It doesn’t hurt, it makes me smile.

I didn’t think she had it in her.

And then it’s there, a small rock-like object near my knee. I twist in the pool to bring my face toward it.

There. Near Reese’s waist.

My head hits her ribs but I can’t help it. I latch on to the gum, getting a knee in the head for my efforts.

I sit up out of the pool with the prize in my mouth, chewing fast.

It’s hard as granite. What the hell?

My goggles are nearly impossible to see through, but I can make out the dark outline of Reese as she sits up too, chomping on her own tough piece of gum like it’s her last meal and she’s half starved.

But she’s too late.

I blow and a small bubble emerges.

Jude immediately lifts one of my arms into the air, like we’re in a boxing ring instead of a kiddie pool covered in cartoon dinosaurs.

“And the winner by a bubble yummy is Fitz Moreland!” he yells into the megaphone.

The crowd is cheering and I still can’t see anything. I use my free hand to wipe my face and yank off the goggles.

Jude hands me the key to the room, a small piece of metal hanging from a thick gold chain.

I pull it over my head and glance down at Reese, who’s still sitting in the pool, covered in sticky white cream, looking like ten miles of a bad road.

“Hey.”

She looks up at me, a drowned kitten.

She’s kinda cute, actually, even with her hair sticking up in a crazy mess of dark ripples and spikes.

“Fitz, introduce me to your competition.” Then Annabel is there, standing on the other side of the pool and smiling at Reese like she’s her new best friend.

I sigh. “Reese, this is my sister. I apologize in advance for anything she says or does or doesn’t do. Or anything at all, really.”

“Shut it, pool boy. Here, I brought you a towel.”

Of course, it’s not for me. She hands it to Reese, who accepts the gesture gratefully and steps out of the kiddie pool, wrapping the towel around her narrow shoulders.

Before I can make any comments, Annabel drags Reese off toward the house, talking a mile a minute.

What is she up to?

5

You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.

—Dolly Parton

Reese

Annabel isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. For one, she’s helpful. She clears a direct path through the line to the bathroom, allowing me to get rinsed off without having to wait around in sticky misery.

And then when I get out, wrapped only in a robe, she’s waiting with the room key in hand so I can get in and change into clean clothes.

It’s a relief when I’m safely ensconced in the small space. Alone. I’ve had more than I can take of socializing for one day.