Down | Tyrus

III

TJ smiles and turns, saying, "They're at the rear."

He continues to talk as we walk through the city together, explaining how there are nine rudders on each level, but he only has to check the ones on this floor, because there are other people checking the other floors. When we actually make it all the way to the back end of the city, I see the large metal fin sticking out in the wind. It's rusted and brown, with chipped paint falling off it. I've seen it many times before, but I've never given it much thought, since I've never had to care about it before. 

TJ extends his arm up over the fence to touch the rudder, leaning farther into the open sky than I'd like him to, and I end up automatically reaching out for him, but I pull away as soon as I touch him. I feel mortified in an instant, knowing that was completely improper of me. Even if he did go toppling over the railing, touching him was not something someone like me is allowed to do.

He just chuckles, saying, "Are you worried I'm gonna fall?"

"Well, you're not tied to anything that would keep you from falling," I respond.

"You sound like my sister," he says, turning back to face the rudder. "She's always trying to make sure I take every possible safety precaution."

"She sounds very smart," I say.

Finishing his study of the metal part, he turns back to me, saying, "You two would get along."

"Because we both care about making sure you don't go plummeting into the ocean?"

"Exactly," TJ responds with a laugh. "Someday, I'll have to introduce you two."

I know that's highly unlikely to ever happen, for my meeting with TJ Kippen was plain luck. I'm not even supposed to be talking to him, yet he feels so inviting, and he actually seems to want me around. I don't understand it, but I'm not stupid enough to turn away an attractive, kind boy who wants to talk to me, even though I do know that nothing will ever come of it.

I don't want to outright deny his statement, so instead I change the topic, asking, "Do you help your dad with this kind of stuff often?"

"Yeah," TJ answers. "When I'm not in lessons, I'm doing this. I'm supposed to be the captain one day once I'm old enough."

"You must know a lot, then," I say. "I imagine steering a city can't be simple."

"I do know how to navigate."

"Like, with the stars?"

"Yup."

"I've always wanted to learn that," I admit, "but all I know is about Wilhelm Wundt and introspection and stuff."

"Well, I don't know anything about that," TJ responds with a chuckle.

"But you could learn if you wanted to, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, we have about a million books on just about everything. Our home library is bigger than the actual city library."

"Wow," I breathe. "It must be incredible to have all that knowledge at your fingertips."

"It's not all that," TJ replies. "Because I can learn anything, I'm expected to know everything. Sometimes I think it'd be easier to be somebody without all these expectations on them."

"Well, I'd trade with you any day," I confess.

"What do you do everyday?" TJ asks. "Do you always help your mom?"

"Sometimes, but I actually have to go gather water soon."

"You're a water boy?" he says in surprise.