Floating in The Water

Chapter 6

"I feel like a fucking idiot," Zayn hisses, looking over his shoulder at Liam. "This is ridiculous."

He does look kind of ridiculous, but Liam somehow manages to keep this thought to himself. "You wanted to learn. This is what we're doing."

"Why aren't you doing it, then?" Zayn demands.

Liam raises an eyebrow. "Because I, unlike you, actually know how to swim."

Zayn releases the edge of the pool and turns to face Liam. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Liam replies. "And also like I said, if you want to learn, then you're going to have to do what I tell you."

Zayn glares at him for a moment before turning back around and grabbing the edge of the pool. He continues with the kicking motions, and Liam has no doubt that he's purposefully kicking water directly at Liam, because every time he moves Zayn just shifts over a bit.

"You're probably loving this, right?" Zayn asks after a moment. "The fact that I can't do this. Makes you feel like you're better than me, or something."

"No," Liam says, and it's the truth. He doesn't feel superior to Zayn at all. In fact, Zayn's done such a good job of reminding Liam exactly where he stands in the world that it'd be pretty impossible for him to feel better than Zayn. "Unlike some people, I don't get off on everyone else's insecurities."

"Like you have any," Zayn snorts. "Everyone-- fucking loves you." He somehow managed to get water in his mouth, and he spits it out as he spits out the curse word. "My parents. My best fucking friend. It's ridiculous. It's like you shit fucking rainbows."

Zayn kicks harder, now, and there's a steady spray of water from behind him. Liam moves back and out of the way, frowning at Zayn as he does so. Just like Liam not hating anyone, he doesn't really think anyone's ever hated him. Or, he's tried to make sure that no one would have a reason to, prides himself on being a good person. But Zayn? Zayn definitely hates him.

"You've got them all so wrapped around your fingers," Zayn continues as he kicks at the water. "Fucking Wonderboy, is what you are. And for some reason I'm the only one who seems to remember the fact that you clean rooms and deliver food for a fucking living. Like, what's so great about that? Why does that make you better than me, in their eyes? It's bullshit, is what it is."

Liam's steadily moving away from Zayn now, but Zayn doesn't seem to care or notice. He just keeps talking, keeps digging at Liam even more, until Liam tunes it out and pulls himself out of the pool.

"Get out," Liam says, moving to the edge of the pool near Zayn. "Get the fuck out."

Zayn lets go of the edge of the pool and stands up. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Liam tells him. "Get out. We're done here."

"It's only been, like, forty minutes," Zayn says, impatiently pushing his hair off his forehead.

"Yeah, but we're done," Liam tells him.

Zayn glares up at a moment before shrugging his shoulders and climbing out of the pool. Liam turns his back on him and heads for the change rooms. He doesn't pull on his dry clothes, but instead grabs his keys out of the pockets of his pants and grips them tightly in his fingers, the ridges biting into his palm.

He waits out at the pool for Zayn to get changed, and when he comes out Liam pushes through the door and then waits for Zayn to leave the building before locking it behind them. After that, he doesn't spare Zayn another glance. He just stomps towards the main building, feet soaking his shoes, making the soles slosh with water as he walks. He just doesn't give a fuck.