"Free Time" The pools would only be open for one last day before autumn's chill took control and forced it closed, so of course nearly everyone would be at one or another. Janine, Blake, Victoria, Olivia, and Gabrielle decided to make a day of it and planned to go to the nearest one available, and invited as many of their friends as they believed could fit inside. Blake brought Mira and Usha, who had been working hard because of their campaigning and needed a break; Janine and Victoria brought May and June, even though the younger twin protested due to her handicap; Olivia would've brought Ayanna, but she was off on a date, and Gabrielle brought Lilian, although it took a great deal of coercion to convince the pale recluse to come. The girls took two cars, seating five each, and more than enough equipment to spend, it seemed, several days at the beach. They sang and talked along the way, or else complained about somebody's driving, or life and school in general. It was a glorious Saturday morning, just a few hours before noon, and since they were coming as early as the pool could open, few people were there and so crowding wasn't an issue. They arrived and each paid a small fee before tearing in. Lilian already had shades and a parasol out; the sun glared up above. "What a day!" exclaimed Gabrielle, her face as bright as the sky. She gave Lilian her glowing smile, and it was returned meekly. "Well, can't swim in our clothes. Gotta change—and no peeking, any of you!" "That's my line," muttered Blake, who had not taken her meds. Usha was worried, of course, about work and duty, but Mira brought her back to earth with her gay nature and exuberance. The campaign could wait, she sang; now was the time to enjoy their youth and the warm weather, while both lasted! Usha could not easily relax, but since she was forbidden to bring anything except what she'd need, she could do nothing about it and resigned herself. She walked into the changing room with both her girlfriends, and promised herself to refrain from a premature glance at their nudity as they changed. It had been years since June Tramble went swimming, and being confined to a wheelchair for most of her day, she was vehemently against coming at all. Her legs would not function, and at best all she could do was lay around or paddle with her arms, but her sister and Victoria were very convincing. Since it had been years since she swam, it was difficult getting into a swimsuit with unresponsive legs; Olivia gave the girl an understanding look of empathy as she struggled with her own lameness. She actually wanted to help June, knowing what it felt like to favor one set of limbs over the other, but she didn't want to impose and besides, that's what sisters were for. She changed alone and tried not to stare at too much skin. "This is tough for me," she whispered to Janine as the other girl took off her clothes and set them in a bag. Olivia motioned towards a group of attractive women in the corner, who seemed oblivious to her. "Looking at girls dress and undress sends me so many mixed signals. You've felt like this before, haven't you Jean?" "No, can't say I have." "You mean you've never felt... difficult when you're around women?" "Nope. Just men." She smiled shyly and slipped the bottom of her bikini through her legs, then stretched her arms and chest for the top. It covered her conservatively, and it was a good color to match her Chinese-Filipino roots. She had more swimsuits than Olivia had pants; she just chose that bikini in the hopes of attracting a new boyfriend. Olivia cleared her throat and undressed shyly. "There was that one time." "I don't want to talk about it." A frozen pause strung between them, chilling the locker room. Olivia knew she had struck a tender chord. "But that one time hasn't made you think about—" "I said," she emphasized curtly, standing to give the mostly-nude woman a firm glare, "I don't want to talk about it." Olivia shyly apologized, and dressed into her one-piece in silence. She stared at the lockers in hopes of not catching a glimpse of some forbidden patch of womanly nakedness, and had to fight herself sometimes whenever an attractive one passed. She froze and rubbed her face. Maybe coming here really wasn't such a good idea... "You okay?" said a mousy voice behind her. Olivia knew it was Victoria's, but as she didn't know the condition of her friend's state of dress, she just shook her head. "No, not particularly. I'm having... thoughts and feelings." "So it's really true..." Victoria sat down next to her, dressed in swimming regalia and a towel, and covered her hand in a friendly motion. "You really don't know. Maybe it was a good thing we ended it when we did. I'm sorry I caused you so much confusion already, but I had no idea the results would carry on this far." "Apology accepted," she said, not knowing what else to say. She turned to look at her friend, her ex, and squeezed the hand, attempting a smile. "We both messed up, but at least now we're starting to heal. It was so painful for me to be awkward around you, Vic. I hated it, but how else was I supposed to cope? I can only be grateful we didn't get far... intimately, I mean. I really am glad we're starting to treat each other like friends again, even though it took a long time." She nodded. "It did." And quiet. Girls chatted. Olivia saw Gabrielle and Lilian undressing, backs to each other, one taking shy glances at the other from time to time. She managed a smirk. Okay, it was plainly obvious they liked each other--only that crazy Irish girl could convince a hermit albino to come out and socialize in the sun. And she was just Gabrielle's type, too. Olivia knew better than to push them closer; they would come together like lines on the letter "Y", and merge— She shoved that thought out of her head. Not good to be thinking like that when her best friend had been with her cousin not long ago! "You ready?" she said, giving Grissom a beautiful smile. Victoria flashed all her teeth as she grinned. "Yeah! I'm gonna dive in!" "I'll take the slide. I'm not much for running since—" "Last one in's a rotten egg!" Blake had screamed and dove off, Mira chasing after her with Usha laughing and lagging behind. Olivia was not always the most fun member of the bunch, but hey, summer was nearly over, so why not? She picked up her towel and sunblock and dashed out after her friends. Poor Lilian was still dressing, but at least Gabrielle was still there and as badly as she wanted to go swim, she would not leave Lilian, at least until the girl had a shield of sunblock on. "Can I turn around now?" she asked, clad in a dark-green bikini that was more cute than sexy. Lilian whispered a yes, and blushed rather loudly as she hid her face. Gabrielle's eyes bulged out, and she nearly drooled right on the spot: Lilian was beyond hot in her royal blue and gold one-piece, the kind that clung in several nice key spots and left just enough to the imagination, making it all the more attractive. She swallowed and stammered as she held aloft a bottle. "W...wow! Ye look great. Y...y'need some help with this lotion, like on your back?" "Mm, I guess," whispered Nachtheim. She turned around and lowered her shoulder straps, exposing a gorgeous field of pale skin and small lumps of bone poking out on the spine and shoulders. Gabrielle's heart shivered in her windpipe. Her stomach performed gymnastics. She shivered like she had just bathed in ice, and tried oh so desperately not to have a nosebleed or any other embarrassing action as she rubbed the lotion on her palms and spread it out. Lilian gave a little shriek when the cold hands touched her, then sighed and gave a little coo of pleasure. Nobody had touched her bare back, not even Hitomi Madsen (she touched it through the shirt), least of all with the nervous care Gabrielle was giving her. It soothed and relaxed her better than a masseuse, and of course, it was over well before she could really get into it. Gabrielle had to fight to stop. "I think you can do the rest yourself," she croaked, and got up to leave. Feeling as if she had offended her friend somehow, Lilian took her arm and stopped her. "Wait. Should I not do yours?" Gabrielle froze, turned around, and scratched her neck as she smiled in a way that would've made anime-lover Mira proud. "Um... uh, yeah, I guess!" She chuckled nervously and sat back down. Then she laid on her stomach, and very gingerly, unclasped her top, exposing everything save her rear. If Gabrielle had felt aroused by looking at Lilian, Miss Nachtheim nearly crumbled as she stared (hard) at the nearly-nude young woman below her. With careful, trembling hands, she rubbed the lotion across O'Shannon's shoulders, up and down her back, and even took care across her neck. It felt like they were acting out a Penthouse letter, but... they didn't care! It was bliss long overdue; no lover had ever been so kind and careful. Lilian forced herself to stop too. She even hooked the bikini top back on. Gabrielle smiled sheepishly and thanked her, but then a dreadful, terrible, thick and tricky pause held their mouths and feet. They sat together on the changing-room bench, clad only in swimsuits and just returned from superior pleasure. They both remembered the time Lilian wished Gabrielle had not had a girlfriend. Gabrielle remembered just how happy she felt with Lilian; Lilian slowly began to understood what Miss Madsen had said to her when they broke up. The two women slowly, irresistibly drew closer to each other, hearts nearly exploding with nervousness and anticipation, throats contracting, breath gone, eyes shutting and mouths inching closer and closer to— "GABRIELLE!!! GET YOUR LAZY IRISH ASS OUT HERE!!!!" Talk about bad timing. "Janine sounds pissed," said O'Shannon flatly. Lilian nodded her head. "She did not mention me." "HEY GAB!! IS LIL IN THERE WITH YOU? TELL HER TO GET HER LAZY KRAUT ASS OUT HERE AS WELL!!!" Lilian Nachtheim could not prevent the laughter that came out. Well, she reasoned, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. She and Gabrielle grinned at each other, the moment lost but replaced with warmth—and then, with the sweet smile still on her face, Gabrielle leaned forward smoothly, and did what she had wanted to do for a long time: that is, she kissed Lilian Nachtheim on the lips, briefly but firmly, and loved it. Her emerald-island eyes sparkled with new love and excitement as she withdrew. "Whew... just in case we don't get the chance later on. C'mon, Janine can get real messy when she's pissed." Lilian felt Gabrielle's hand clasp over hers, and felt her feet padding across tile and later sandy concrete, and she felt the hateful glare of the sun pierce her sensitive eyes and skin, despite precautions—she felt it all, but it was all Second, it was all left down, away from the one far greater feeling that dominated her like nothing else had. She felt light and free and in love; Cloud Nine had nothing on her. Once Gabrielle screamed at Janine for the verbal abuse, and after she got a few approving wolf-whistles from some handsome men gathered round the deep end, the last pool party finally started with a splash—yes, pun intended. Lilian hated the sun and had to shield her face with a big white towel in spite of the dark sunglasses and extra-strength sun lotion covering every square centimeter of her body. She crawled underneath a large umbrella, and stayed in the safe shade to enjoy the heat and fresh air. Several of the girls, people she was beginning to consider friends (or better, heh), tried egging her to come and swim, but no, too bright outside. She was perfectly happy in the shade. June Tramble had agreed to come, and after being wheeled out, she allowed her sister to lift her onto a lawn chair that could sprawl out for her to lie on. She did just that, enjoying the ghostly feeling of her legs freed from that mechanical device, and would've kicked them in pleasure if...... Well, they were free, anyway, and absorbing some healthy rays. She could flip herself over just fine, and rotated about every thirty minutes until something of a faint red formed on her body. Lilian wanted to talk to her, but she was in the middle of the sun, and that large umbrella wasn't going anywhere. Eventually, after losing a wrestling match with the "Queen of the Sharks" (Blake), Victoria pulled herself out of the water and struck up a conversation with the handicapped woman. June liked the companionship and thanked the younger girl for her kindness, and spoke about anything that pleased her, or else nothing and just listened. They both had a lot to talk about, and once in awhile, May or Janine (or both) would come out and join them. Blake seemed content with wrestling people, and since her disorder was in full swing by that time, she was even more fierce and unpredictable. Mira loved fighting her, and laughed or coughed out water too much to care that she was losing. Usha pleaded to be spared, but (according to Blake), "No hot Hindu bureaucrat can escape the unstoppable force of... The Queen of the Sharks!", and of course she did not. Most of those handsome, single men by the deep end enjoyed watching the girls play and wrestle and (sometimes) kiss, even though they only had a chance with Janine, May, June, or perhaps Olivia. May and Janine actually went over to them and exchanged flirtations; June got stuck with Victoria, but it wasn't a bad sentence. After awhile, Olivia got out and joined Lilian, and the two had a brief conversation while Gabrielle was on her tenth rematch with Blake. "You like her, don't you?" she asked, referring to said Irish redhead. Lilian could conceal her faint blush better in the shade, but Olivia still saw it. She smiled. "Ah, you do. Oh, it's all right by me. Gab's wild on the outside, but she's really sweet and gentle. She could use a woman like you around. Her last few girlfriends have... not exactly been good for her. And that's saying a lot, since her most recent one was my cousin." "Your cousin?" "Ayanna Montgomery. They didn't last very long from what I heard, but they're not compatible at all. It was more of a fling. The thing about Gab is that for all her cheer and sociability, she's really shy and sensitive when it comes to things like romance. She's still searching. Every girlfriend in her past has given her something of what she's wanted, but not everything. I'm not trying to hook you two up or anything, mind you," she remedied with a quick gesture, "I'm sure you can do that on your own. I'm just saying... well... it would make her happy, that's all. And I know she likes you. Just mentioning your name in public gets her face all red." "Really?" Lilian grinned and shook her head bashfully. Olivia, for all her confusion about her sexuality, couldn't help but think the albino looked awfully cute. Yup, she and Gab were meant for each other, no question about it. It was only a matter of time—and speaking of which, Blake finally lost her "title" after the combined efforts of half the girls toppled her. Gabrielle was already whooping and screaming over such a silly victory as she emerged from the water, dripping and nearly nude, face beaming with beauty. "Well, she's in a good mood," observed Johnson. She touched Lilian's hand briefly and gave a rare smile of total joy. "Good luck, but since you won't need it, good day. Bye." She winked and slipped back in the water, unable to jump due to her leg. Gabrielle walked closer, soaking but very happy. "Whoo! Didja see me, Lil?! Was that cool or what?!" "I saw, very awesome!" exclaimed Nachtheim happily. Gabrielle let out a sigh of victory, put her hands on her hips (looking, Lilian had to admit, a little sexy), and slapped her bare tummy. "Good times. Aw, you should've been in there with us! Come on, just a few minutes in the water! I swear that's all I'll ever ask for! Ya won't crisp up, I promise! Just a few minutes!" Lilian giggled at the attention she was now getting, and since it was true that a few minutes out in the sun wouldn't hurt her, she agreed and allowed Gabrielle, the girl she officially had a crush on, to help her up, and in. But Lilian pushed first. June also got in, with her sister's help, and paddled around with her arms, enjoying the sensation of standing, if only by the aid of the water. She had not stood so high since before the accident, and now that she was up and roaming around, people could really see the resemblance between the twins. June was a bit shorter and lighter than her older sister, and she had long rich dark-chocolate hair instead of her sister's shorter cut, but they were otherwise the same. If they had both cut their hair and evened out the tiny weight difference, one could scarcely believe they were even twins—rather, two copies of the same person. "Keep trying," said May, cheering her sister on as she wiggled her useless legs around. June had tried to keep her muscles stimulated to avoid fatigue and entropy, mostly because she still had some hope that technology or time could heal her disability. Doctors had recommended she attempt an exercise regardless, and logically, a little swim would've been perfect. Caving into her sister's pleas was not June's style, but she could not argue with medical advice. Besides, she badly needed the tan, because she was getting pale. Well, they both were. She actually laughed as her legs touched the bottom of the pool and gave way. June fell into the water and burst back out, merry or drunk on foolishness, or maybe happy that she came along, because usually her handicap depressed her. When she surfaced and clung to the side of the pool for dear life, she beamed at her sister and her friends, her new friends who liked her and accepted her, who had wanted her to come because she was May's sister, and May was Janine's friend, and they were both classmates anyway. She looked at Olivia and Victoria, whom she liked the best for different reasons, and while Olivia smiled and shied away, Victoria did not. She winked. June blushed. Then she slipped and fell under, and came out snickering again. Yup, probably drunk. What a day. ......... Gabrielle lay out sunning and conversing with Lilian; Janine and May were with the young men, hopeless and giddy. Blake had given up wrestling and resorted to lounging around the shallow end with Mira and Usha, trying to get the scoop on their campaigns while relaying soccer news. June was still in the pool; Victoria and Olivia were helping her glide across the waters. Johnson understood Tramble's condition to a degree due to her mild cerebral palsy, so the two naturally became friends by the end of the day, but Vicki (observed many) was flirting with her. Oh, not outright, but only the most clueless observer could miss it. She touched and smiled at June in a manner that was more than friendly, and encouraged her well past the point of sorority. She found ways, both to be discreetly intimate and warm, without seeming too aggressive if June felt uncomfortable. The younger twin loved the attention; May observed it for a little while during a few lulls, but had no opinion either way, except relief that her sister had more friends. "So, what, are you all like lesbians or something?" asked one of the men, who had seen his fair share of same-sex flirtations that day. Janine turned red and chuckled. "Wha? Oh, no, not all of us. Just... just a few of us. I'm certainly not gay, and neither is my friend here, and we're both definitely single." "Oh really?" The men became more interested and edged closer. One of them cheered wildly as Blake, Usha, and Mira embraced each other in the water and shared a steamy three-way kiss, successfully embarrassing Bautista and Tramble. "PDA, Blake!" screamed the younger girl. "Save some of that for later! God," she muttered to herself and her company, "sometimes they can get so horny." "Looks like they're not the only ones," said one of the men May liked. She looked over where he was pointing, and spotted Gabrielle and Lilian openly flirting with each other. It was so appalling, it was cute. Both girls rolled their eyes. "I have a feeling she won't stop yapping the entire trip home," murmured Janine. She gave May a look and said, "Consider yourself lucky she's not in your car. We don't call her Blabrielle for nothing, and she never stops whenever she gets a new girlfriend. But... I have to admit," and here she became soft and loving, "they do look nice together, and I'm glad Gabrielle found someone a little more... down to earth. Her last three were just not her." "So that cute redhead over there's gay?" said the man. Janine nodded her head. "Oh yeah. About as Sapphic as they come." When all the girls were finally ready to leave, they divided in two and stuffed themselves in the cars. But Gabrielle had a little announcement first. Everyone knew what she was going to say, but they were happy for her anyway. ............ Ayanna Montgomery didn't go swimming because she had a date with Hero Love. Much like Gabrielle, her ex-girlfriend, Ayanna met Hero in phys ed class, and knew her loosely through reputation. She was wild and outrageous like Furious Hail, but was really just a big lump of sweetness with a heart of gold and a surprising extension of friends, buddies, pals, and lackeys. Ayanna liked Hero, but was probably more attracted to her name than her personality, at least at first. "Isn't it a weird name?" she asked one rainy day when Leena kept everyone indoors. Hero shrugged indifferently. "Nah, not really. I was named after a priestess of Aphrodite, so I guess the name's Greek. Hero was also the name of a female character in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing." "Ah, that's cool. Well, I guess if you're comfortable with it..." Leena's whistle had interrupted them and got them back on schedule, but by the end of the day, Ayanna had promised to go out with Hero, bringing her cousin for the ride—and at the end of that venture, she was high on fun and boiling with attraction towards the pale, curvy woman. They made out right in the club and went home laughing. Their date was calmer: a few moments in a bookstore, a few at a diner, a walk, some hand-holding, a few stories... Ayanna loved her stories and even read a few to Hero, or rather, those she was comfortable with. T'would not do for her to reveal the more R-rated things she had made on their first date! Hero had dyed her hair blonde for the moment, with gold stripes going down randomly, so maybe that was why Ayanna found her attractive. Or maybe she was a free spirit and not as meek as Gabrielle could be. Perhaps she was more free with her sexuality; she had dated men and women, and could say she brought experience into the relationship. But no, it was really her irresponsibility, her recklessness, her nights out and her poor grades that Ayanna really loved, and why? Because it brought Hero down on a new level, one that proved to Ayanna that the best of everyone really was not that great; that, in truth, there is more to lament than to praise, and every day was a struggle for everyone, especially Hero. She went to church twice a week. The inner turmoil inside of her was staggering. The last time Ayanna had checked, many places of worship did not look kindly to same-sex love, at least not the kind she was interested in, and Hero did not bother to hide her relationship with Ayanna (nor her wild dress, but the church overlooked that). She was admirable for that, but still, to be openly bisexual and a member of an organized religion was risky business, and Hero knew that every step was crossed upon eggshells and thin ice. Their date ended with a hug and a kiss, and a promise for next time. The next day was Sunday. Autumn was closing in. The air was getting colder. It broke out into a bad rain the following morning, forcing Ayanna to carry an umbrella as she joined Hero. Their greeting, a warm kiss underneath the same parasol, did not go unnoticed before the steps of the chapel. The holy cross stood high above them, but whether in a smile or a glare Ayanna could not tell. She held Hero's hand for most of the service.
Back to All Girls School Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction