Athena smirked at the sneakers as Jon strutted out of the locker room.
"I was wondering how long you'd last." She smirked.
Jon flushed with irritation. The convenience suddenly felt like a concession, and confoundingly his irritation prompted him to slip the boots back on his feet.
Of course he didn't... not yet... That would be admitting he actually had given in, and admitting that annoyed him more than just giving in. "Oh I'm sorry, I'll make you wait longer while I lace them up. Or we can go to lunch period."
The smirk stayed on her face, but Athena deflected the issue. "Don't get me wrong, I'm impressed."
"Huh?"
"You were all in today. It's been middle school since I've seen you play that hard."
Jon remained silent as new memories passed his mind. Clumsiness, Frustration, Exasperation, and finally contempt for sports and all those assholes who rubbed it in her face. She had more important things to do, and didn't see the point in burning herself out chasing another ball.
"You're pretty good, you shouldn't hold back." Athena continued.
Jon flushed. It wasn't just that he was abashed at the compliment, which he was, or that he was quietly wondering if his contempt for sports wasn't just a defense mechanism, which he was... It was the fact that this emotional reflection was crashing into the context of a life that wasn't his! He felt like he'd accidentally stumbled on someone else's revelation, and now he was the one blindsided by the tumultuous emotional repercussions. Pushing through and accepting the compliment might be more "Jon" like, but would who knows what life style landmine he might step on in goth Zoe's psyche. It didn't help that this was the second such life he'd dealt with since breakfast.
"And sweat like this every day." He puffed. "Hard Pass." He tugged at the sides of his corset with a finger, letting a chilly whisper of air tickle his skin. "I don't see why you waste your time with it."
She shrugs. "It's fun. Besides, you can't say you're not impressed."
Jon responds to the prompt. "You're probably one of the best players out there." A new memory flits through his mind. He's younger. Smaller. Clapping from the sidelines as Athena launches a quarter field shot past the goalie. " I wouldn't be surprised if you get a soccer scholarship one day."
"Maybe, I still don't know if I want to go to college."
Jon resolves, "Well you've got a year to figure it out, but I thought we were going to room together. Fill our room with dark and fae magic to make the entire dorm tremble." Her voice took on a dramatic tone that was only partly self aware.
"Or you can take a gap year with me. My brother's old van still runs, it just needs some work."
the two start their banter as they walk to the cafeteria, pitching the ideals of each others worlds. Performing at the local colleges theater, or trundling the van into the deepest woods. decorating the dorm with dark elegance, or chasing
a blood moon up a mountainside. A few things they agreed on. They could open a shop selling foraged aromatics on etsy together, and they could make all natural soaps and cosmetics. Part of Jon felt guilty at making such plans, when each of them would hopefully be back to their own lives by the end of the day. For a moment he wondered who Athena was actually friends with. She and goth Zoe seemed pretty close, but he didn't even know her name before Zoe's change.
"Speaking of cosmetics." Jon hissed as he dropped the lunch tray on the table and starting to fan at the edge of his corset." I should have brought some talc powder before I worked myself up in PE."
"You can always take it off."
Jon's scrunched up his face, and complained, "I wish."
Misinterpreting his annoyance Athena quipped evenly. "Then put the shoes on too. Who's ever heard of gym shoes with a corset?"
Jon balked silently. "I-I will. I just didn't want to make you wait for lunch."
"Well, we're at lunch now."
"I'm already eating"
"Uh-huh." She smirked.
He scowled and that same annoyance from before filled him. It was a stark contrast from that morning. From a frail lily pushover to a fiery reactive hornet.
He pulled his backpack into his lap and pulled them out.
"I was going to put them on after lunch." He snapped. "But if you're going to tease me all period..." Jon left his excuse dangling.
"I just didn't think you'd want to wear sneakers with a corset." She insisted with a placating tone. She took a bite of her salad. "I guess it's kind of grunge, but I always thought you were more Victorian gothic."
With a hesitation he would never show, he slipped out of his gym shoes, and slipped the first of the tall boots on. Back and forth the laces zigzagged up his leg, until he pulled them tight. The thin cord slid easily through the hooks and the leather embraced the shape of his calves and ankle.
He crossed his legs under him with indignance and sat up straight refusing to acknowledge Athena for the next minute at least.
Athena just munched away at her salad with a stoic amusement.
