Aoko stood, forlorn, at the edge of the pool, huddled against the shade of the palm tree with her towel wrapped tightly around her bikini.
Sometimes she wondered why Akako and Keiko even bothered.
She'd always been called half-male, both by her relatives and Kaito. It was because of the lack of a mother in the house, she supposed, and it wasn't her fault that her mother was long gone, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
If you hear something repeated to you many times, gradually, bit by bit, you'll start to believe it. And that was the case with Aoko.
She didn't know how to dress, was completely clueless when it came to makeup, and was flat in the chest area. Or so she thought.
A sudden splash of water from the pool that sent minute water droplets sprinkling all over her jolted Aoko back to reality.
Right. She was at the high school's summer beach party, and she was here to have fun. She couldn't stand on the sidelines forever. Aoko took a deep breath and stepped up to the water...and instantly retreated back into her fortress of trees as one of the girls remarked, "So the he-she is finally coming out, huh?"
Fortunately, Aoko bit her lip and didn't cry.
Unfortunately, she missed the death glare that Kaito, Akako, and Keiko immediately shot the girl.
Aoko had always had more male friends than female ones in elementary and middle school. That was mainly because Kaito was always her friend, and the girls in her classes despised her because of that.
Even if Kaito was her friend, he still called her the names that everyone else did.
And that hurt more than anything else. It was as if Kaito's consent to the horrendously cruel remarks was the final straw; the final proof that Aoko was unfeminine and too manly to be considered attractive.
So she pulled her knees up to her chest and crouched against the wall, hoping that she could disappear with every ounce of her being.
oOo
Akako shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead. This whole "summer party" thing wasn't working.
She pushed herself out of the pool and stalked over to Aoko, ignoring the piercing gazes of her classmates.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go," she said in an awfully fake cheery voice that was totally out of character.
And with that, she ripped off Aoko's towel triumphantly.
Men stared.
Women gasped.
Kaito stole one glance and immediately turned away, Poker Face forgotten and crumbling as he blushed furiously.
And Akako grinned.
oOo
AN: This originally started out as Ran, Sonoko, and Shinichi, you know? Except Akako blackmailed Kaito and he stole the script from me and edited all the names.
What? You don't believe me?
As always, please review! :D