Dragon Heart | #Wattys2022

VI - Pool Party

Kona came home to a not-so-quiet house Friday evening. Sounds of shrieking, laughing and screaming were heard coming from the direction of the swimming pool at the back of the house.

"What's going on here?" Drake asked the moment he walked in behind Kona.

"Haru and his friends are having a pool party," Kona answered.

"His what?" Tina skidded to a stop beside Drake and stared at Kona.

"You heard me," Kona grinned, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter and making her way to the open sliding door with the closed screen door.

Drake and Tina followed behind and hovered over Kona's shoulder as they looked at the scene out in the backyard where the pool was located with a semi-raised hot tub connected to it so its occupants can easily jump in to the pool or from the pool.

"I know Mak and Red are his friends, but the others?" questioned Drake.

"Haru's been friends with the other village kids, but I think this school year his relationship with them changed for the better, especially after the Girudo kids joined their group," Kona smiled.

"I've never seen him this relaxed since...well, since we were forced out of Doragon," Tina mused, smiling as she watched her young charge enjoy himself for the first time. "And what is that I'm smelling?" she sniffed as a flavorful aroma wafted towards the open sliding door.

Drake took a deep sniff of what Tina was smelling and his stomach made a loud gurgling sound.

"I dunno what that is but damn, my stomach's loving it," he murmured.

Kona rolled her eyes at her two guardians and pushed open the screen door to join the teens currently frolicking in her backyard.

"Hey Haru!" she called out over the noise her son and his friends were making.

"Hey Mom!" Haru jumped out of the pool, snagging his towel off one of the chairs and wiped himself dry as he walked up to greet his mother. "Thanks for letting the guys come over and hang out tonight," he said once he was close enough without needing to raise his voice.

"No problem. I told you before you can invite your friends over, not just Mak and Red."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, we all pitched in and bought dinner instead. Nate and Ru are manning the grill while Kura and Lulu supervise them," he jutted his head towards the direction of the barbecue grill and the four teens busily preparing what was put on the grill. "We bought enough so you don't have to cook or buy yourself dinner," he added.

"That's nice. Will there be enough to include Drake and Tina?"

"They're back from their mission?" Since his combat training started, Haru's usually abed before either one of the two guardians get back from their missions.

"They've been back a while," Kona answered. "Lately they've just been taking day missions not long missions," she explained.

"Cool. The others can meet them as well," Haru grinned. "And yeah, I think the girls went overboard and bought more than we actually can all eat so no need to worry on whether there's enough food to go around or not," he chuckled.

"Hey Kona!" Red waved from the pool. She was currently taking ownership of the large pink inflatable flamingo drifting across the kidney-shaped pool.

"Hi Red! Having fun?" Kona waved back.

"Yeah. Thanks for letting us hang out and use the pool and hot tub. After this torturous week you started us on, we so totally deserve a break!" she grinned.