The boys chortled as they advanced. Michelle tried to swim around them. They blocked her, still laughing. The distance made it difficult for Derek to see what they were doing to her. He walked towards the water, fists clenched.

“Excuse me!” shouted Michelle. “Don’t you dare touch me again!”

Derek didn’t remember diving into the water or swimming to where the others were. But suddenly, he was there, shouting and lashing out at the boys. They were startled—then amused.

“Cool it, man,” said the larger of the two, pushing Derek away. “We were just teasing.”

Derek swam towards him, bent his knee and shoved his boot into the boy’s groin. His yowl of pain echoed across the water as he reeled backwards, eyes wide and face pale. The other boy lunged for Derek, grabbing him around the neck and pushing him under the water. Derek kicked and punched, but his attacker was stronger and heavier. For a moment, beneath the water, Derek imagined he’d drawn his last breath. Suddenly though, the boy released him and he shot to the surface, Michelle’s voice in his ears.

“Get away, you damn idiots!” she yelled.

Derek spluttered and looked around. The boys were making their way to the edge of the dam.

“Idiots!” he echoed.

Michelle glared at him and swam towards Diane.

The girls were silent as Michelle dressed. They walked on. Derek followed, his boots sploshing and his wet khaki shorts rubbing uncomfortably against his inner thighs. His heart was still racing and he wasn’t quite sure if his lungs had recovered. All he could think about, though, was Michelle and how the boys might’ve touched her.

“Hey, Mich,” he called, as they approached the gate at the end of the trail. “Are you okay? I mean . . . erm . . . did they hurt you?”

Michelle spun around. “Just don’t talk to me!”

“What? Why are you mad at me? I came to—”

“God, Derek! I was okay. They were just messing around.”

“But—”

“The one’s hand accidentally skimmed my arm when I tried to swim past him. I was joking with him. They weren’t doing anything.”

“I didn’t know . . . you shouted and I thought—”

She took a deep breath. “God. He could’ve drowned you.”

He walked towards her. “But he didn’t. I managed—”

“Because I fought him off you, you idiot! God! Boys!”

Michelle stormed off. Derek stared at Diane.

“I don’t get it. What did I do wrong?”

Diane shrugged. “She knows those guys. They’re her brother’s friends.”

“So? They’re arseholes. I didn’t know. How was I meant to know? I thought they were, they were . . .”

Diane turned and followed Michelle.