Easter Rising: There was a Girl
Fandom: Easter Rising
Title: There was a Girl
Author: Ai (armageddoni)
Pairing: Caleb/April, Andrew/Caleb
Characters: April, Caleb and Andrew
Word count: 1281 words
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13, for cursing and TMI
Summary: She fell in love... [Pre!ER, maybe AU?]
Notes: I have crack for brains. And I'm a freak.
Dedication: To the dream I had in which I had the conversation that happens here, essentially. I'm made of special.
Disclaimer: I do not own Easter Rising; Michael Arden does.
April Kramer leaned over the on the bench, her hands pressed against her abdomen, the smell of chlorine filling her nostrils. She hated being a girl. Really. And all the girlparts that come with being a girl. And kids. She hated whoever's ingenious idea it was for weomen to have kids. Most of all, she hated the stupid swim team coach, who was a man and therefore did not understand the concept of 'that time of the month'.
Okay, so April wouldn't have tried to make him understand- first of all, even in her head it was too much information. Second of all... Coach wasn't like other men when it came to the topics of girl things. All April's mother had to say was 'time of the month' and her father would immediately go pale before blushing furiously and excusing himself to go do... manly things. April didn't know. All Coach did when april said the magic words was point at the poolside bench. There was no arguing the point- if she couldn't swim, she was going to sit and support her teammates.
"Go, Kelly!" she called, watching her friend swim. "Faster! Faster!" Her guts wrenched inside her, and April let out a soft moan, lowering her head, pressing her face into her knees. She really didn't want to be here. Like really really really really really really really didn't want to. She wanted to be at home, curled up in bed, asleep, all the pain gone.
"Hey," a voice cut through her thoughts. April chose to ignore it, but then it was louder, the breath warm, right in her ear. "Hey!"
"What?" she moaned. She wanted to snap at the voice, but she just didn't have the energy.
"Are you okay?"
Slowly, April lifted her head. Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw who the voice belonged to. A boy, no- a young man. A hot young man. A hot young man who was looking very concerned. Concerned about her. She managed to keep her composure, though.
"As well as I could be, all things considered."
"All things considered?"
April just sighed. She kept forgetting that all boys, even the cute, considerate ones, were dumb. "Never mind," she told him. Just then, her guts felt like they were going to explode. She leaned over again.
"You look pretty sick. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Not really," April said, gritting her teeth. That sent the boy on panic mode, apparently.
"Are you gong to throw up? Should I get the nurse? Do you want some fresh air? What's wrong?"
April looked at him, her look saying everything. He just looked back worriedly. Apparently he didn't speak subtle body language.
"Are you okay?" he repeated. "What's wrong?"
April sighed. Boys were REALLY stupid. And this was really awkward. "It's my..." She paused. God this was awkward. "It's just... that time of the month."
"What?" Stupid, stupid boy. He looked so confused. April tried again.
"It's my..." she trailed off. Nothing. The boy really was stupid. "My... you know. I'm having my..."
"Your what?" he asked. "You're having what?"
"I'm having... girly issues."
"What?"
Now April was getting exasperated. To hell with being delicate. "I'm on my fucking period. Do I need to explain what that is? When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much..." She trailed off, watching as the boy's eyes got wider and wider.
"Oh my," he said.
April just smiled back sweetly. "Sorry," she said in a sickeningly sugary voice. "Hormones."
The boy immediately dropped his eyes to his feet at the word. "I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. April nearly melted. He really was cute. "For, you know, making you say that and not knowing and for being born." He paused, glancing back up at her. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
April almost laughed. "Just sit," she said, gesturing to the space on the bench next to her. The boy looked absolutely terrified for a moment. April did laugh then. "I won't bite," she said. Slowly, he sat down. April resumed watching her team swim.
It was silent for a long time before either of them spoke. Finally, April broke the silence.
"I'm April," she said. "April Kramer."
"Caleb," the boy replied, not looking at her, still watching the girls in the water. April didn't say anything, just let his voice echo in her head. Caleb. She really did like him, for all that he was a stupid boy.
"Do you... swim?" she asked, trying to keep up the conversation.
"I play water polo."
"Wow..." she said. "Those Speedos are pretty nasty."
Caleb's ears turned bright pink. "Uh. I guess..." he said. "You don't really notice. It's like wearing shin guards in soccer."
April snorted, trying not to laugh. He had just compared Speedos to shin guards. "You're funny," she observed. "And I mean that in a nice way."
"Thank you?" he asked. April just grinned. A stupid boy he may be, awkward as hell, bt he was adorable.
"I like you," she announced.
I like you too," he replied, in a very friendly way. April couldn't stop her heart from speeding up as he said that. "You seem like you'd be... very nice."
"Thank you," April said, honestly flattered. Considering how much of a bitch she'd just been, she was surprised he'd been able to say that, even if he was lying.
Just then, another boy called out Caleb's name. Caleb looked confused for a moment, then turned to April. "That's my ride," he said. "I have to go. It was nice to meet you, April."
"You too," she replied.
"I hope you feel better." He ran off before she could respond. April just sat for a minute, staring out at the water.
Well. That had been interesting.
. . .
In Andrew's dad's truck, neither boy was speaking to the other. Caleb just stared out the window.
"So..." Andrew began awkwardly. "Who was that girl?"
"Just a girl."
"Oh." More awkward silence. "Was she nice?"
"I guess. She wasn't feeling very well at the moment, but... yeah, I guess."
Caleb wasn't about to tell Andrew that he might have been the teeniest bit attracted to her. That would have just been... really, supremely awkward.
"So..." Andrew reached out a hand and touched Caleb's. His palms were sweaty. "When... after we graduate... do you wanna go to the beach with me?"
Caleb was still caught up in his thoughts about April. "What?" he asked.
"The Gulf. Let's go to the Gulf. We'll see the ocean... I've never been."
"Me neither."
"So... let's give it a shot. You know? Maybe... maybe it'll... help. I don't know. Maybe it'll help us figure some stuff out."
They had been fighting. They had broken up again. Caleb loved Andrew, he wanted them to get back together. And maybe Andrew was right. Maybe it would fix some things. Maybe they could both figure out what they wanted to do next, where they wanted to go.
"Sure," he said. Andrew smiled, a smile of relief. He leaned over and kissed Caleb.
Caleb was still thinking about her.
April.
The End
Title: There was a Girl
Author: Ai (armageddoni)
Pairing: Caleb/April, Andrew/Caleb
Characters: April, Caleb and Andrew
Word count: 1281 words
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13, for cursing and TMI
Summary: She fell in love... [Pre!ER, maybe AU?]
Notes: I have crack for brains. And I'm a freak.
Dedication: To the dream I had in which I had the conversation that happens here, essentially. I'm made of special.
Disclaimer: I do not own Easter Rising; Michael Arden does.
April Kramer leaned over the on the bench, her hands pressed against her abdomen, the smell of chlorine filling her nostrils. She hated being a girl. Really. And all the girlparts that come with being a girl. And kids. She hated whoever's ingenious idea it was for weomen to have kids. Most of all, she hated the stupid swim team coach, who was a man and therefore did not understand the concept of 'that time of the month'.
Okay, so April wouldn't have tried to make him understand- first of all, even in her head it was too much information. Second of all... Coach wasn't like other men when it came to the topics of girl things. All April's mother had to say was 'time of the month' and her father would immediately go pale before blushing furiously and excusing himself to go do... manly things. April didn't know. All Coach did when april said the magic words was point at the poolside bench. There was no arguing the point- if she couldn't swim, she was going to sit and support her teammates.
"Go, Kelly!" she called, watching her friend swim. "Faster! Faster!" Her guts wrenched inside her, and April let out a soft moan, lowering her head, pressing her face into her knees. She really didn't want to be here. Like really really really really really really really didn't want to. She wanted to be at home, curled up in bed, asleep, all the pain gone.
"Hey," a voice cut through her thoughts. April chose to ignore it, but then it was louder, the breath warm, right in her ear. "Hey!"
"What?" she moaned. She wanted to snap at the voice, but she just didn't have the energy.
"Are you okay?"
Slowly, April lifted her head. Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw who the voice belonged to. A boy, no- a young man. A hot young man. A hot young man who was looking very concerned. Concerned about her. She managed to keep her composure, though.
"As well as I could be, all things considered."
"All things considered?"
April just sighed. She kept forgetting that all boys, even the cute, considerate ones, were dumb. "Never mind," she told him. Just then, her guts felt like they were going to explode. She leaned over again.
"You look pretty sick. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Not really," April said, gritting her teeth. That sent the boy on panic mode, apparently.
"Are you gong to throw up? Should I get the nurse? Do you want some fresh air? What's wrong?"
April looked at him, her look saying everything. He just looked back worriedly. Apparently he didn't speak subtle body language.
"Are you okay?" he repeated. "What's wrong?"
April sighed. Boys were REALLY stupid. And this was really awkward. "It's my..." She paused. God this was awkward. "It's just... that time of the month."
"What?" Stupid, stupid boy. He looked so confused. April tried again.
"It's my..." she trailed off. Nothing. The boy really was stupid. "My... you know. I'm having my..."
"Your what?" he asked. "You're having what?"
"I'm having... girly issues."
"What?"
Now April was getting exasperated. To hell with being delicate. "I'm on my fucking period. Do I need to explain what that is? When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much..." She trailed off, watching as the boy's eyes got wider and wider.
"Oh my," he said.
April just smiled back sweetly. "Sorry," she said in a sickeningly sugary voice. "Hormones."
The boy immediately dropped his eyes to his feet at the word. "I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. April nearly melted. He really was cute. "For, you know, making you say that and not knowing and for being born." He paused, glancing back up at her. "Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
April almost laughed. "Just sit," she said, gesturing to the space on the bench next to her. The boy looked absolutely terrified for a moment. April did laugh then. "I won't bite," she said. Slowly, he sat down. April resumed watching her team swim.
It was silent for a long time before either of them spoke. Finally, April broke the silence.
"I'm April," she said. "April Kramer."
"Caleb," the boy replied, not looking at her, still watching the girls in the water. April didn't say anything, just let his voice echo in her head. Caleb. She really did like him, for all that he was a stupid boy.
"Do you... swim?" she asked, trying to keep up the conversation.
"I play water polo."
"Wow..." she said. "Those Speedos are pretty nasty."
Caleb's ears turned bright pink. "Uh. I guess..." he said. "You don't really notice. It's like wearing shin guards in soccer."
April snorted, trying not to laugh. He had just compared Speedos to shin guards. "You're funny," she observed. "And I mean that in a nice way."
"Thank you?" he asked. April just grinned. A stupid boy he may be, awkward as hell, bt he was adorable.
"I like you," she announced.
I like you too," he replied, in a very friendly way. April couldn't stop her heart from speeding up as he said that. "You seem like you'd be... very nice."
"Thank you," April said, honestly flattered. Considering how much of a bitch she'd just been, she was surprised he'd been able to say that, even if he was lying.
Just then, another boy called out Caleb's name. Caleb looked confused for a moment, then turned to April. "That's my ride," he said. "I have to go. It was nice to meet you, April."
"You too," she replied.
"I hope you feel better." He ran off before she could respond. April just sat for a minute, staring out at the water.
Well. That had been interesting.
. . .
In Andrew's dad's truck, neither boy was speaking to the other. Caleb just stared out the window.
"So..." Andrew began awkwardly. "Who was that girl?"
"Just a girl."
"Oh." More awkward silence. "Was she nice?"
"I guess. She wasn't feeling very well at the moment, but... yeah, I guess."
Caleb wasn't about to tell Andrew that he might have been the teeniest bit attracted to her. That would have just been... really, supremely awkward.
"So..." Andrew reached out a hand and touched Caleb's. His palms were sweaty. "When... after we graduate... do you wanna go to the beach with me?"
Caleb was still caught up in his thoughts about April. "What?" he asked.
"The Gulf. Let's go to the Gulf. We'll see the ocean... I've never been."
"Me neither."
"So... let's give it a shot. You know? Maybe... maybe it'll... help. I don't know. Maybe it'll help us figure some stuff out."
They had been fighting. They had broken up again. Caleb loved Andrew, he wanted them to get back together. And maybe Andrew was right. Maybe it would fix some things. Maybe they could both figure out what they wanted to do next, where they wanted to go.
"Sure," he said. Andrew smiled, a smile of relief. He leaned over and kissed Caleb.
Caleb was still thinking about her.
April.
The End