fandomhighdorms | The Gym; Monday Morning.

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The Gym; Monday Morning.

It was Monday morning and, from a technical stand-point, Cal didn't have anything to worry about until Thursday for work, Friday for his two classes. He couldn't imagine a better schedule, really, the whole week to do nothing but what he wanted to. That time most likely wouldn't be utilized for anything more than working out and writing, but those were still progressive, still getting something done, although to what end?

Did it really matter?

He set to some of his simple stretches, warmed up on the treadmill, and took to the weight machines.

[[ open for all your gymly needs! ]]

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Amber really never struck Cal as anyone for stealth before, and the little clack, clack, clack of the taps on her shoes certainly didn't do anything to help her go unnoticed as she entered the gym. He shifted a little under his weights at first, wondering if things would be awkward after what happened, but then he realized that Amber was either doing a really good job of ignoring him, or simply hadn't noticed him there. Once he noticed the earphones shoved into her ears, though, he figured it was the latter, and didn't worry about it. He wouldn't interrupt her, especially if she was just doing her own thing, but he did grin a little. She'd mentioned tapping the other day and now she was down here doing it, and that was good. Real good. Beyond that sentiment, though, he tried to put her out of his mind and focused on his own work out.

No, no, it was definitely the latter. She was in a wonderful mood and had she noticed him first off, she would have definitely said something, awkward though it might be at first, Amber rarely stayed mad or upset for long. Unless some unfortunate person really affected her in a negative way.

With a final stretch of arms above her head, Amber, head down, waited for the right right song to start, and then she began to tap. The same routine from the pageant, and the one she loved doing more than any others.

She felt wonderfully alive, and her smile was bright at all the appropriate times, just as though she were in front of a large audience.

Well, she certainly won points for enthusiasm. Still trying to not pay attention, it was a little difficult to manage with all the bouncing and the constant clatter of her feet. Cal wondered what kind of music the dance was set to, but, even without it, he found his own movements naturally syncing up to her rhythms. For some reason, this made him feel embarrassed, like he should interrupt, like he should say something, but then again it was entirely possible that she did see him, but simply chose to ignore him.

So he just kept pumping iron. Whatever. If she was ignoring him, that was fine. If she wasn't, well, it wasn't his fault she didn't notice him there.

On a significant turn, a specific hip movement, that's when Amber's eyes finally noticed Cal. It caused her to err in her next, calculated step, but she grinned, embarrassed, waving at him in all good humor. "Mornin', Cal."

Grinning faintly, Cal paused a moment to give a small wave back. "Morning."

He then nodded at Amber's feet, his hand regaining its grip on the handle of the weight machine. "Don't let me interrupt, by all means..."

"Oh, hey, I can practice in just a minute," she said through a huffed breath. "I wanted to say sorry about the other day and my weird-ass mood. I wasn't particularly nice."

Cal shrugged, resuming the steady push of handles. "Don't worry about it. We all get those days; it was probably mostly my fault, anyway."

He was the one getting in a fight with everyone, so the evidence clearly pointed that way in his head. Of course, he couldn't really see anything wrong with what he'd done or said, but there had to have been something, even if he didn't understand it.

"Nah," she said, not really agreeing but willing to take the blame for it. So to speak. "Water under the bridge." Amber grinned.

"My tappin' isn't botherin' you is it? I know it can be loud soundin' when you're not used to hearin' it. Drove ma crazy when I was a kid. I used to climb up on the kitchen table and pretend I was the best tap dancer ever, ultimately drivin' her crazy and shooin' me away with the fly swat," she nodded, grinning over the memory. "But she got used to it quick enough 'cause I just wouldn't quit."

Climb on the...? It wasn't the concept that startled Cal so much as it was the fact that he'd done weird crap like that as a kid, too, and usually fell and got hurt doing it.

Or getting his head stuck in a door. Ugh. Gotta love older brothers. He shook his head slightly.

"Nah, it's not bothering me," he said. "It's nice; I usually don't get entertainment while I'm in here. And you really are good, Amber. I don't know anything about tap, but, yeah, that's pretty amazing."

He took a year or two of ballet, though. Was terrible, and that's why it only lasted so long, much to Tessie's dismay but...Amber really didn't need to know about that.

She beamed. "Thank you! I wish I could do it more, y'know? For people to enjoy and watch but around here I don't see so much of that happenin'."

Amber knew that all kinds of boys were in ballet. She wouldn't think much of it actually, if she did know.

She tapped a few steps. "I love the sound of it myself; to me it's like listenin' to one of those soothin' nature cd's where you hear nothin' but the rain, or the ocean. Tap is beautiful."

"Definitely impressive to watch," Cal told her, probably repeating himself, but it was true. "If I'd tried any of that stuff, my feet would just end up in a big tangled knot. I'm going to just stick with easy, repetitive, grunting and manly weights for my workout, I think."

In which she took note of what he was doing and the weights he was using. She didn't mean to stare; not like she was really, right? They were in a gym doing gymly things. Well, he more than she, but the floor was perfect for dancing and if she wasn't bothering anyone...

Amber smiled, and started tapping again, occassionally (more often than not), looking at him with the added effort of trying to appear as though she weren't.

After another long moment, she asked, "You have any classes today?"

The question inspired a bit of a triumphant smile on Cal's face, as he shook his head and steadily kept up his reps. "Nope! No classes until Friday."

He was ridiculously proud of that excellent bit of planning, and it showed.

"What? You've got your whole week basically free! Lucky!" She smiled. "I have a class everyday except for Tuesdays, but I have rehearsal that day, so with classes, that, and work, I'm a busybee."

"I...couldn't do that," Cal admitted, shaking his head a little. "I'm too lazy to ever want to be that busy."

"Productivity makes for a good mood, for me at least. And I woke up feelin' just the thing. The almost naked Liir added to my good humor as well," she said, tongue nearly in cheek.

"Almost na--" Cal blinked for a moment, and then shook his head. "Forget I ask. I take it he's not a cat anymore, or is that your point?"

She nodded. "Poor thing must have woke up some place else and tried to make a quick run for his room before anyone saw him." Pause. "Except I did. I guess I will have to try and talk to him later."

Something important to remember. Some transformations, you change back without your clothes. This was...incredibly vital information for Cal, and even more reasons for him to dread transformations.

He also had a good idea where that place probably was, and was smart enough to not say anything along that line. Cal shook his head a little.

"About what? His nakedness?"

"Um no," she replied. "Heaven forbid I bring up his naked-self. I didn't get much of a look anyway. Just... we need to talk I guess about what happened before, get it all settled and whatnot."

"Oh, right; that whole...thing with you and him and Ino, right?"

The one that she sort of took out on him the other day, but, whatever. Cal wasn't going to say anything, nor would he even bother to express his irritation that somehow he felt like he was stuck in there somewhere just because he was good friends with the two female parties involved.

Amber looked ashamed. "Ino doesn't have anythin' to do with it, really. It's all Liir. I like Ino and we get along great. I mean we did come up with the idea to give you soap..." er, maybe he didn't know that. Anyway. "This is just about Liir and I and," Amber shrugged, "I guess we'll just see how things go. I do like him, and... being absent from him has affected me."

As far as the soap went, it was kind of hard to not figure it out, and that got a little bit of a grin out of him, but it slipped away by the time Amber had finished. He didn't really know the guy all that much, so he didn't know if he could really criticize; he didn't even really know what the situation really was, anyway.

And part of him really didn't want things to work out, either, but, nodding, and since he couldn't think of much else to say about it, he just said, "I hope it goes well, then."

There was a slight pause.

"But if it doesn't, you know where you can find me."

He wished he hadn't said that, though. He really shouldn't have.

"Thanks, Cal," Amber replied, meaning it. "It just doesn't feel right, y'know? I mean, you don't I know, but Liir just needs to explain himself to me and if he doesn't want any part of me, then he needs to just tell me, just like that so I'll know. I won't like it, or understand it, but at least I'll know."

She smiled at him, feeling very much warmed by that offer. "I know exactly where to find you."

Finishing his rep, Cal settled back against the seat of the machine with a bit of a sigh, releasing the handle to run a hand through his hair a bit. Something about this didn't settle right with him; he could see that, either way it went, there might be stormy seas ahead. "Yeah," he said, nodding a little again. "Get things all sorted out."

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