The water of the pool was glassy and black, it's mirored surface shattered, sending pale white cobwebs skittering across like the threads on a loom. It was so thick and cold and black that the heat radiating out of her was almost tangible, and Tally splayed out her fingers to send them dancing over the water as she tread water. Her bra was casually tossed over the bench, and instead she wore a scarf as a halter neck bikini, something that dray had been overly appreciative of. So she had shut down the lights. The stars, reflecting in the blackness and yet seeming to cut through into it's murky depths, glimmered through the glass roof. Jackie floated somewhere near the centre of the pool, her eyes absorbing he cosmos voraciously. currents left over from the others' movements undulated slowly across the water so that she seemed to toss like a battered raft on the lulling waves after a storm. Silence reigned, although drips of water, irregularly placed and yet endlessly repetitive, cut through the blackness.

Tally began to swim towards the side. They had been in the water for the best part of twenty minutes, and yet the sky was...overpowering them. The swim was restful, if not exciting. Placing her darkened nails onto the side of the pool, she began to heave herself out. Water dripping in beads down her body, she reached for a shirt, possibly dray's or her own, it was hard to tell in the dark, and buried her face into the warm cotton.

In hushed tones, Cassie's voice echoed around the room. "Wait, do you hear something?"

The sound of water spraying replied as Dray, idly paddling on his back in the shadows, lifted his head. Indeed, a light and some voices could be seen through the glass house walls of the pool complex. The circle of white danced around as it's shadowy possessor moved over the uneven ground, definitely headed towards them. "Nah, it's probably thosse other....guys." he finished, somewhat lamely. Tally stretched her neck, tilting her head to one side as though cocking her ears like a spaniel. Voices could be heard, but they were definitely not the dulcet tones of the boys.

"Two words.." Jackie countered. "Smoking. Patrol."

"they didn't have a torch anyway," Cassie noted in a somewhat absent manner.

"Mobiles?" Tally enquired.

"Nah. that's far too bright, and round. Definitely a torch chica." Dray noted, now standing waste deep in water as he craned his neck to catch a glimpse.

A silence felll over them. Nobody really cared if they were caught but...it was the principle of the thing. Teachers were born to be outwited. Jackie voiced as much in a few words and the others remained in silent agreement. "So....woods?" cassie murmured.

"It would seem we have to..... put on any clothes you can find.

A few minutes later, thanks to the lock picking abilities of their group, they sat on a grassy roundabout of mottled white tree stumps, pitted with cigarette burns and worn smooth by hundreds of students. A stream could be heard gurgling over mossy rocks and slipping, twinkling and unseen over the debris of the woodland. The clearing, encircled by a large gorse bush which had a myriad of hard beaten paths leading from various hidden entrances, was silent, save for the occasional crunching of autumnal leaves and hushed chatter of other sixth formers as they passed by, completely obscured, on the other side of the thick branches. Under the bowed and smooth branch of an old sycamore tree was a pile of ash caused by cigarette buts and campfires - the students worked on the basis that you put them out, and then dumped them in the pile, since hopefully the ash wouldn't burn. Even so, butts and tin foil littered the clearing, trampled hard into the mud so that molehills and rabbit warrens seamed to gleam silver in the moonlight. The clearing was not big, could fit maybe ten people, and yet it was a sanctuary. Someone had even left a kindly and rather broken old broom for sweeping away tracks.

They had begun talking about the rather banal topic of subjects.

"italian, russian, french, art, history, philosophy." Tally murmured. "And I got into that critical thinking class"

"So...fuck it...7 as levels? That's fucked man."

"And general studies. But russian's not. Thats..." she paused and seemed to shrug, huddling into the jacket she was sharing with jackie in return for letting her bum a fag to get a nicotine fix. "it's a Spare thing. Not examined."

A rustling could be heard as seb pushed his way through the bush. Followng him came Nik, Nathan and Taco. Taco seemed to falter as he viewed the despondant scene before him. It was as though his prefect senses were being hastily switched off.

A steady drawl came from Nathan's mouth. Tally glanced up and studied the small patch of stubble now appearing on his face. She had almost forgotten that it was already tommorow morning. "well lets see. If it isn't the bitch again."

The insult, or title, as it were, seemed half hearted as Nathan let his eyes drift towards his brother, now stumbling around, grabbing a cigarette from the packet proffered, and sitting on an empty tree trunk. Nathan moved as if to join his twin.

"Oh dear, I'll have to think up a more appropriate name for you my good sir." Sparks of electricity flew between them, and yet beneath her calculated mirth Tally felt the cold rush of jealousy as he, quickly ducking to the right, sat on the seat next to nik. What was interesting was that they didn't share, one or other was definitely pissed off.

"MGS...sounds like an infectious disease." someone murmured. It could have been seb, although she doubted it as he moved to take the seat in between Her and jackie, and Nick.

"Well we can't have that. I'll just call you Dasha."

A barely muffled snort was emmited, although arguably it could have been a distorted "..the fuck?" Taco wrinkled his nose at the fumes of the cigarette.

"these don't smell of death sticks they smell of..."

"cloves?" cassie offered, as though trying to end speculation quickly so that she could enjoy the last of tally's packet.

"yeah."

"clear your throat too" tally muttered. " good for colds. Albeit still full of wonderful Nicoteney goodness." She stared down in the moonlight at the mark of her old lipstick on the filter. She hadn't smoked crude for years. "Makes your clothes smell nice too."

It was a somewhat despondant topic, but everyone was tired. After more brief words they fell into a comfortable silence, only broken up by glares between one or more parties. The glares didn't make it akward, because in their way they were....admiring. Ha. Try explaining that one.

"We locked smoking patrol in the pool" Dray offered as a new topic of conversation. A few more murmurs. The silence enveloped them like a comfortable cocoon.

"Anyone got any tats?"

"Stingray" Tally murmured into the darkness, barely glancing up as she studied the moon's rays filtering like snowfall through the surrounding foliage. She thought she heard the rustling of a small animal.

"where" Nik piped up, catching her eyes with is soft nutmeg brown ones. It was almost diffusing and perturbing how deep his eyes went into hers.

"Now that, that would be telling."

"Made it up bitch?" Nathan added, smirking.

"I hardly feel like a strip tease in this weather. Stupid fluctuating bloody british...She turned to face him. Besides, that would require me dropping a few more clothes than i care too for a secont time this night."

An owls hoot broke the silence. she lifted her head like a snake, watching its prey with one eye open.... It was a few hours until sunrise.