The final bell rang, and the four of them stepped out of the campus together, the late afternoon sun painting the sky in gold and peach. Jackets tossed over shoulders, shoes kicking lightly along the pavement, hair falling loose—suddenly the untouchable rulers of the school were just four teenagers again.
Kairo nudged Vega with his elbow, smirking. "So… same time tomorrow? Or are we letting everyone else stew in peace?"
Vega laughed, brushing past him. "Let them stew. They'll forget they tried to talk to us by next week."
Kael smirked, adjusting the strap of his bag. "They don't even know what's coming."
Rose rolled her eyes but smiled. "You guys sound like your dads. Honestly, we could start writing school history books if we wanted."
"Speaking of," Vega said, tilting her head back to glance at the skyline, "ever think about how our dads used to run this place?"
Kairo laughed, louder this time. "Oh, trust me. I've heard stories. Chaos, respect… half of the students must have fainted just walking past them."
Kael's smirk softened. "They had style, though. Subtle, calculated. Power without yelling. That's impressive."
Rose nudged Vega. "Guess we inherited it, huh? Maybe that's why people still stare when we walk past."
Vega grinned. "Maybe. Or maybe they just know we're going to make them laugh at themselves too."
The four of them arrived at the neighborhood pool—a quiet little spot that glimmered under the late afternoon sun. Shoes came off, jackets tossed aside, hair falling free. They dove in together without ceremony, water erupting around them as laughter echoed off the walls.
Vega lunged at Kairo first, splashing him hard. He retaliated instantly, sending a wave over her.
"You're cheating!" Vega shouted, laughing so hard she nearly swallowed water.
"Cheating?" Kairo grinned, hair plastered to his forehead. "I call it strategic advantage."
Kael floated behind them, arms crossed, smirking. "You two are like toddlers."
"Hey!" Vega shot back, splashing at him. "I'm a teenager."
Rose snorted, diving under the water and resurfacing behind Kael. "Strategic toddlers, maybe."
They spent the next half hour racing across the pool, trying to tip each other over, laughing so loud that even the birds above seemed to stop and listen. Every splash, scream, and over-the-top dive was followed by playful insults and exaggerated flops onto the water.
Eventually, they collapsed on the poolside, legs dangling in the water, dripping and panting. Vega leaned back on her hands, letting her head tilt toward the sky.
"You know…" she said, grinning, "my dad would've had so much fun doing this."
Kairo's eyes sparkled. "Fun? He'd be laughing, throwing water at us too."
"Exactly," Vega said, kicking water at Kairo. "He liked style and control, sure… but this? Splash wars, dumb races, laughing until your stomach hurts? He'd love it. A lot."
Kael chuckled softly, tilting his head. "I can see it. They ruled the school with power and respect, but they had their fun, too. And somehow… it's like we inherited both."
Rose sat cross-legged beside Vega, water dripping from her hair. "Kind of perfect, isn't it? Next generation chaos, laughter included, legacy of style and fun."
Vega smirked. "Exactly. Power doesn't always have to be serious. Sometimes it's just… being untouchable and ridiculous at the same time."
Kairo laughed, splashing again. "I can just picture them joining in. They'd be right here, yelling, laughing, getting soaked."
Kael leaned back on the edge, smirking. "They'd definitely have a blast. This? This is the kind of thing they'd brag about later."
For the next hour, the pool became their world—splashing, racing, teasing, laughing, and being utterly ridiculous. No hierarchy, no rules, just four teenagers soaking wet, messy hair, and endless freedom.
And as the sun dipped lower, casting long golden shadows across the pool, Vega looked at her friends and smiled.
"Alright," she said, standing and shaking water from her hair, "tomorrow, we go back to ruling the school. But today? Today, we're just us."
Rose grinned. "And honestly? We're terrifying enough even like this."