The air of the recreation center was filled with the rhythmic splashing of a single swimmer. At eight o'clock in the morning there was no one else but Melanie and the life guard. Of course the life guard on duty knew she wasn't absolutely necessary, with the exception of the statement in the safety guidelines, as Claire was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She was more home in the water than on land.

As she climbed out of the cool water her soft white flesh prickled as the air snapped at her damp skin. She shivered and smiled at the lifeguard, "That's all this morning, thanks Jen." Then briskly made her way into the women's change room.

After a quick rinsing to get the chlorine stripped off her body and donned her green summer dress. It had short sleeves that just wrapped over her shoulders and a modest collar that only gave a slight hint of cleavage. The dress ran the length of her body, firmly gripping to the gently curving shape. It leaped from her curves at her hips and hung loosely from there to her ankles. The dress itself was a light green with a blue flower pattern over her breasts. Claire had fair skin with a few red spots on her forehead and chin that were the dying remains of an acne filled childhood. Her eyes were a bright glowing blue and her hair was strawberry blond and reached down to the middle of her back. She had pulled it up into two pig tails and tied them with light pink ribbons. She was built like a swimmer, because she was a swimmer. Her back and legs were toned and muscular in an acceptably feminine way. She was, to be short, beautiful.

Gym bag over her shoulder she strode from the recreation center and into the parking lot where she had left the green four door sedan that belonged to her on weekends. Her mother worked in the next city over and so during the week had to commute. She spent her weekends taking care of Claire's youngest brother who was four and a half years old and more than a handful. So Claire got the car, and she hardly used it. She had her friends, but they were few and far between. For the most part she spent her days swimming, reading and getting ahead in school work. She also made a pointed effort of avoiding certain individuals from school. Most specifically, Mark Sade and his gang of low life scum.

She revved up the engine and backed out of the parking lot. She had spent quite a bit of time getting dressed and making herself pretty for no one in particular. It was almost noon now, she decided it was a good time to drop by the library and pick up another book, she had already finished the three she borrowed the weekend before.

She left the car parked at the convenience store a block over from the library. Walking was good for you and she didn't like leaving it parked in the roadside spots reserved for library goers, not to mention her lack of skill at parallel parking.

As she moved towards the library who other than Mark Sade strode out of the doors, trailing the new skinny girl. The girl was attached to him by the hand, Mel shook her head inwardly, doesn't take him long to corrupt them. As she crossed their path, which was an inevitable evil if she intended not to look like an ass and storm away at his sight, she made a concealed effort to not make eye contact with either of them. Her eyes locking on the library door and her feet moving slightly faster than before.

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