When All is Null and Void

Chapter Thirty-Two

"I was looking for something called a Void leak. Timewalkers pass through it—the Void—when they Hop, and it's started to leak into history..." he trailed off when he realized Danielle was stifling a laugh.

"Did you just call it a Hop?"

"Yeah?" Caleb asked, scrunching his eyebrows, wondering why she'd had chosen thisto discuss.

"Sort of lame, if you ask me."

Caleb's frown became more pronounced. "You don't get to call it lame. That's rude."

"Of course it's rude. No one ever said I was kind." She winked at Caleb before turning to take in more of the ocean. The sun and humidity together was enough to form beads of sweat on her temples, but a slight breeze played against her cheeks.

"So why didn't my clothes change?" she asked.

"I've never Hopped with someone who isn't a Timewalker. Except for the time at the party, and that was waydifferent." He shivered despite the heat, and Danielle decided not to ask about it. Part of her still wasn't sure if this was actually happening, or if it was in her head. She stepped deep into the water, not caring about her pants getting wet. She was okay with that.

"Oh," Caleb said as she started to walk away. "You shouldn't go too far."

"Why?" She turned around mid-step and almost fell.

"Cause if we get separated, and I Hop away, you could get stuck here."

Danielle gave him an appraising look. "Do you plan on leaving me?"

"Well," Caleb replied, "No."

"Then come on," she trudged deeper into the water. When she turned around, though, Caleb wasn't with her. His feet were exactly where they'd been a minute ago. She watched as he wiped sweat from his forehead, and she noticed his curly hair growing wilder and goofier by the second. "It's hot, Caleb! Get in."

"No," Caleb called back lightly. "Really, I'm fine. Don't wanna get my clothes wet." He waved at her. "But have fun." He sat down on the sand, away from the shoreline.

Danielle cocked her hip to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid of the water?" she said it to mock him, totally kidding, but from Caleb's expression she knew she'd hit a bullseye. "You're afraid of the water?" She smacked her hands on the surf rocking her gently.

"I'm not afraid of the water," Caleb said indignantly. "I was just standing in it."

"I thought you were fearless!" Danielle said, surprised. Just last week Caleb had been ready to punch a guy who barked at her because of her skin color. Danielle shook her head, bemused. She ran up to him and grabbed his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. Static passed through the skin.

"Come on," she said. "I've got you."

Caleb shook his head. She wrapped her sopping arms around Caleb's shoulder and pulled him to the water's edge. His already tense muscles tightened further as she pulled him waist deep. The shoulder deep.

He held onto her hand with the fervency of a little kid. "I'm not kidding, Danielle." His voice came through heavy, hyperventilating gasps. She looked into his eyes, wide with fear. She couldn't help but think of a small cat who was terrified of water. It was sort of endearing. "It's okay," she said, placing a hand on Caleb's chest. Under her palm, his heart fluttered. "It's not that deep."

"I'm nota fan of water," he said at last. There was no way to say it with his usual bravado. Danielle was so surprised she could have laughed. He might have been the kind of person to travel through time, but it didn't mean he was above such small fears as swimming.

"You're not going to drown, Caleb." She led him step by step into the surf. Their feet were firmly planted on sand beneath the waves.

"Oh," Caleb said. He smiled. It was such a soft, childish sound passing through his lips Danielle couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed loudly but quickly stifled it. She splashed salty water at Caleb, hitting him full in the face.

His mouth fell open in a half deflated circle, and one of his eyebrows was cocked higher than the other in innocent observation.

"Come on!" She moved deeper into the waves, beckoning to Caleb.

"I don't know how to swim," he said. He stood his ground, buffeted slightly by the waves.

"I'll teach you, don't worry."

Caleb's pure teeth and crinkled eyes met her.

Danielle waited for Caleb to come to her, and he did, albeit slowly. His shirt stuck to his stomach, and she noticed muscles inconsistent with the dorky kid she'd come to know. She knew Alexander and Caleb worked out all the time, but she hadn't realized how much. It wasn't hard to look away, because his face glowed with joy.