Visitor! Visitor! Diesel barks, and Luanne’s head immediately jerks up. She looks around, her eyes open wide. Wiener Girl is here! Diesel tells me.

“What are you, a hamster?” Morgan’s voice startles me. The gate clatters shut behind her. “How many more times are you going to go around this yard?”

6

Friday, June 25:

The Secret

Morgan is Wiener Girl? I think. Then I try to concentrate on Morgan’s question. “Well, if you hadn’t woken Luanne up, I could stop circling the yard around now, thanks very much.”

“And if you had a cellphone, I woulda called you.”

Luanne bobs up and down in the stroller, arms reaching.

I reach down and unbuckle her. Hating how Morgan snuck up on us, I scoop up the baby and turn to face her. “What are you doing here?”

“I looked for you at your aunt’s house but you weren’t there.” Her lips part to reveal large white teeth, her standard grin. It always seems like she has some secret joke going. “Made me think you didn’t have the brat today, but I can see I’m wrong.”

“Stayed home sick.” I bounce Luanne on my hip and sway.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed, then?” She tilts her head and narrows her eyes. “Won’t the kid catch whatever you have?”

“Heatstroke? Not contagious.”

“You don’t even look hot.” She reaches to touch my forehead, but I bounce away. “Should you be outside, then?”

“Going in, right now.”

“No, don’t do that. I have something to tell you.

Something important.”

“What?” I snap. Then I coo at Luanne: “There, there, baby girl. Put your head down. Rest.”

“Don’t be so impatient. Come with me to the park.”

Park, park, park, park! Diesel barks.

“Shush, Diesel!” Did he even bark out loud? “Can’t leave,” I answer.

“Oh, don’t give me that sick line. You’re fine.”

“I’ve got the dog and Luanne.”

“Bring ’em both. The guys are there playing Frisbee. Waiting for the pool to open.” More of her teeth show.

“No. I can’t.”

Morgan raises one eyebrow.

“Diesel could get hit by a car.”

“Not gonna happen. He’s a smart dog.”

I shake my head.

Listen to Wiener Girl. She is a smart human, Diesel tells me.

No, she’s not. I have to help her with all her school work. We’re staying here.

But I have learned my lesson. No running in front of cars. I need to stay alive to save you.

Morgan digs her fists into her hips. “C’mon. Stop making excuses and come with me. Otherwise Simon will have already hit the pool by the time we get there.”

Will this just be a repeat of my drowning in a different way? Earlier, even? “Simon?” I shouldn’t have asked.

Morgan nods happily.

Last time through I mostly hid from Morgan, crying about my dog, the whole week before the beach accident. This time I have to make it go differently. And I want to believe Morgan is the kind of friend who needs to share a secret with me. Besides, I’ll have Diesel with me this time.