Eliza glanced down into the tank, then stared out over the crowd. She affected an expression of mild content. This was fine. This was normal. This was unembarassing and unexposing. It wasn't any of those things, but Eliza was nothing if not a good liar, even to herself. As Max waded back into the crowd, she caught his gaze and gave him a wink. Then, she peered down at Acacia.
"I'm ready, Ace," she said aloud, then, quietly so only her friend could here, "Get it over with."
"I dunno," Acacia smirked up at her, clasping her hands behind her back. "Maybe I'll let you hang for a little longer..."
"Give the people what they want," Eliza urged.
"If they want it, you can have someone else do the deed!" Acacia shot back gleefully.
Eliza rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, but kept smiling.
"Fine, fine, I'll do it. But only because I'm an amazing friend." Acacia shrugged as she picked up a ball. Taking careful aim, she tossed the ball at the target, but the ball whizzed past the target by a few inches. With a slightly frustrated huff, she tried again, and this time it was right on target. The drop was sudden, moreso than Eliza was expecting, and she let out a genuine yelp as she fell into the tiny pool. She managed to summon enough resolve to keep her head underwater for a moment, to reassert some level of control, and when she surfaced she did so with a smile and a cheerful wave. She could hear other students laughing and clapping - with her, or at her, it didn't matter. The world seemed bright and clear, and the attention was well worth the momentary embarrassment. She climbed from the pool and gave her Acacia a hug, getting water all over her best friend's back, and grinned.
"Happy now?"
"Hey, you got me wet!" Acacia made a face and gently pushed Eliza away. "And you look like you enjoyed it more than I did!"
"Well," Eliza said. "If I had to do it, I might as well have."