Ren rushed toward the water with the grace of a drunken penguin.
Her foot hit the slick, wet limestone edge of the pool. Friction left the chat immediately.
"Whoa!"
Her legs flew out from under her. She flailed her arms, trying to grab onto something—air, a vine, dignity—but gravity was faster.
SPLASH.
Ren didn't just fall into the pool. She cannonballed directly onto Vex.
"Oof!" Vex grunted as a naked, mud-covered female missile slammed into his chest.
They both went under in a tangle of limbs and bubbles.
For a second, the world was silent, warm, and blue. Then, they breached the surface, gasping for air and wiping water from their eyes.
"I am so sorry!" Ren spluttered, coughing up a mouthful of mineral water. "I slipped! I thought I felt a Muck-Mite biting my butt!"
She frantically paddled backward, putting as much distance between them as the small pool allowed.
