I didn’t hear anything at first, but when I listened closely, I could barely make out music coming from another backyard. “Someone is having a party.”

“The song is in Spanish.”

I listened closer and sure enough, the words were in a different language. “Do you know any Spanish?” I asked.

“I’ve taken two years in school. So no.”

I smiled. “I was dumb and took French. We live in California. Who doesn’t take Spanish when you live in California?” I wasn’t sure if I was listening harder or someone turned up the music, but it got a little louder.

“When did you realize you were good at swimming? That it was something you could excel in?”

“Summer before sixth grade I beat a seventh grader in the one-hundred-meter butterfly. It’s a hard stroke for a kid so young and I beat her. That day I made it my goal to be good enough to swim once I got to college.”

“In the sixth grade? You knew what you wanted to do in college in the sixth grade?”

“Yes.”

“And I still don’t have a clue.”

“Not everyone knows what they want to do in college.”

“Everyone I know has at least a small idea.” He rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand. “At least something they’re good at. At the rate I’m going, I will graduate with a degree in pranking. I do a mean TP job. Can that go on a college application?”

“So you take generals until you figure out what you like.”

“Isn’t that basically what I’m doing now? Taking generals. And I like nothing.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to him. It was obvious he had been beating himself up over this for who knew how long. I rolled onto my side too and put my hand on his arm. “You’ll figure it out.”

“Everyone keeps telling me that, but what if I don’t?”

This was his fear. I could see it in his eyes and I wished I could grab that Heath Hall mask and it could somehow work its magic on him too. But I knew it wasn’t that simple. Nobody’s fears were. Mine weren’t. When tonight was over, I’d still have to figure out a way to face my parents.

“I know,” he said, and rolled onto his back, my hand dropping into the space between us. “I’m not as fun when I’m serious.” He jumped to his feet before I could tell him otherwise and quickly pulled me up to mine.

“Dance with me.”

“What?”

“This is my favorite song.”

The music was still in Spanish. I laughed as he pulled me into his arms and began swaying us to the beat.

“Really? Your favorite?”

“Yes. Listen.”