and hug him hard.
The kids ahead of Charlie begin to walk, following one another in a line, inching out of the gym like a single caterpillar. The line breaks at Charlie, who doesn’t move.
“Okay, bud, get going!” says Bob.
Don’t fall behind, my perfect boy.
CHAPTER 6
Ricky’s mom, Mrs. Sullivan, tells us that the pool isn’t ready yet. Mr. Sullivan still needs to vacuum and backwash it. The water is cloudy and littered with rotten brown leaves and looks more like pond water than pool water, but we don’t care. It’s the first day of summer vacation, and we can’t wait for Mr. Sullivan.
I find an orange water wing and pull it onto my left arm up to my scrawny bicep. I rummage through the trunk of floats and water toys but can’t find the other wing. I look up, and Nate is wearing it like it’s an elbow pad.
“Give it,” I say, and I strip it off his arm.
He usually throws a hissy fit whenever he doesn’t get what he wants, so I’m surprised that he just lets me do this. Maybe I’m finally getting the respect an older sister deserves. I slide the orange wing onto my other arm, and Nate finds a mask and a kickboard.
I dip my big toe into the water and jump back.
“It’s FREEZING!”
“Baby,” says Ricky as he runs past me and cannonballs in.
I wish I could be just like him, but the water’s too cold.
I go up onto the deck and sit on the stretchy plastic slat chair next to Mom. Mom and Mrs. Sullivan are lying on cushioned lounge chairs angled toward the sun. They’re drinking cans of Tab and smoking Marlboro Lights, and they’re talking to each other with their eyes closed. Mom’s toenails are painted Hot Tamale Red. I wish I could be just like her.
I pull off my water wings and turn my chair to face the sun, too. Mrs. Sullivan is complaining about her asshole husband, and I’m embarrassed to hear her say “Asshole” because I know it’s a swear word, and I would get slapped across the face if I said it. I’m careful not to make any noise or fidget because I think Mom doesn’t notice that I’m listening, and I feel embarrassed, but I want to hear more illegal words about Mr. Sullivan.
Ricky shows up on the deck, teeth chattering.
“I’m freezing.”
“Told ya,” I say, stupidly blowing my cover.
“Towels are in the bathroom. Go play Atari,” says Mrs. Sullivan. “You want to go inside, too, Sarah?”
I shake my head.
“She wants to stay with the girls. Right, honey?” Mom asks.
I nod. She reaches over and pats my leg. I smile and feel special.
Ricky goes into the house, Mom and Mrs. Sullivan talk, and I close my eyes and listen. But Mrs. Sullivan doesn’t say anything bad about Mr. Sullivan, and I get bored of listening, and I think maybe I will go inside and play Pac-Man, but Ricky’s probably playing Space Invaders, and I want to be one of the girls, so I stay.
Then all of a sudden, Mom is screaming Nate’s name. I open my eyes, and she is screaming Nate’s name and running. I stand up to see what’s happening. Nate is floating facedown in the pool. At first I think it’s a trick, and I admire him for fooling us. Then Mom is in the pool with him, and he’s still pretending, and I think he’s mean for scaring her. Then Mom turns him over, and I see his closed eyes and blue lips, and I get scared for real, and my heart falls into my stomach.
Mom carries Nate onto the grass and is making wild sounds
I’ve never heard come out of a grown-up and is blowing into Nate’s mouth and begging Nate to wake up, but Nate is just lying there. I can’t look at Nate lying on the grass and Mom blowing into Nate’s mouth anymore, so I look down at my feet, and I see the orange water wings on the deck next to my chair.
“Wake up, Nate!” Mom wails.
I can’t look. I stare at my selfish feet and the orange water wings.
“Wake up, Nate!”
“Wake up!”
“Sarah, wake up.”
F R I D A Y
“One, two, threeeee, shoot!”
My fingers are a pair of
The kids ahead of Charlie begin to walk, following one another in a line, inching out of the gym like a single caterpillar. The line breaks at Charlie, who doesn’t move.
“Okay, bud, get going!” says Bob.
Don’t fall behind, my perfect boy.
CHAPTER 6
Ricky’s mom, Mrs. Sullivan, tells us that the pool isn’t ready yet. Mr. Sullivan still needs to vacuum and backwash it. The water is cloudy and littered with rotten brown leaves and looks more like pond water than pool water, but we don’t care. It’s the first day of summer vacation, and we can’t wait for Mr. Sullivan.
I find an orange water wing and pull it onto my left arm up to my scrawny bicep. I rummage through the trunk of floats and water toys but can’t find the other wing. I look up, and Nate is wearing it like it’s an elbow pad.
“Give it,” I say, and I strip it off his arm.
He usually throws a hissy fit whenever he doesn’t get what he wants, so I’m surprised that he just lets me do this. Maybe I’m finally getting the respect an older sister deserves. I slide the orange wing onto my other arm, and Nate finds a mask and a kickboard.
I dip my big toe into the water and jump back.
“It’s FREEZING!”
“Baby,” says Ricky as he runs past me and cannonballs in.
I wish I could be just like him, but the water’s too cold.
I go up onto the deck and sit on the stretchy plastic slat chair next to Mom. Mom and Mrs. Sullivan are lying on cushioned lounge chairs angled toward the sun. They’re drinking cans of Tab and smoking Marlboro Lights, and they’re talking to each other with their eyes closed. Mom’s toenails are painted Hot Tamale Red. I wish I could be just like her.
I pull off my water wings and turn my chair to face the sun, too. Mrs. Sullivan is complaining about her asshole husband, and I’m embarrassed to hear her say “Asshole” because I know it’s a swear word, and I would get slapped across the face if I said it. I’m careful not to make any noise or fidget because I think Mom doesn’t notice that I’m listening, and I feel embarrassed, but I want to hear more illegal words about Mr. Sullivan.
Ricky shows up on the deck, teeth chattering.
“I’m freezing.”
“Told ya,” I say, stupidly blowing my cover.
“Towels are in the bathroom. Go play Atari,” says Mrs. Sullivan. “You want to go inside, too, Sarah?”
I shake my head.
“She wants to stay with the girls. Right, honey?” Mom asks.
I nod. She reaches over and pats my leg. I smile and feel special.
Ricky goes into the house, Mom and Mrs. Sullivan talk, and I close my eyes and listen. But Mrs. Sullivan doesn’t say anything bad about Mr. Sullivan, and I get bored of listening, and I think maybe I will go inside and play Pac-Man, but Ricky’s probably playing Space Invaders, and I want to be one of the girls, so I stay.
Then all of a sudden, Mom is screaming Nate’s name. I open my eyes, and she is screaming Nate’s name and running. I stand up to see what’s happening. Nate is floating facedown in the pool. At first I think it’s a trick, and I admire him for fooling us. Then Mom is in the pool with him, and he’s still pretending, and I think he’s mean for scaring her. Then Mom turns him over, and I see his closed eyes and blue lips, and I get scared for real, and my heart falls into my stomach.
Mom carries Nate onto the grass and is making wild sounds
I’ve never heard come out of a grown-up and is blowing into Nate’s mouth and begging Nate to wake up, but Nate is just lying there. I can’t look at Nate lying on the grass and Mom blowing into Nate’s mouth anymore, so I look down at my feet, and I see the orange water wings on the deck next to my chair.
“Wake up, Nate!” Mom wails.
I can’t look. I stare at my selfish feet and the orange water wings.
“Wake up, Nate!”
“Wake up!”
“Sarah, wake up.”
F R I D A Y
“One, two, threeeee, shoot!”
My fingers are a pair of
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