We got out to the rocks beyond the deck and put on our masks and snorkels. I threw my fins into the water and put them on after I jumped in. Jennifer didn’t have fins, which meant I could swim a lot faster and dive deeper. I dove as deep as I could until my ears hurt so I couldn’t stand it and until things started going dark because my brain was deprived of oxygen. It was worth it because when I came up Jennifer said to me, “I’ve never seen anyone go as deep before, you dive like a seal.” I said, “It was easy. I’ve been diving for years.”

We followed a school of fish that were feeding on the bottom until they went so deep we couldn’t see them anymore. That took us almost to the middle of the bay where a friend of Jennifer’s family was rowing on one of the pontoon boats with his two little girls, who were about three years old and were pulling a big inflatable rubber Mickey Mouse behind the boat on a string.

The little girls’ father invited us on board. We climbed up between the pontoons and sat with our feet dangling in the water as he rowed back toward the shore.

When we got closer to the beach, I saw Janet walk over to the place where you brought the boats back to the Banini and wait for us. She had Dad’s binoculars in her hand and so I understood how she had known it was me on the boat because she had been watching us and waiting for me to get back. I felt a sort of sinking feeling because when Janet got interested in what you were doing it was a bad sign.

When we got off the boat I pulled off my flippers as Janet walked over to me and said, “Are you in trouble!” Then I smiled at Jennifer to show Janet was just kidding around but Janet grabbed me by the ear and marched me back up the beach to where Mom and Dad were. I knew Jennifer was watching us the whole way. I wanted to die and to kill Janet too.

Dad stood up and said, “Let him go, Janet, you’re not his father.” Janet gave my ear a last twist so hard I heard it crack, but I refused to touch it or say anything because I didn’t want to let Jennifer see it hurt a lot if she was still watching us.

“The Banini told us what you did,” said Dad. we were just . . .

“And I can’t say we’re very proud of you right now.”

“It was not much of a witness to Jennifer for you to get her into trouble,” said Mom.

“But it was her . . .”

“He needs a really good strapping,” Janet chipped in.