Rae thought quickly, grappling for a way to continue the conversation. She said, “I wonder if the guy with the record has lungs that are normal-sized, or if they grow when you do something like that.” She thought this was an intelligent thing to wonder.

But before Ryan could respond, Kimmy, who had been looming closer and closer to Rae like a shark assessing its prey, suddenly burst to the surface. She spat the mouthpiece from her lips and yanked the goggles off. A deep pink ring surrounded her eye sockets and her lips were swollen.

“You just peed!” Kimmy shrieked at her sister, incredulous and full of glee. “I saw it!”

Rae’s heartbeat surged. She felt heat flood her whole face. “No I didn’t,” she snapped. “I would never.”

“I saw it!” Kimmy said. Water dripped from her hair to her bare shoulders. All her muscles were tight with the excitement of her discovery. “It was yellow and swirling like oil,” she said, “and it came out from you and it was coming in my direction, like right at me!”

Rae tried to stay cool even as humiliation beat against her ribs like an animal. It was true, she had released a small stream into the pool. Who hadn’t? Who didn’t?

Rae said again, “I would never.”

Kimmy turned to Ryan for validation, as Alex was still under the water. “I saw it,” Kimmy said to Ryan. “Didn’t you?”

Ryan wore a half-grin. He diplomatically offered, “It might’ve been me. It’s so easy in the pool, just slips out sometimes.”

Kimmy cocked her head to the side, eyes narrow, unconvinced. “I really thought I saw it come out from between Rae’s legs,” she said. “I was staring at Rae’s knee when the yellow came out.”

Ryan said, “It was probably my pee and just floated over that way.” He gave Rae a nice soft look.

Rae tried to smile. Her ears felt full of something.

Ryan offered Kimmy a dopey shrug. “So I peed in the pool. Sue me!”

Kimmy laughed a little. She finally seemed satisfied with this explanation, albeit disappointed that the drama of her observation had so quickly dissolved upon Ryan’s confession.

When Alex popped up to the surface a minute later, Kimmy said halfheartedly, “I saw your brother’s pee in the water, it was floating toward me,” and Alex giggled, but really all the fun was gone.

The two of them deposited their snorkels on the side of the pool and headed toward the deep end for somersaults. Ryan didn’t initiate any more conversation with Rae, but contentedly stayed at her end of the pool and made sprays of water with his cupped fist.

Rae didn’t know what to think. Could a boy like a girl who peed in the pool? Her mom wouldn’t even pee in the same bathroom while her dad was taking a shower. Would Ryan go back to Wheeling and laugh with his friends about the girl in the swimsuit made of jeans who peed in the pool, right at her little sister’s face? Oh God, Oh God. She would have to believe that Ryan was telling the truth, that he too had peed. The alternative—that he lied because he pitied Rae or couldn’t bear her secondhand humiliation—was simply too awful to consider. I hate my life, Rae thought. Again and again she thought this.