“Yes?”

“What the hell have you packed…” Her voice trailed off as she slid open the door adjoining their rooms; she was holding up a very bright and scant pink bikini. “There isn’t enough material here to cover…any of me! Also, how the hell did you slip this into my suitcase?”

Ashley started laughing, from her position in front of an open suitcase on the lone bed in the room. She had always been very stealthy when it came to slipping things in Skylar’s bags. Notes, normally, in their younger days.

“I can’t believe you.”

A shrug. “We’re not here just to watch some swimming events, you know.”

“Then what are we here for?”

“Obviously to get you a boyfriend, Sky,” Ashley answered simply, watching as Skylar crossed the room and dropped onto the end of her bed in a huff, the bikini falling from her fingertips and to the floor.

Ashley tutted and went to retrieve it. “It’ll look good on you.”

Skylar didn’t even bother opening her eyes. “I doubt that very much,” she muttered, slinging an arm across her eyes. “Arg, I’ve got a headache.”

“Jetlag,” Ashley said knowingly, tossing the bikini onto her friend’s stomach. “Happens all the time. Just take an Aspirin.”

“Didn’t bring any,” Skylar answered groggily.

Ashley, obviously anticipating this problem, dug around in her carry-on bag and produced a bottle of pills; she shook them above her friend, until Skylar rolled over and off the bed. Skylar took the bottle and shuffled into the large bathroom.

“Do you want to go with me to meet Aaron?” Ashley shouted over the sound of running water, as she pushed some t-shirts into an open drawer.

There was a mumbled response, then the water stopped and Skylar emerged from the bathroom, wiping her mouth and looking worse for wear.

“I should never have let you talk me into this,” she attempted to cover a yawn, but it overpowered her and she fell back onto the bed.

“You’re going to have fun,” Ashley said, patting her friend’s knee. “Get changed. Ooooh, or better yet, take a shower and THEN get changed. Maybe you’ll feel alive then. You know how water refreshes you so.”

Skylar gave her a dirty look. “I will take the shower, but I’m not promising anything about the alive bit. And even then, I‘m not so sure. I may slip on some soap.”

She hauled herself off the bed and shuffled into her own room.

“I’ll see you downstairs when you’re finished. I’m meeting Aaron in five minutes, and he only has about fifteen before he’s got interviews and stuff.”

Skylar mumbled an ascent and then the water was turned on, and she attempted to drown herself.

Unfortunately (or probably more like fortunately) Skylar was clumsy and couldn’t even drown herself properly. So after a nice scrub down with some Apricot exfoliating stuff (which usually woke her up nicely) and a dousing of strong smelling raspberry soap, she wrapped herself in a robe and attempted to put on clothes that would look presentable. (Though, the last thing she cared about was being presentable.)

Her straw-colored hair was wet when she shuffled into the hotel lobby wearing blue flip flops, jean shorts and a t-shirt that advertised Mr. Bubble. This shirt, incidentally, was the only pink garment she owned.

Yawning, she spotted Ashley sitting in the hotel restaurant and headed over to her; Ashley spotted her, waved, and the man sitting across from her stood up to say hello.

“Hey, Skylar,” Aaron said, smiling at her and giving her a quick hug. “Cool shirt.”

Skylar managed some sort of smile (perhaps her lips simply twitched) and sank into the seat Ashley was motioning her towards. “I like yours, too,” Skylar said, covering up another yawn. “Very Speedo.”

Aaron laughed. “Freebe.”

It was an ongoing joke between the two of them because Aaron rarely wore a shirt that hadn’t been given to him for free. In fact, Skylar had a drawer-full herself (Ashley had a closet full) of shirts that she loved to kick around the house in. She and Aaron shared one thing in common and that was that they wore clothes for comfort. Ashley, on the other hand, preferred to wear clothes that looked good. Case in point would be her ridiculously high heals that Skylar knew for a fact killed her feet and gave her blisters. But Ashley wore them religiously.

“I should get going,” he said suddenly, checking his watch and then gulping down what remained of his drink; he jumped up and high-tailed it out of the hotel.

“Interview,” Ashley explained, sipping her water.

“Can I go to sleep now?” Skylar asked, covering up another yawn.

“We’ve only been here a half hour. We have yet to even scope out the pool.”

Skylar stuck some hair behind her ear. “We can do that tomorrow. I really need sleep, and you can go see the pool by yourself, right?”

“I could,” Ashley agreed slowly. “But it would be more fun if you went.”

“Things are always more fun if I go,” Skylar joked, grabbing Ashley’s water and taking a drink. She set it down and wiped her mouth where she’d dribbled some water out. “Okay. I’ll go see the pool with you and then I’m retiring for the evening.”

Ashley giggled. “Awesome. I think it’s over that-a-way.”

The girls moved at a slower pace than was their usual mall power walk mostly due to Skylar’s inability to walk faster than a snail, and Ashley feeling sorry for her and also for her own feet (which were killing her thanks to her high heals…not entirely appropriate for hotel lounging, when you think about it).

“Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.” Ashley was mumbling to herself as they rounded the pool area, peering in through the glass walls that separated them from it.

“You should take your shoes off,” Skylar suggested, shaking her head (she’d never understand her friend’s obsession with uncomfortable shoes).

“Why? Ow. Ow.” She stopped walking, planting her feet so she could see into the pool.

“Because you keep saying ‘Ow’ every time you take a step.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Oh, that. Well. I did yogalates yesterday and I pulled my hamstring.”

Skylar snorted. “You did not.”

“No?”

“No,” Skylar affirmed. “If you had, you would have been saying ’Ow’ at the airport, and you were not. You’ve just started.”

“I hate when you’re smart,” Ashley mumbled, reaching down to slip her shoes off; once they were securely dangling in her hand, she let out a sigh of relief and started toward the elevator.

She pushed the up button and leaned a hip against the wall beside the doors. “I’m going to let you go to sleep now so you can be awake in time for Aaron’s first swim.”

“What time is that?” Skylar asked, already dreading the answer.

“Seven.”

Skylar blinked several times. “I’m sorry, I thought you said seven. In the morning.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You’re never going to be up in time.”

The elevator door dinged open and the girls stepped on. Ashley looked as if she knew something Skylar didn’t. “I will.”

Skylar looked doubtful; it was not often she saw Ashley before ten AM, and even at ten she was complaining it was too early. Skylar was an early bird, up at six most mornings and already getting ready for the day. This could be why both girls had different class schedules (Ashley had all afternoon/night classes; Skylar’s were mornings).

“I hope you don’t expect me to wake you up,” Skylar said as they approached her hotel room. “Last time I did, you slapped me and I had a black eye for three days!”

Ashley groaned. “Not that again. Get over it already.”

“It still hurts when it’s raining.”

Ashley opened her door and fell through it; she popped her head back out, laughing. “Oh, shut up.”