Pierre & Bill

Were it not for the absence of any damage it could have been mistaken for a crater. No scarring, no rocks, no debris. Just a clean surgical cut into the earth. The water level was about ten feet down and revealed carved, vertical cliffs. Even though it it was still, the water hid its depths under a shiny, dark surface. Neither the water nor the land showed any sign of life.
“It’s amazing,” Liam said. “But I wouldn’t call it pretty.”
They’d cleared the woods and were standing about thirty feet from the quarry’s edge. The sky was immense and long silver clouds blanketed it from end to end. Far away on the horizon the clouds were more intense. Somewhere a storm was raging. Then, just above them, the sun broke through. Suddenly it was as hot as July. Removing his jacket and folding it over the handle bars, Bill explained its beauty.
“It’s a little early but in a couple of weeks it’ll come to life.” Stretching his arm out, he spanned the land as if it were his own. “All kinds of wildflowers grow here. Cornflowers, Bachelor Buttons, Queen Anne’s Lace. It’s busy in the summer, but for the rest of the year it’s a good place to come and think, or read, or do nothing. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.”
“With your parents, I hope. This place would be dangerous for a kid.”
In the thrall of the moment, Bill absently shook his head. “I came with Pierre.”
“Who’s he?”
Catching himself, he tried to make it sound uninteresting. “Uh, he’s my friend.”
“Oh, right.”
Sometimes Bill got tired of explaining his situation. People tended to get hung up on his story, either wanting to know too much or sorry they’d ever asked. The guy at the hospital, Danny, had charmed it out of him, but right now he didn’t want to talk about himself. He didn’t want to talk about his past either, or his future. Being at the quarry was the only reality he wanted right now. He usually came here alone. Sharing it with someone felt intimate, a lot more intimate than talking about himself. Still, he wanted to dispel any misconceptions.
“He’s my friend. We share a house.”
“I didn’t mean…”
“No, it’s okay.” Bill cut in. “You don’t know me.”
“Sure I do,” Liam said with a smile. When he smiled his face lit up and his eyes disappeared behind laugh lines.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I know who you’re not.” When he saw Bill waiting for more he made an awkward face. “I saw you at that meeting the other day. You looked like you had a chip on your shoulder. Sorry, but I thought you were, well, a jerk.”
“Hmm,” Bill muttered. Liam had picked up on the resentment, but it wasn’t a grudge. He’d been plain pissed off. “So, what changed your mind?”
“Jerks don’t know their flowers,” Liam quipped. “No, seriously, when I saw you coming up to the bus stop back there you looked so, I don’t know, lost.”
“You saw me?”
“Of course I saw you. You kind of stick out.”
“Like a sore thumb.”
“No, not like a sore thumb.”
“So why’d you come along? Social work?” He heard himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m not myself today.”
“Me neither,” Liam said. Then, with a shrug, he changed the subject. “So what about me?” When he saw that Bill didn’t understand, he pointed to himself. “What was your first impression?”
“You really want to know?” When Liam nodded, Bill mugged a face. “I thought you were a nerd.”
Liam laughed. “So here we are! A jerk and a nerd! Doesn’t get any better than that!”
“No, I guess not,” Bill said to Liam’s clear grey eyes. Even from behind his glasses they drew him in. Until now he’d opted for quick furtive glances because Liam always met his gaze. Turning back to the quarry, Bill cocked his head. “Come on. I’ll show you the secret way down to the water.”
“Oh, yeah!” Liam sounded delighted. “I’d love a swim.”
Setting his bike onto the ground, Bill glanced up. “Oh, no. It’s just to show you. The water will be way too cold.”
“Just a dip then,” Liam said. “Come on! It’ll be great!”
Furrowing his brow, Bill stood up. “But…”
“But what?”
“I don’t know.” He struggled to explain. “You’re a math teacher.”
A curious smile rippled across Liam’s face. “So?”
“Math teachers are…”
“Nerds?”
“No.” Now, Bill didn’t know what he meant. “I don’t know. Conservative, careful. They don’t go jumping into quarries.”
“Oh, Bill!” Liam exclaimed. “You’ve never been to a math teachers’ convention! We’re all crazy! Mathematics has no limits! It goes anywhere! And so do we.” He then plunked himself down on the stubby yellow grass and took off his shoes. Placing them side by side, he stood up and began to unbutton his shirt.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Going swimming! Come on!”
Bill helplessly looked on as Liam removed his shirt, folded it, and laid it on top of his shoes. Unzipping his pants, he did the same. Then he removed his glasses and lay them on top of the pile of clothes. When he stopped at his jockeys, Bill didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed. Either way, he stared. He’d seen bodies like Liam’s before, but not too often. Innocuous when dressed, spectacular when naked. With not an ounce of fat and not a muscle too big, he was a lean machine. Liam met his eyes expectedly.
“So where’s this secret passage?”
“You’re really gonna do this?” Bill was dumbfounded. He’d thought they’d come here for a quiet meditation on life’s injustices. Apparently, Liam was out for a different kind of resourcing.
“You’ll freeze to death.”
Stretching his arms over his head, Liam looked up and scanned the sky. “The sun’s burning hot! I’ll be dry in no time. Come on. It’s just what we need.”