high school is kind of boring really

[self_composed]

School plods along. Bella is native-quality fluent in Spanish, professor-level at math, well and thoroughly versed in the workings of the United States government, capable of doing actual independent research projects in biology, and she's been speaking English since she was one. Alas, these skills only make classes easier for a short time. After the novelty wears off they're just tedious. Bella winds up squaring her homework done more often than not so she can work out the kinks in her design for telekinesis, or play music, or attend soccer practice, or write little computer games, or read, or just fly around. This works out fine. Magic is pretty good at homework.

She winds up not attending most of the dances, but she does want to go to the end of year one, as she will be leaving Forks High School forever and it has some good points. Alice promised her a dress...

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[self_composed]

Bella meanwhile floats on the surface, letting waves bear her up and down. [I haven't been to many beaches before. I mean, besides freezing Pacific beaches near Forks.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[I haven't been to any,] he says, grinning up at her. [This one's fun!]

[self_composed]

Bella dives under. She can open her eyes, but... not see. It's dark and murky. She's been designing herself enhanced vision anyway; now's a fine time to burn the hex on it.

Ooh, fishes.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice waves. It is somewhat easier to see things that are between you and the surface; Bella is a blurry silhouette. Also, he's using his compass again.

[self_composed]

She waves back, and swims around pretty aimlessly. She pokes her head up periodically; she doesn't want a lifeguard trying to save her.

[edgeofyourseat]

For lack of anything better to do, Alice follows her.

...It occurs to him that it is dark and murky underwater, and that he is invisible anyway, and that Bella doesn't need to breathe.

[Wanna make out?] he asks. The fact that this is an acceptable question these days still gives him happy feelings, regardless of the answer to any given instance.

[self_composed]

[Hm, sure!]

Saltwater turns out not to taste nice, but a triangle will make that go away for the duration.

[edgeofyourseat]

Underwater kisses!

Magic is so much fun.

[self_composed]

[It really is. It's the best thing,] Bella sighs happily.

She still pokes her head up now and then, and waves at her mom, who is reading a book under the umbrella.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice pokes playfully at the ends of her hair floating in the water.

[self_composed]

Bella's hair is braided; it'd only take a triangle to untangle it, but her mom would wonder. [That's not a bellpull,] she informs him, diving back down for more kisses.

[edgeofyourseat]

Laughing underwater is, Alice discovers, really bizarre. It also means he has to triangle water out of his lungs.

[I love you,] he says happily.

How about underwater snuggles? Are those good too?

[self_composed]

Underwater snuggles: also pretty good!

[edgeofyourseat]

They are.

Snuggly underwater kisses: pretty much the best.

[self_composed]

Bella and Renée spend all day at the beach, in and out of the water, and eat boardwalk food for lunch. Then they head home. [Mom wants to know if you want to join us for dinner again. She's cooking; she's doing risotto. She's better at food than my dad but not as good as me.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Love to!] he says, predictably.

[self_composed]

[Cool. Be at the house at six-thirty,] Bella says.

At six-thirty, there is risotto on the table, and also warmed up leftover pork medallions and some bag salad to make the table look a little fuller.

[edgeofyourseat]

And there is Alice, ringing the doorbell!

He changed his bikini back into a full set of clothes, somewhat reluctantly. Perhaps relatedly, said clothes include a long floral-patterned skirt.

[self_composed]

Renée is a little more thrown by the skirt than by the name, but she doesn't say anything about it and welcomes him into the house. Bella waves from the dinner table, with the hand that isn't spooning mushrooms and rice onto her plate.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Hi," he says cheerfully when Renée lets him in; and, "Hi, Bella," when he comes to sit down at the table.

[self_composed]

[It just occurred to me that kindergartners probably ask her to call them random things all the time,] Bella says wryly, [but they show up to school in what their parents dress them in.]

"Hi!" she says aloud.

[edgeofyourseat]

[Huh? Oh,] he says, looking down. [Yeah, I just wished up what I felt like wearing.]

"Do anything cool today?"

[self_composed]

"Went to the beach, swam around," Bella says. "You?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Hung out," he says, shrugging. "Not much, really."

[I'd say 'made out with you underwater', but I'm betting you don't want those awkward questions.]

[self_composed]

[Indeed, not at this time.]

"Where are you staying? Have you got family in the area?" Renée asks, serving Alice some risotto and a medallion and a generous bowlful of leaves.