It's hot...
Burning. Her skin was burning. Glistening sweat-laden patches of milky white skin were burning in the scorching sun... Here and there patches of stinging scarlet dyed the pale hues in their color; kissed her bare legs and shoulders and caressed her burnt cheeks into a blush mirroring dye... Threatening to evaporate the very sweat that shimmered when she moved in occasional discomfort...
All augmented to a torturous inferno under her disapproving gaze...
Oshiro Aiko grumbled as she scrubbed the floor of the empty school pool, shaking off the irritating jewels of sweat whenever one would slip uncomfortably past the open collar of her school uniform's shirt and into her sweat soaked bra. It was just her luck, being trapped in the school at the heat of summer to clean the pool. If only she had not struck out at the icy student council president, she wouldn't even have to be in this mess in the first place. She could have been free to wander wherever she pleased without the pressures of school; perhaps sleep in a little and finally spare a glance at the mountain of homework she had received the day before summer began.
But it had been all that student council president's fault...
Just the thought of that irritating girl made Aiko's body burn with a hateful heat far more scorching then the sun's hellish warmth. She dropped the bristly broom in brief aggravation and hastily reached down to pry open the last button on the side of her pleated skirt. A disgusted scoff resounded from somewhere above her.
"If you toy with that skirt any further, Oshiro-san, I'll see your underwear."
Akiyama Haruko's dark orbs glared sinisterly down at the suffering girl through flashing thin-rimmed glasses. Out of all the responsible members that could have been selected to supervise the delinquent girl and her punishment, she, the victim, had been chosen.
Being forced to remain in her enemy's presence for close to an undesired three hours... If blood could boil, hers would have already evaporated long ago.
"Maybe if you were a little more considerate, I would stop." Aiko's snappy response trickled out like acid. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be down here with me?"
Haruko adjusted her glasses to flash another discontented glare at her. A sour frown threatened to crack her plush cherry lips, and she gnashed her teeth against her melting blue popsicle to hide it. Considerate? It wasn't her who had gotten them into this mess in the first place. It had been entirely the other girl's fault. Every single skirmish since their ill-fated meeting had always been her fault.
"No thank you, I don't want to be harassed by girls like you." She batted a wispy lock of black hair away as she spoke.
Girls like her? The wooden handle groaned under Aiko's suddenly crushing grip. The president's harsh insult had been a heated stab at her very core. It was no secret that Aiko had a strong attraction to girls. She flirted with them openly; enticed them with her delinquent boyish personality. She had even kissed a few in the hallways afterschool to discourage any rumors otherwise. Those who disapproved of her ways never dared to speak out against her out of fear.
Everyone but Haruko...
"Don't worry. You're not exactly my type." She finally managed to growl under her breath.
That was only half true. Aiko was highly attracted to Haruko, her rival. That mane of flowing midnight hair, those slender milky-white legs and the perfect curves of her body... All augmented by a pair of glistening honey-gold eyes. She was as attractive as she was acidic, and venomous she was, in both speech and haughty elegance. Being around her drove the slaving girl mad with desire even if they were sworn enemies.
"I'm glad." The president finally sneered back.
Jeez... Aiko let out a soft snort. The council president was really beginning to broil her nerves. Glad or not, it wasn't like it was going to affect anyone, anyways. Gritting her teeth in irritation, she pushed the scrubber along the empty pool floor again. A pool of cool water suddenly lapped at her feet, causing her to nearly locate and stumble over the running hose laying nearby. She'd almost completely forgotten about it in the sweltering heat. She bent down and picked it up. The water sloshed over the scrubbed bottom, rinsing away freed scum in its wake, making the bottom slightly more slippery in certain areas. Once or twice, the hose coiled, but each time she freed it with a few determined tugs.
Haruko crossed a dangling lily-white leg over the other as she continued to watch the meddlesome girl below. It was nearing the three-hour mark; almost all of the pool had been cleaned. Sure, she had been ordered to help too due to similar punishment, but it wasn't her fault that they were condemned to this tiresome task. If anything, it had been Aiko's fault. All of it. She sucked on her popsicle.
"Agh!" A shout rose from high in her chest when a stream of water suddenly danced into the air and drenched her in a controlled, glistening stream. A series of satisfied chuckles resonated off the deep walls of the pool below.
"Eating ice cream up there all by yourself when you're supposed to be down here with me working – you're the worst!" Aiko hollered.
Sweat and water shimmered across the newly wet skin and hair. The thin school uniform clung critically to Haruko's body, allowing the dark stain of her bra to bleed through from under the damp, clinging fabric. Beads of the liquid rolled from her elevated blue popsicle. They created strange sunlit beads on the flashing lenses of her glasses. Glaring honey-gold orbs materialized from underneath the bright glare of from lenses. Down below, Aiko crossed her arms in triumph, dark eyes fluttering up from under a mass of sweat drenched bangs. The stream of water arched under a folded arm. That girl...
"Am I?" The tone that carried the president's words sounded irritated yet held a hidden edge that almost sounded like a faint form of playfulness.
Bare feet dropping suddenly onto the smooth floor of the pool surprised Aiko. Haruko had abruptly slipped herself from her regal perch as overseer. Was she finally doing work? Whatever the reason, the brunette allowed a pleased smirk to flicker over her parched lips. She watched every dignified step that was taken towards her. They carried purpose and a ferocity that probably burned as hot as the sun in the sky. Any hotter, and it would burn her alive.
"Oh, what's this, highness?" She jibbed with a chuckle. "Finally going to do work? Just a little spray of water and y—"
Clack!
The hose fell onto the slippery bottom with a muffled thud.
A pair of cold lips interlocked with hers midsentence. They were chilled and sweet from the popsicle that was still in the president's tipped up hand. Aiko's eyes widened to a shocked degree where they would normally flutter shut. Water pooled on her feet now, but she didn't notice it with the forceful kiss. Haruko's soft body felt lukewarm against hers. Finally, a fierce tongue pried its way into her mouth and lingered in its dominating blueberry sweetness before disappearing along with the pair of sugary lips. Then a pair of hands came to rest on her shoulders and promptly pushed her away. The brunette stumbled backwards at the force of them, a string of moisture from the kiss striking her now glistening lips. A faint blue tinge from the melted ice of the other girl's popsicle kissed their plush surface.
Aiko touched her lips in shock; an action she'd seen many of the girls she'd kissed before do. The president took the opportunity to arch over and snatch the discarded hose and spray her with it. Pale pink shimmered through newly wet fabric.
"Akiyama-san, why did you do that!" The brunette almost shouted once she had waved off her shock, ignoring the fact that her bra could clearly be seen now. The gusts of hot wind that stirred through the hollow space felt cold against the dampness.
"We're even now, aren't we?" She answered coolly, offering a flick of a dignified hand. "That was the only way to shut you up, anyways, and I was getting tired of your annoying voice."
The sour words stung, but something about that insulting phrase sounded playfully false. It brought a playful smirk to Aiko's lips. Lunging forward, she caught the council president off guard and seized the half-eaten popsicle from her, giving a teasing wink and nipping off the melting top. Although Haruko scoffed, the start of an infectious smirk had seemingly slithered to her lips. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but it did look like a corner was upturned.
"Now we're even." The brunette smirked.
"You're the worst." Blue lips breathed playfully back.