretch of sand houses our lunch cooler and a few other people. "I'm sensing a pattern."

"Yeah, and it's called we live in the middle of the fucking desert, so swimming is a great way to not die." I kick myself even with the surface and let myself float on my back, enjoying the faint trails of white swirling through the azure sky. That cliff and I are gonna have another meetup, but I'm content to let the heat of the day slip away into the lake. "Besides I had to test your jumping prowess."

"Right. Or you just like the water." I shrug as best I can. This is just what happened to come mind for the day, so I went for it. "You even packed lunch again. Are you coming out to eat one of these days?"

I hum, the water lapping against my sides. Despite bringing it up almost a week ago, Alexander hasn't pestered me about dinner since. The way he says it doesn't make it feel like an obligation. Just an invitation. "Are you sure you want me to meet the boys? What if you change your mind and decide I'm better off in police custody? Talk about awkward."

"That won't happen." For a second, the colors of the world seem more saturated than usual. I almost capsize myself but turn it into an underwater front flip, my hair slicking back behind me. When I resurface, Alexander's the one that's grinning. "Don't look so surprised. I decided that since you made good on your end of the deal to make me enjoy myself, it's only fair I do the same. No police for you."

"Can I get that in writing?"

Alexander rolls his eyes. "And you act like I'm the uptight one."

"Hey, this isn't uptight; it's good business sense!" I've screwed the pooch one too many times, plus Mariya makes me extra paranoid, and she's supposed to be on my side. When I see Alexander's half-disappointed look, I push my bangs out of my face. The group of college kids on the beach bursts out laughing loud enough to reach us in the middle of the lake. "I'm not a fan of going to jail, Alexander."

"And I'm not a fan of feeling like nothing's worth it anymore." We have that in common. Alexander raises a hand out of the water and offers it to me. "We don't have anything suited to a contract in the water, but I can at least give you my word for now. That work?"

I scrutinize him. After all this time, I have a good idea of when he's saying what he really thinks. As far as I can tell, this is one of those moments. I guess I'm just surprised he still wants to be friends—and he's not even pressuring me into anything else. I don't know whether to feel impressed or offended.

But that's not important right now.

He trusts me. Do I trust him?

Before, I would've said no way in hell. The whole way he lived his life up until now just rubbed me the wrong way. But now, after talking with him and going on these adventures together, I can see what he's looking for, and it's the same damn thing I am.

When I'm with Alexander, the whole world turns to color.

I'd be stupid to give that up.

"Alright," I say. Before Alexander can even register my words, I slap my palm into his in a firm but wet handshake. "I've decided not to ruin the moment by letting you know if you're lying to me, you'll regret it."

Alexander chuckles. "That's the same as warning me, you know…"

But before he can form any other argument, I've already shifted my weight, and I drag Alexander under the water with me.


"Kiiiiirsten! I've missed you! You haven't called me at all. If I didn't see your flight schedule from yesterday, I would've thought you died."

I grimace and pull my phone away from my ear, putting the thing on speakerphone and letting Mariya's wailing echo around my room. I'd just finished up my shower when my phone went off, signaling a call from her. Considering I hadn't asked her to do a job for me, I had thought it was an emergency.

I was wrong.

I finish toweling off my hair and make a beeline for the closet, leaving my phone atop my dresser. "Are you ever going to stop stalking me? I'd much appreciate it."

Mariya makes another audible whining noise through the speaker. I don't retort, digging up a pair of skinny jeans I'm fond of and slipping them on. "But it's been ages since we've talked, darling. And I get so bored when it's just work, work, work all the time. Your job requests are much more fun."

I sigh, even if she can't hear it from this distance. "If you bothered to leave your house every now and then, you might just make some friends."

"Why ever would I want to make friends with a bunch of normies?" Goodness, being smart sure has created a barrier between her and the rest of the world. Despite knowing this for years, I'm surprised every time she opens her mouth. "It's not like you hang out with anyone, either! Well, besides Cunningham."

I hate that tone in her voice. She thinks she's being subtle, but she's anything but. "What all do you know?" I ask, pulling out a couple of tops and comparing them. It's just dinner with his teammates, but he didn't say where we're going. They're all loaded as IGPX pilots, so it might be somewhere expensive. I make a note to put as much on Alexander's bill as I can.

"Well…" Mariya snickers, and I shove the blouse back in the closet. Too fancy. T-shirt will have to do, plus I look damn good in it. "I know you guys went to that lake, then you went skiing out of the country, then—" She rattles off every single trip we've taken since Mariya and I last talked. I hate her memory. "Oh! And I know you guys went to the IGPX track and had something that was suspiciously close to a date. I dunno. There isn't audio on the track cams."

I march back over to my dresser and snatch up my phone. "Why are you always like this, Mariya? Can't you have normal hobbies?"

"That's lame. Also, you have no room to talk." I click my tongue and go to retrieve a hairbrush from the bathroom. I almost rip the damn tangles right out with how much force I'm putting into it. "I just want what's best for you, dear, that's all. If you're happy, I'm happy, but I just wanna keep what happened last time—"

"Yeah, yeah." I don't want to talk about it. Mariya means well. Even if her way of showing it is skewed, I should calm the hell down. "Look, I appreciate it. But you don't have to worry. Things are going fine." I'm not going to get a visit from the police any time soon, and hanging out with Alexander is fun. Considering where I was at the start of this mess, I couldn't ask for anything more. Satisfied, I pull my hair back into its usual ponytail and give myself one last once over in the mirror. "If you don't mind, I do have plans tonight, so I'll get going."

"Right! Good luck on your second not-date with Cunningham!"

And the little brat hangs up before I even get the chance to retort.


[Author's Notes]

Happy chapter thirteen! Oddly enough, unlike some of my other fics, this number doesn't bring anything foreboding to the surface. Well, maybe some foreshadowing. But mostly we have transitionary things. Kirsten is no longer under threat of getting arrested! And they're going out to dinner next! Progress?

Funnily enough, we're already through the first story cycle round of 2019! Technically, I missed some stories close to the end of the rotation, but most of my early fics made it into the rounds, so I'll take that! That means we'll be able to start out the beginning of April right back at the start of the update schedule with the next part of Exception!

Of course, if you're just interested in what happens next in this fic, never fear! 14mph is complete and will come along in a few months, just as plan. Here comes the rest of Team Velschtein, so please look forward to it!

-Avi

[03.25.2019]