Seasons

Chapter 15 - Bubbles And Ice Cream

"Right," said Emily, leaning over and shutting off the faucet over the bath, "in you jump."

"What?" Asked Rikki, "In there?"

She gestured towards the mountain of pearly bubbles overflowing from Emily's huge bathtub. We were all standing in her bathroom in our bikinis, steam rising around us.

"Yes," she said impatiently, "quick, before the ice cream melts."

Rikki giggled and moved forward, gingerly stepping a foot over the edge of the bath into the water.

"Um, you might want to hurry before..." Emily started before trailing off as a Rikki toppled over with a startled yelp, splashing into the soapy water and spraying us both.

We both rushed forwards, clambering into the bath before our legs melted into long shiny tails.

Rikki emerged from beneath the surface, spluttering and gasping as foam dropped down her hair and face.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly as we laughed, "forgot that would happen."

"It's fiiiine," said Emily as she leaned over the edge to grab the ice cream tubs from next to the sink, handing them round.

I looked down at the tub almost laughed at the ridiculous name.

"I don't even know how to pronounce this," I laughed at the ice cream name, peeling off the lid.

"Oh but it's brilliant," mumbled Rikki through a mouthful of chocolatey goo. She winced and muttered, "Brain freeze."

I laughed at Emily's unimpressed expression before spooning some into my own mouth.

The chocolate ice cream was smooth, with a hint of caramel and almost sickly sweet marshmallow. Chunks of chocolate melted against my tongue and a thousand other flavours punched me. It was heavenly.

And sickly.

"How many calories?!" I joked, turning the pot around in my hand.

"Stop!" Cried Rikki, punching my arm before sliding down deeper into the water so the bubbles almost overwhelmed her. "Let me enjoy my fabulicious-tastilicious-marshmallow-choco-caramel-doo-dah in peace." She shoved another spoonful into her mouth and disappeared from view. Americans were crazy with their food.

It was a pretty tight fit in the bath, despite the fact it was practically a swimming pool. Our tails were longer and wider than normal legs, and the huge fin at the end didn't help. Mine flapped over the side and I felt Rikki's pressed against my back.

I wriggled awkwardly and felt the scales beneath me being scraped the wrong way as they raked at my skin. I stopped.

Instead I laid my head back on the side of the tub, staring up at the ceiling. Every now and again I would lift my head slightly to eat a spoonful of ice-cream, but I mostly sat there in my own thoughts with the warm water swirling across my skin, my two best friends lying next to me.

...

After what felt like hours of lying there in the soft silence, my spoon hit the bottom of the ice-cream tub.