The Lazy River

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THE SECOND DAY came and went rather uneventfully. The activities planned for the day were simple team-building exercises with the goal of allowing the students to have fun. However, it was also planned with what the teachers thought 'having fun' meant. As such, most of the time spent in the morning was on a useless and boring treasure hunt. In the afternoon, we were given spare time to spend the day down by the river where the current wasn't as strong.

We were all dressed in our swimsuits, students scattered off to different areas around the river with their friends. The four of us, Harr, Xavier, Jules, and I, found a quiet spot far away from the rest of our classmates. The current here was practically nonexistent, the pool of water calm and still.

We hid our things under a canopy of trees, tossed up against a tree trunk on the ground away from the riverbank.

"Isn't this simply wonderful?" I sighed, stretching my arms above my head wistfully.

Jules, who stood by my side, had a frown on her face, clearly visible even underneath her large sunglasses. Unlike the rest of us who had no fear of showing skin, her swimsuit had long sleeves that reached her wrists. She wore a pair of shorts over the one-piece swimsuit and a large sun hat on her head to shield her from the glaring light.

"I'm not too big a fan of the water," she admitted, sneering disdainfully at the crystal clear water surface.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! There's nothing better than just lounging about in the water under the summer sun." With that said, I skipped away from Jules and towards the water where Harr and Xavier stood.

Both of them had their backs towards us, facing the water with words exchanged between both of them which were silent to my ears. I squeezed in the space between them, using their shoulders to lift myself up in the air before jumping into the water with a loud splash. Water droplets flew towards them when I broke the calm of the surface, drenching them with a cool shower. When I surfaced with a long sigh, both Harr and Xavier wore matching frowns, scowling at me from where they stood.

"That was uncalled for, Aiko." Harr pouted, tousling his hair with his hand to get the water droplets out.

His fringe plastered down onto his forehead, sticking stubbornly due to the water. Seeing that his hairstyle no longer had any salvation, he simply pulled a rubber band off of his wrist and used it to tie up the front of his hair. It stuck out like a sore thumb, resembling a miniature stalk of flower that bloomed at the top of his head. The sight made me choke on my breath, teardrops flowing from the corners of my eyes from attempting to disguise a laugh.

"You look like an onion, Harr," I wheezed, squeezing out the words in between my escaped laughter.

From Harr's side, Xavier let out a surprised hack, his hand raised to cover his mouth. Even though it was hidden behind his hand, I could still spot a hint of a smile. His lips were definitely curved upward, a small indent appearing on the sides of his cheeks in the form of dimples. He cleared his throat shortly after, returning to a practiced stoic face before tucking his hands into the pockets of his swimming trunks.

"Sorry," he murmured under his breath half-heartedly.

"I can't believe you're siding with her of all people!" Annoyed, Harr gave Xavier a rough push, easily sending the latter flying towards the river.

Since he was caught unprepared, Xavier hadn't steeled himself against Harr's attack. He toppled too easily, a mess of arms and legs soaring through the air before he landed into the water back-first. Once again, the surface of the water was disturbed and it sent droplets of cool liquid back onto dry land.

I had raised my arms to shield my face from getting splashed but both Jules and Harr weren't so lucky. Harr was soaked like a drowned rat, his hair going flat except for the tuft that stuck out at the top of his head. Further back, even Jules wasn't spared. The water had flown far enough to reach her body, light droplets scattered across her swimsuit. Yet, she wore a delighted smile instead of a frown. It didn't seem like she was about to condemn anyone anytime soon.

"Bring the floats in, Jules!" I cupped my hands around my lips, using it to amplify my voice. "The water feels amazing!" Raising a hand, I waved at her, beckoning her over into the water.

Jules eyed the water for a second, her eyes fixated on Xavier who had just emerged from the river. Just like Harr, he tossed his head back and forth a few times, shaking the water out of his colored locks before combing it back with one hand. It stuck in place, slicked back away from his head as if he had spent hours to meticulously gel them up.

I wasn't blind. I knew very well what this small action meant. Jules might not even realize it herself but it seemed as though she was checking him out. That meant that our grand plan was working more and more as the days pass us by.

When she finally tore her eyes away from Xavier, she glared at the floats by her feet with contempt. Finally, she cracked, her shoulders slackened and she exhaled a long breath.

"Oh, fine."

She bent down gracefully, pulling the two donut floats and an inflatable ball was tucked under her arm. When she reached the riverbank, she threw the inflatables in before gently dipping a foot into the water to test the temperature.

Harr, who stood a little behind her, threw me a devilish grin and nodded his head gently towards Xavier. The latter hadn't noticed Harr's action. Xavier's eyes were shut, floating on his back with his arms spread out beside him. When I caught Harr's subtle hints, my own lips stretched into a matching smirk. I nodded once, head moving just a little so Jules wouldn't notice my movement. It was enough because Harr caught it immediately.

"You're such a princess, Jules." Without warning, Harr bent down and scooped Jules up in his arms. One hand went around her shoulders while the under held her from under her knees. In one swift movement, she was lifted into the air. "You gotta let loose every once in a while."

"Wait, no!" Jules's protests went unheard, the words barely even out of her lips before Harr gave a mighty swing and she was sent hurtling towards the water in Xavier's direction.

Her screams were cut short. The water rippled the second Jules went into the air and in a flash, Xavier was up on his feet. He caught Jules before her head dipped under the water, his arms cradling her dearly against his chest. The water wasn't deep where he stood, simply going up to his hips. When he carried Jules, she wasn't anywhere near submerged in the water like she had no doubt feared.

I, on the other hand, had climbed to the riverbank, seated by the edge with my feet in the water. Harr sat right beside me, his right arm resting on my left shoulder. We watched from a short distance away as Jules slowly cracked open her eyes, staring dumbfoundedly at the arms around her before tilting her head up to meet Xavier's gaze. Instantly, her cheeks flushed red, the scarlet deepening and spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. She hurriedly tore her eyes away from Xavier, who wore a small lopsided grin, before muttering a word of thanks.

Harr let out a low whistle, shaking his head at the exchange. "That was so slick. No way that's from your guidebook."

"Children grow and evolve on their own," I mused. "Who knew that Xavier Park was such a romantic at heart?"

It was a scene straight out of a fairytale and romance was no doubt in the air. So much so that it felt suffocating for a painfully single person like me.

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