Colline smiled, relieved. Claire had also wanted to, and she seemed rather honest about it. Claire had gotten close to her already, and they had only spoken for less than thirty minutes. She mentally giggled at the thought that a stranger had befriend her easier than quite a few of the people at her school. She was shaken out of musing when Claire asked her is she was ready and broke out in a run, leaving Colline nodding in a dazed state.

She watched as Claire bolted to the end of the dock, before quickly following. She stretched her hands over her head in a dive and jumped. The water surged around her, enveloping her in the cool, blissful feeling of being in water. Pools were fine, but she much more preferred completely natural bodies of water, without all the chemicals. She was in silence for a minute, eyes closed. She had once made the mistake of opening her eyes in salt water, and had faced the consequences of stinging eyes all the rest of that day. The calm silence was interrupted as she swam upwards, deciding it was time to get air. 

She broke the surface, body shooting up. The air had gotten cooler as evening came, and her wet hair whipped lightly against her face. A smile broke out across her face as she waded. It was nice, being carefree about the people watching, or about her now drenched clothes. She wouldn't have to listen to her parents, still battling for custody. They wouldn't be here, not her workaholic mother or her alcoholic father. Here, there was just beach, other kids, and opportunity. Colline didn't want to think about what she would do at the end of summer, or about going back to her dull school and bickering parents. Instead, she threw her head back and look up at the sky. A purplish color was encroaching, pushing the blue sky away. On the horizon the sun was setting, pinks reds and oranges hues cast light onto the water, making it seem all the more beautiful.