Strawberry Island (girlxgirl)

Red Fish, Blue Fish

The lunch bell rang and the seven Ainsworth's all dropped what they were doing and headed up to Mulberry with grumbling stomachs. 

"You all know better, go wash the sand off before entering the house." Gwendolyn confronted them at the back door with crossed arms. "And hurry back before your meal gets cold." She called out to the seven as they walked back towards the beach where the outdoor showers stood. These showers were built for the primary use of washing off sand as well as lake water before entering the house or pool. 

There were seven Ainsworth's covered in sand and sunscreen and only one shower stall, this meant that for the sake efficiency they would have to double up as well as to have a partner to get every grain of sand off of each of them, especially when Gwendolyn was such a clean freak. Emelia opted to go last and alone because she was too stubborn to shower with her family members or Clara. "I'm going first, come here Elizabeth." Evangeline pulled her little sister into the stall and turned on the faucet. 

"Wanna go in with me Nunzio?" Florence asked, "Eww, no- I can't shower with a girl." He stuck his tongue out gagging and giggling with Jasper. Florence clenched her jaw realizing she was going to be paired with Clara. Florence hoped that Evangeline and Elizabeth would take an hour or that the shower would break. 

Florence counted, Evangeline and Elizabeth nearly took two minutes, Jasper and Nunzio took about one and a half minutes. Clara and Florence watched as they hurried back up towards Mulberry. The girls stepped into the confined space awkwardly and without acknowledging the other. The cold water rained down on them, Clara's back was turned to Florence. She tried to advert her gaze by staring at her feet but she couldn't help but let her eyes trail up Clara's long tan legs, entranced by the water droplets streaking down her body. Clara couldn't help but hold her breath with Florence right behind her. 

"Here, you missed a spot." Florence blurted out, and without thinking brushed off some dried sand that was on her lower back, right when her hand made contact with her wet skin she realized how out of the ordinary that was for her. "Oh-uh thanks." Clara winced as she felt Florence's touch, she was just as surprised by Florence's abrupt act of kindness. 

"Done." Florence murmured, squeezing past the blonde and snatching up a fresh towel before heading up the back steps of Mulberry, shaking her head flustered. Florence had counted 30 seconds but somehow it felt like it was 5 minutes in the shower with the blonde nearly exposed in front of her.

"All yours." Clara gestured the vacant stall to Emelia, swiftly wiping herself off and following Florence up the steps and into the dining room where the adults of the family were eating. 

The two girls shuffled to their seats, Florence adverting her gaze from the blonde. "Florence, posture." Ophelia passive aggressively scolded to the dismay of her daughter who subtly sat up straight in her chair, embarrassed. 

"The storm predicted to pass over us tonight is rolling in from the west, I am assured it should not taint anything other than our moods." Santino turned the radio down after summarizing the weather report to his brother in-law, Malcolm, who nodded in a disinterested manner. Santino's Italian accent always made Elizabeth giggle; he married Jane Ainsworth after she left her failed marriage to do some "soul searching" abroad. There was somewhat a presence of animosity between both Malcolm and Santino because of his introduction to the Ainsworth family. Malcolm had believed that his sister's new husband was a poor man trying to escape Italy by knocking up a vulnerable wealthy woman. However as time passed and Santino stayed with Jane and their kids, Malcolm let up much more on the new member of his family but not entirely which was noticeable in small instances like this.  

"A storm?" Jasper's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"Is it a hurricane?" Nunzio pressed eagerly receiving a small laugh from Clara.

"Nunzio, what makes you think a hurricane would come anywhere near Lake Michigan?" Indigo inquired harshly, with hardly any filter. Nunzio gulped with a big shrug. "Well how about tomorrow you'll have an answer for me." He concluded right as the food was served, no Ainsworth paid any concern to the interaction. Clara squirmed in her seat awkwardly, secretly wishing any type of storm would come as soon as possible so she could leave the moment.