Is There Anybody Out There?

Chapter 7: Dino

I then picked up and folded the shirt Vernon let me borrow yesterday as best as I could, feeling it’s softness as I ran my thumb against it again. I carried it out of my room and went into the living room, handing Vernon his shirt back, “Sorry about… all of that… Here’s your shirt back… Thank you for letting me borrow it.”

Vernon nodded, butterflies in my stomach as he made eye contact as he took it, "Of course, any time, I think it looked good on you, better than on me so… where did you get that shirt?" He smiles widely at my shirt.

I felt myself blushing, “Oh… Minghao gave it to me on the night we met… I guess you can say that I’m your number one fan now!” I joked.

Vernon smiled softly, "Well, then you're my favorite fan… I like it. It looks good, I've just never seen one before. Wait, that's what you're wearing to swim in??"

I felt myself panic as he looked a little upset at the thought.

“No! I have a change of clothes!” I went and grabbed the bag at the door to show him, “An old shirt and shorts! I would never risk ruining something I got the night we met!”

Vernon smiled and nodded, "Oh, okay! Just making sure since you're in jeans!"

“Is that bad? I’ve never gone to a pool like this before.” I asked. Are there no changing rooms?

Vernon looked at me curiously, "You've never gone to a pool like this?? But any pool would be bad with jeans! They get wet and gross and heavy and you can't swim and they stick to your legs!"

Crap! I’m gonna give it away that I can’t swim!

“I mean… My high school had a pool! We’d all change in a locker room so everyone would change before going into the pool!” I told him, carefully thinking about what I was saying. That makes sense right?

Vernon nodded, "Oh! Okay, yeah me too, but I just wear my suit where I'm going if I'm going straight there! I guess everyone does things differently! Are you ready!"

Is… is he not…

I couldn’t help but blush and glance down at Vernon’s shorts, “So… is there no underwear or…?”

Vernon blushed, putting the folded shirt in his lap, "Uh, I mean… there's built in underwear net stuff in most swim trunks do you… do you not swim in swim trunks? Did you wear like a…" he pauses for a second, "A speedo or something in highschool???"

I looked at Vernon, “What’s a speedo?”

"Tight… uh… underwear like swimsuits? Like… women's swim bottoms… bikini bottoms for men? Spandex? I don't know how to describe it… uh… leotard? That's just underwear? But it's a swimsuit? I mean… I'm sure you'd look good in one but… I can't imagine they'd have them in highschool!" Vernon told me, looking away.

Something doesn’t make sense though. Aren’t swimsuits supposed to cover you up in the water? I looked back at my butt, “But if they’re bikini bottoms for men… and say… um… a tushie was involved…” Nope! Not gonna ask that! “We had wetsuits! The full body swimsuits! Everything was covered!” Totally no cheeks out in the open or anything!

"Oh! So they go around your existing shorts! That's why, okay! That makes sense!" Vernon said, nodding, not looking over at me.

“Yeah!” I sat down next to him, blushing and looking away, but I still wanted to be close to him.

"So… ready to go then? I came to give you a ride too…"

I nodded, glancing over at Vernon, “Yep! All ready! Though you really didn’t have too… It’s daytime so I can walk!”