<span style="color: deepskyblue"> “Tidal waves, they rip right through me!  Tears from eyes worn cold and sad. Pick me up now, I need you so bad!”</span>The blonde flung out her arms, letting the wind blow though her arms and hair.  It was the perfect song for a dramatic scene on the cliff overlooking the ocean.  Behind her, her sister was laughing uncontrollably.<span style="color: deepskyblue"> “Down down down down, down down down down” </span><br/><br/>“Stop already!”  Gabrielle finally choked out, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back towards the road.  “It sounds like you’re about to jump!”  The two sisters were both wearing sun dresses over their swimsuits.  Gabrielle had opted for a pair of sandals and a wide brimmed straw hat; Genevieve wore large sunglasses and flip flops.<br/><br/><span style="color: deepskyblue"> “I was <span style="font-style: italic">not</span> about to jump.”</span>The younger blonde protested, picking up the umbrella she had left leaning against the guardrail when she had run off.  The pair continued their way down the cliff towards the beach.  They could have opted for a bus that would have taken them directly to the beach, but the route was out of the way and would have required a transfer.  Instead, they’d taken a bus to a nearby stop and chosen to walk the rest of the way.<span style="color: deepskyblue"> “It’s just that short of somehow singing underwater, that’s the best place for the song!  Come on, they emphasize the words ‘tidal waves’ and ‘rip right through me!’  If not in the water, the crashing of waves against the cliff could convey the strength of the song’s emotions!”</span>Gabrielle only laughed in response, glad to see her younger sister so animated.  She could have never imagined the outcome of giving Vivio her old Walkman all those years ago.<br/><br/>The two continued to chat about music and songs (go figure, the song VIvio had been singing was called “Down”) until they reached the Beach Front.  They rented out a locker, dropped off Gabrielle’s work outfit and laptop, and then wandered onto the sands.  An unfolded tatami mat and unfurled umbrella staked a plot of beach for themselves, right next to a group of teenagers.  Given their age, they had to be students at Iwamura High like her, but thankfully she didn’t recognize any of them.  At 11 am, the Beach was already starting to fill up for what looked like a scorching hot day.<br/><br/>“Alright, I’ve got about four hours until my meeting, which should take about an hour.  Hit the water now or just enjoy the breeze?”  Gabrielle inquired setting down their bag.  All the valuables had already been locked away and the bag now contained food, drinks, towels, and some magazines.<br/><br/><span style="color: DeepSkyBlue"> “Let’s go now.  The ocean’s only going to get more crowded as the day gets hotter.”</span>Vivio was already stripping out of her sundress before she finished her statement.  The garment was ungraciously dropped atop the tatami and then kicked next to their bag.<span style="color: deepskyblue"> “Last one to the water is a rotten egg!”</span>The younger girl taunted, already running off towards the waves.<br/><br/>(“Cheater!”)