Dip in the snow (open!)

[Jillian Rafael Riggins]

Raffy tip~toed quickly to the water's edge, her bare feet freezing in the cold weather. She wore a yellow and red two piece that could hardly be called a bikini, but still showed a large amount of skin and her stomach (Plus, it was quite bright in itself, though pretty). Besides, she'd already set her towel down so she felt really cold and really open to the elements (as well as peoples gazes). It was different when other people were there with you, but no one went swimming in early December in Colorado, though the outdoor pool was heated to a nice and perfect 75 degrees. The Lifeguards had taken to not showing up because of the lack of people, which Jill was fine with. She was a life guard herself, and she knew how to keep herself from drowning.

But all the partial nudity was worth it when she slipped into the wonderful fresh~water and allowed something besides her feet to carry her. Raffy sighed in pleasure as the steam coming off the water filled her nostrils and her hair wafted around her like wings. She closed her eyes and sank deeper into her stupor, lying flat and wide like a skydiver and bobbing to the ripples in the water.

A small pierce of cold bit a her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to see. Snowflakes had begun falling lightly and disappearing into the water around her. She opened her mouth and caught one on her tongue. It tasted ever so slightly of acid, but was mostly pure and she loved it. She caught a few more and sank again into her happy place. It was like the massages her mother used to take her to on their "Girls' Nights" and "Cool Downs" (After Jill had raged) but even better.

'They should have fresh water hot tubs at spas.' Jill thought, then rolled her eyes at her own forgetfulness when she remembered that they did.

Raffy heard a little creak that seemed to be coming from the gate, so she turned to check who it was.

[Midge Kirsten Dearivus]

Midge whistled a little as she changed into her midnight~purple with glitter stars swim tutu and navy blue one piece in the locker room. Her Dad had forced her into a water ballet class/team over the summer in an attempt to get her into the sunlight, which she had enjoyed far more than she was willing to say. Her team (The San Fran River Otters) were going to complete nationally next year and she wanted to take a head start on the competition. Besides, few people knew it but the Pool was heated in the middle of winter to a B-E-A Yoo-tih-full 75 degrees Fahrenheit. She could relax AND get some exercise! Thankfully, few people knew about the heated part, because Midge was actually kind of scared to let her peers find out that she enjoyed dancing. Her scary~girl image could be ruined by a hobby like aqua dancing. Poetry was fine, most kids didn't get that anyway, and dancing was OK sometimes, but in the water with her swim cap on and everything? Midge was too used to people judging her to ever think of ways they wouldn't. The only people she'd really be comfortable with knowing about it were Mew and Sam, Sam because he wouldn't care and Mew because she was kind of her buddy now, oddly enough.

She pushed open the door that led from the locker room outdoors and strolled to the gate, which she creaked open and looked up at the pool. Midge hopped back a little, startled. There was another person in the pool already! A girl with cream~colored hair was bobbing around, a pleasant smile on her well tanned face like she was the happiest girl in the world, catching snowflakes on her tongue. She looked at Midge and the 9th grader tried to smile. She waved hello nonchalantly and decided to not give a twig whether this girl saw her water dancing. She dropped her towel and sandals with a PURPOSE and power walked to the high dive where she did a flip dive and landed in the water with barely a splash. Then she proceeded to doing the warm~ups always expected of them during team meets, five breaststroke laps, five backstroke and five butterfly. (She'd stretched before going to the pool so she wouldn't pull a muscle) She then practiced somersaults, handstands, pirouettes and splits all in the four feet zone. She dolphin jumped out of the pool two times and back flipped from the high dive, kicking her legs in front of her face and bowing to the other girl.

"Tah Dah!" she winked.

[Jillian Rafael Riggins]

Jill looked approvingly at the other girl. To most, she would look like she had been showing off, but Raffy's instincts told her otherwise. Somehow, the girl looked more like she was practicing than showing off, Raffy was sure that she would have done a similar routine if she had not been there, but since there WAS an audience, she responded with a bow.

Either way, it was a stunning performance. The girl had talent, whether she was told that by the flips or dives, Jill didn't know. She clapped in response, for the act deserved it, and nodded to her.

"Very nice," she said, bobbing up and down in the water, her hair sticking to the back of her suit whenever she breached it the water. "Very nice. I would probably advice you to tuck your legs in a little further when flipping, however."

[Midge Kirsten Dearivus]

Midge turned and pulled off her swim cap, letting her purple mane loose in the water. Her curls bobbed about her in the heated comfort, practically sighing at the wonderful feeling. She closed her eyes and moaned in an almost sexual way, the water was just THAT nice. She twirled slightly using her toes as a center of gravity and wrapping her hair around herself slightly. Midge opened her eyes and realized that the other girl had spoken to her.

"Thank you for the advice," she responded, "But are you exactly the one to talk? I didn't notice you being able to do any flips yourself."

Midge was pretty sure that this girl was teasing her, she couldn't really think of any other option. She had simply been raised that way. Sarcasm was Midge's middle name, and sometimes she recognized it when it wasn't present. It happened to be best of people.

[Jillian Rafael Riggins]

Jill raised an eyebrow, then her hands in a "Whoa, Bessie" sort of way.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said in what she hoped was a soothing sort of voice. (She also hoped she wasn't over~playing it) "I watch a lot of Olympic~level water sports, and they give tips afterwards you know."

The Olympic~Level bit was true, but Raffy hoped she could use the context to goad the girl on a little further. She definitely wanted to meet this girl, she seemed interesting with her curly purple and black hair, Asian~looking background, skill in water ballet. Even her choice in swim suit was exotic to Raffy, as the girl was a suburban sort, not often venturing too far from home.

"My name is Jill, by the way. I'd prefer it if you called me Raffy, however."

[Midge Kirsten Dearivus]

"Midge," she replied coolly. She grasped the other girl's hand and shook it firmly, not really caring whether she wanted her hand shaken or not. She let go of it and stared up into the sky, watching the snow fall down as slowly as an object would through honey.

"They look like little angels, don't they?" Midge murmured, feeling in a poetic mood all of a sudden. She swam down to the bottom of the pool (They were in the six foot area, it wasn't too hard) and coiled her legs together like a spring on the floor. 'Three... two...' she thought, and then she pushed her legs against the concrete, launching herself out of the water, getting a few inches of air as she snatched three of the snowflakes in her mouth. They tasted slightly acidic, yet mostly pure, and she loved it.

Once she had fallen into the water, she gestured for the other girl to join in. "It's fun!" she cried.