The X-Project

Callie and Catseye relax by the pool and discuss swimming and driving lessons.


The pool was fascinating. Catseye leaned over the edge in catform, resting her chin on her front paws, tail swishing behind her as she watched the bugs and bits of grass on the surface, purple eyes darting here and there curiously as she tried to keep track of everything that was going on. Hearing approaching footsteps, the housecat let out a welcoming "mrrrrrrrrt!"


"Hey Cats!" Callie decided that it was high time for a break, and what better way to do that than to take a dip? Her belongings were placed in the care of one of the pool chairs before the girl padded barefoot over to the Catseye and ruffled her purple fur before joining her classmate at the pool's edge and dangling her legs in the chilled water below. "You want to go for a dip too, or are you just enjoying the scenery," Callie asked, wondering if Catseye even liked water, for she heard felines usually didn't.



Catseye shifted, covering her arms over her torso since she hadn't asked Forge to fix her collar yet and assuming Callie might be upset at the sight of her nudity. "Catseye will go for a dip if Callie goes because if Callie goes in then the grass and bugs and other things to see will all go 'woosh!' But Catseye has no suit. Will Callie get mad?"


"Why would I get mad?" Callie wrinkled her brow in thought and confusion. She didn't think there was an explicit rule against skinny dipping, and it would save the filters from being over laden with fur. "I just didn't know if you would like the water in cat form or anything. Cats don't like water, right?"


Grinning, Catseye put her arms down. "Catseye likes watching the water. BigCat likes swimming better than regularcat, but Catseye the human likes swimming." She didn't usually differentiate between what she liked as a cat and what she liked as a human, but water was perhaps the most obvious and the one that caused her the least amount of disturbance to her conscience when she thought about how she was becoming more human.

Callie nodded as she examined how the water appeared to cut her legs. "That makes sense I guess." It was times like these when that uncertainty and confusion over having a girl who behaves like a cat sprung up again. But as long as the metamorph wasn't hurting anyone, there really wasn't any problem. She looked over at her classmate with a smile. "You ready?"


The catgirl slipped into the water and tugged on Callie's legs playfully. "The water is nice and warm. Callie will like it, and Catseye will woosh all the bugs and grass away!" She paddled instinctively to the other side of the pool, the deep end. From there, she took a few steps back and then a running leap, cannonballing into the water.


It was impossible for Callie not to laugh as she was splashed with water after Catseye's cannonball. Once the giggles had subsided, she slid down into the water, making not nearly as big of a splash as her friend. A few even strokes brought her nearer to the purple hair girl, where she began to tread water. "Nice cannonball," she remarked. "I'd give it an 8 out of 10."


"Catseye does not think Callie could do any better!" the catgirl challenged, and tugged on Callie's swimsuit string out of feline compulsion.


Callie reached down to fix the string, tightening it so it would be more difficult to come undone, before swimming over to the side and pulling herself out of the water. After a quick check to make sure that her bathing suit was secure and not in danger of falling off, the pink girl built her momentum up with a short run before launching herself into the air. She had just enough time to curl herself up in a ball before her body made contact with the water with a splash.

The purple-haired girl clapped her hands together enthusiastically when Callie surfaced. "Veryverygood! Catseye does not know how to score or Catseye would give it a number but Catseye thinks it is an A-plus! Can Callie teach Catseye how to do that?"

Callie's head poked through the water as she wiped wet hair from her face. "Of course," she exclaimed as she swam closer. "I'll teach you all I know. Which granted isn't very much, but it's still fun."


"Veryfun!" Catseye agreed. "Catseye thinks swimming in girlform is maybe even better than swimming in catform because cats cannot do that... cannonball... thing like humans can do. What else does Callie know about swimming and making splashes?" she inquired enthusiastically.
There was a pause as Callie thought about this for a moment. "No. I suppose cats would just be a belly flop wouldn't they," she asked as she began to slowly swim around backwards. "Well I know how to do somersaults and handstands and stuff? Those are fun. But you get water up your nose, which isn't fun."


Trying to mimic the backwards swimming, Catseye floundered and splashed for a little while before giving it up and trying to do a somersault. She came up spitting and choking. "Callie is right! Water in Catseye's nose! Ickickick!" She went back to trying to swim backwards. "Catseye cannot do it!" she lamented, smacking her hands on the water in frustration, causing splashes. She'd never actually learned how to swim, of course- her ability to paddle was purely animal instinct.

The way that Catseye was flailing in the water did not sit well with Callie, not at all. She knew that the other girl could swim somewhat, but didn't want to risk Catseye drowning. "Catseye just do what you were doing before, or better yet go to the shallow end where you can stand. I'll be right back." Callie hurried to the edge of the pool and kept an eye on Catseye as she rummaged through a large plastic storage bin. She pulled out an adult sized life vest and quickly walked back to the pool. "Here, I brought you a life vest. It'll help you stay afloat. I mean it doesn't do all the work for you but yeah. Have you ever taken swim lessons before?"


Giving up her attempt at swimming backwards, Catseye paddled over to Callie and sniffed at the vest. "No, Catseye was a cat for fifteen winters and then Catseye came to the school but no one gave Catseye swim lessons because Catseye can swim!" she protested, though she knew there was a great difference between what she did and the way Callie swam. "But Catseye would like to learn how to swim like Callie, yesyesyes," she decided, putting the life vest over her head.

"Maybe we should ask some of the staff if they can teach us how to swim, and water safety because there's more to swimming than being able to stay afloat," Callie said as she carefully fastened the life vest and made sure it was tight enough. "Or there might be a local YMCA we can try and get someone to take us to? I've been thinking about trying to get lifeguard certification and maybe get a job next summer."

"Callie needs lessons too? But Callie is a verygood swimmer!" Catseye protested, confused. "What is lifeguard? Catseye does not understand."

"Lifeguards are people who watch the waters to make sure that everyone is being safe," explained Callie as she slipped back into the pool. "Like they save people if they're drowning and stuff, and make sure that people don't do unsafe things like run around the pool. You need special lessons for that."


Testing the life vest, Catseye brought her legs up underneath her and bobbed along in the water for a second or two before she fell over onto her side and ended up sputtering more water. Once she realized that would happen, however, she treated it as a game. "Catseye thinks making people be safe is a veryverygood thing! And Catseye would like to learn how to swim like Callie because it is faster than swimming like Catseye swims. Can Catseye take lessons in swimming and driving at the same time?" She was due to start driver's ed soon and wasn't sure she could do both at once, though it seemed like she should be able to since she could take several classes in school during the year at the same time.

Callie thought for a moment as she pondered this question. "You should be able to. I mean it's summer so I don't see why not?"

"Goodgood! Catseye wants to learn swimming and driving! How is Callie's driving lessons?"

Shrug. "I haven't started my behind the wheel stuff, but I've been reading the book. And I have my permit. You've been out driving right?"


"Catseye has been driving lots! But Catseye does not have her permit yet. Catseye starts class soon so then Catseye will get her permit! Catseye has read her book lots and lots so Catseye will pass for sure, nyah!" There was no way she would accept failure on her written test. She wanted that permit so she could take the real test and drive on her own. "Catseye can sit in the car with Callie and show her all the different parts of the car if she wants!" she offered happily, climbing out of the pool and then cannonballing in with her life vest on.

"Oh I'm sure you'll pass." Callie drifted lazily around enjoying the warmth from the sun on her body. "It was really easy. Just stuff like 'what do you do at night' and 'what happens when you hit an icy patch' and stuff- HEY!" Her eyes opened wildly as she felt the water from Catseyes' cannonball hit her. "You should warn me when you're going to do that so I don't get splashed please?" She laughed and splashed water in the metamorph's direction.