Surface Deep
If you live your life only on the surface, you'll never experience the deep emotions that come with it.
As I walk towards my classroom, the sun rises above the horizon, casting a soft golden glow through the windows. The light illuminates the corridor. My hair is still damp from my morning swim, and as I move, droplets fall onto my white shirt. The school is bustling with activity, and yet another girl is trying to capture Sean's attention. It's becoming a familiar sight.
"I really like you, Sean. Will you go out with me?" I hear a girl say, her eyes fixed on him. I can't help but gaze at him, his luscious, blonde locks glistening in the sunlight. He has always been the centre of attention, the one everyone wants to be with.
"Didn't you say that to someone else just last week?" Sean chuckles, trying to brush off her advances. "It's not the same, Sean. You're definitely my soulmate!" the girl insists as if her mind won't change in a few days. I look away and focus on the clear blue sky outside before taking my seat, hoping to ignore the scene in front of me.
"Hey, Eli!" the teacher yells from down the hall. "Can't you at least towel dry your hair? How many times do I have to repeat this?" He sounds exasperated like he's dealing with a child.
"My bad," I reply, trying to dry my face with the edge of my sleeve. The teacher storms into the classroom muttering.
"You got scolded again," Isaac grins, finding the situation amusing. I sit down next to him on the cold wooden bench, feeling the rough texture of the wood beneath my fingertips.
"I swam for too long and forgot the time," I explain, feeling the weight of the day bearing down on me. The room is a stark contrast to the vibrant beauty of the outdoors, with bare walls and worn wooden benches. The air is heavy with the scent of chalk and stale textbooks, and the only source of light is a dim overhead bulb that casts eerie shadows across the room.
"Since you're so dedicated, maybe you should join the school swimming tournament next time." I let out a deep sigh as Isaac suggests I join the school swimming tournament. The feeling of weightlessness and the cool embrace of the water is too precious to be tarnished by competition. I don't want to subject my love for swimming to the scrutiny of judges or the pressure of a crowd.
"That's too much of a hassle. I'm not going," I respond, feeling the same sense of detachment that I always do. Although Isaac has been trying to convince me to join the school swimming tournament, I just can't bring myself to do it. My passion for water is a personal means of escape, a sanctuary where I can find solace and freedom from the pressures of the world. A place where no one can touch me and the sounds of the world disappear, even just for a moment.
"You're still as aloof as ever," Isaac teases, and we engage in surface-level apologies and banter. That's my philosophy - keeping everything on the surface, pretending that everything is okay. But as I glance back at Sean and the girl still flirting, he plays with her long hair and says, "I love you. You're the only one for me." I can't help but feel a sense of emptiness, as if I'm missing out on something everyone else is experiencing. Yet, I can't bring myself to care enough to try to change my ways. The world moves on without me, and I remain indifferent to it all.