After School

The Color of Summer

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.