The girl sat on the small green bench outside in the school's courtyard. She was clutching her small, light blue bento to her chest while waiting for her friend to join her.

"Mai-chan!" A voice called across the field to the small pink haired girl. Looking up she saw who she had been waiting for. The girl running towards her was waving her hand high in the air with a grin stretched across her face. Her long red hair was trailing behind her in the breeze and Mai couldn't help but be a tad jealous of how beautiful her friend was.

"Gou-chan." She smiled softly. "Is everything okay? You took longer than normal to meet me today."

"Yea." She stopped in front of the bench and braced her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "I had to meet with the Swim Club for a few minutes. We had to reschedule our practice for today."

Mai stuck out her bottom lip. "Does that mean we aren't going shopping?"

"We can go after! I promise!" Gou bowed to her friend apologetically. "I am sorry!"

"It's okay." Mai smiled so wide her green eyes squinted closed. "I can just do some work in the library while I wait for you."

"Oh, no no!" Gou shook her head and grabbed her friend's hand. "You have to come with me! I still haven't introduced you to the guys."

Mai's eyes grew wide with worry. "You mean, you want me to go to your practice?" She pulled her hand from Gou's. "I don't think I can be that close to a pool…"

"Oh yea." Gou sighed. "I forgot." She pouted. "I guess it's okay for you to do your boring work in the library then."

Mai smiled. "Thanks."

"Come on!" Gou took her hand again and pulled her up. "Let's go eat before we run out of time!"

The girls laughed as they ran to find their regular eating place for lunch.

Makoto watched Haruka pick at his lunch.

"Just eat it." He smiled at his friend. "You should be in a good mood. We are getting an extra practice in today."

Haruka just stared blankly at his friend.

"I know." Makoto rolled his eyes and smiled. "I know it's not fish, but you need to eat to keep your strength up for practice."

The blue haired boy's eyes widened slightly as his friends advice sunk in. He turned back to his lunch and began to quickly devour the rice and curry.

Makoto laughed.

He returned to eating his own curry and smiled as he thought of his mother packing his lunch for him.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" They both looked up to see Nagisa running towards them. "Did you hear about our extra practice today!?" The boy excitedly bent over to be eye to eye with the two boys sitting on the ground.

Makoto nodded and continued to chew his food. Nagisa sat down next to them and pulled out his lunch. "Has someone let Rei know?" He opened his bento and pulled out his chopsticks.

"I imagine Gou has." Makoto swallowed his food. "She is an excellent manager."

"Ooohhh!" Nagisa's eyes grew wide and he grabbed at the large boy's arm. "Do you like Gou?"

Haruka practically choked on his mouthful of food and looked at the two other boys, his eyes the widest Makoto had ever seen them.

A red blush covering his cheeks, Makoto waved his arms palms face out at the other two. "No, no, no! It's not like that." He covered his mouth with his large hand. "She is just very organized and good at her position."

Nagisa resumed eating his lunch with his eyes narrowed at the older boy. "One day, Mako-chan." He said between mouthfuls of rice. "One day I will find who you like."

Makoto turned a deeper shade of red. "Why do you have to pick on me, Nagisa?" He turned away from the other two boys. "There isn't anyone I like."

They finished their lunch in silence.

"I am sorry." The library proctor bowed slightly towards the girl who had been working on her Literature assignment. "We need to close the library now. You'll have to leave." He smiled apologetically.

Mai returned his polite gesture with a small nod. "It's alright." She smiled. "I know it's getting late."

Slowly she gathered her books and piled them in her bag before swinging the heavy load over her shoulder. Her walk through the halls seemed to go too fast as she tried to drag it out. She prayed silently to herself that Gou would find her before she reached the Iwatobi outdoor pool, but her prayers fell on reluctant ears and before long she was standing outside the chain link fence.

Allowing her heavy book bag to rest on the ground she laced her fingers in the wire fencing. With wide eyes she watched the two boys who were swimming laps make their way down the pool and back. Gou was in her manager's uniform and trying her best to keep a dark haired haired boy from jumping in before it was his turn as a small blonde boy laughed. There was a large splash from the edge of the pool closest to Mai as one of the swimmers pulled himself up from the water and over the side of the pool. She released the fence, startled by his sudden appearance and held her hands to her chest. The boy stretched his arms and stood on his toes to stretch his legs. Mai was spell-bound; she had never seen such a tall boy. As he turned and walked towards Gou she could feel her cheeks began to grow warm, he had such wide shoulders and defined legs.

When he arrived next to Gou he removed his black swimming cap and ran his fingers through his shaggy, olive green hair. He smiled softly as he said something to her. Gou looked at her clipboard and stopwatch before returning his grin and nodding. The small boy standing next to them began to jump up and down excitedly as he pounded the larger boy on the back.

It was in this moment that Gou noticed Mai standing near the fence. Her grin stretched across her face as she waved her arm in the air to her friend. "Mai-chan!"

Mai returned her wave with a subdued version. She could feel her face turning the color of a ripe tomato as the two boys turned to look at her also.

"Come on around and hang out with us!" The red-head yelled to her blushing friend.

Mai shook her head and gave a quick bow before collecting her bag and turning to leave. She hurried off towards the exit of the grounds, embarrassed and ready to be home.

'I am sorry Gou!' She thought through the tears that were forming in her eyes. 'I am just not ready yet.'

Makoto sat at his desk in his room and stared in frustration at his English assignment. He didn't understand why he couldn't seem to understand the words like his classmates could. They just seemed like gibberish to him. He had to try his hardest though, if he failed English he wouldn't be allowed to be in the Swim Club anymore.

He pushed away from the desk with a grunt and sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Onisan!" He heard his little brother, Ren. "Ran won't stop following me around, make her stop!"

"Ren-kun." He stuck his head out the door and smiled at his two younger siblings. "She just likes you. You need to learn to be nice to girls, one day you'll meet one you like and if you don't know how to be nice to her then she won't want anything to do with you."

Ren's face contorted as he looked at his sister's face. "I will never like a girl!"

Ran stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"See!?" Ren whined.

"Ran-chan." Makoto sighed and put his hands on his hips.

"Yes, Onisan." Ran giggled and clasped her hands behind her back. She turned and ran back down the hall to find someone else to pester.

"Thanks, Onisan." Ren smiled up at his older brother.

"Sure thing." Makoto smiled and patted his little brother on head. "But you do need to try and be nicer to her."

"I know." He grinned before running off, trailing behind his sister.

Makoto smiled as he watched him go, he loved watching his younger siblings grow up. Slumping his shoulders he turned and made his way back to his homework.

As soon as he had sat in the chair his phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID and smiled. With a flick of his wrist it opened, "Moshi, moshi." He greeted his friend.

Silence hung over the line.

"Haruka?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You there?"

"The ocean." Haruka's voice came over the line.

"The ocean?" Makoto was trying his hardest to think of what his quiet friend was wanting.

"Tomorrow." Haruka's voice was so low, Makoto could hardly hear him.

"You're going swimming in the ocean tomorrow and you want me to meet you there, right?" He sighed.

Silence.

"I will be there." He smiled. "Good night, Haruka."

He heard the click on the other end signaling that Haruka had hung up.

Makoto sighed and closed his phone. Shaking his head he turned back to his homework. His stomach turned as he looked at the assignment that he didn't understand.

'I need to find some help.' He scratched his head and sat down in his chair, defeated.

I hope you all enjoyed this newest fic! it will stay fairly light and fluffy, with oodles of romance. :)