Sleepless: Chapter Two

The Ocean Beneath the Pool [And Other Unbelonging Things]

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“How are you feeling? That jump looked like it took a lot out of you.”

They’d been walking for a while now, Felix guiding her with a hand on her arm. He’d chosen a route with very few people. When she heard any stray footsteps passing them, she tucked her head down and shifted closer to Felix.

Margo had never been into the city before. She understood that it was big, but it wasn’t entirely clear just how big. She could hear some of the city sounds from the yard, but they were much louder here. The noises and smells of cars, unfamiliar people, foods, and loud ads rang all around her. It was exciting. Overwhelming. It was pressure, building, never ceasing, never ebbing or flowing, just growing louder and louder. It was orange, like the morning had been.

“I’ll… be okay. Worth it for this, I think.”

They cut around the edge of the city, so they wouldn’t have to go through anywhere too crowded. Eventually, they started heading upward again, away from the noise. This was the direction to the party-house, which belonged to a girl named Jaime. Felix hadn’t said much about her, just that he knew some guys on the football team that went to Camp with him in the summers, and were buddy-buddy with Jaime’s boyfriend.

At the request of his fellow football team members, he’d granted Felix an invitation and a plus one. It was all very exciting.