“People go nuts around babies,” Sam says, swimming into the center of our circle.

“Well, they’re pretty adorable,” Sierra says, twirling herself around and around. “Until you have to change their diaper.”

We all giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Evan asks as he, Jack, and the others swim over to join us.

“Diapers,” Sam says.

“Gross,” Evan says. He dives underwater, and a few seconds later Sam screeches. Then someone grabs my foot, and instead of screeching, I kick reflexively. Hard.

Jack bobs up out of the water. “Ow!” he says, glaring at me.

“Sorry!” I say. “You scared me.”

He looks at me like I’m a freak.

“That’s what you get for being a creeper,” Sam tells him.

He rolls his eyes and swims over to her. “You know you like it.”

“Gross,” Cybil says.

“I’m going to go check on Ivy.” I swim away from them and head to shore. Ivy is stuffing her face and getting crumbs all over my towel.

“Hey! Why aren’t you sitting on your own towel? Get off!”

“Yours was nice and warm. I forgot to spread mine out.”

“Seriously? Get off now.”

She stands up and gets sand all over the place. My towel is soaked.

“Sorry,” she says. “You can have mine.”

“Never mind. I just need to dry off.”

She finds her towel and wraps it around her like a dress while holding the empty bag of crackers in her mouth.

“Glad I’m not hungry,” I say. “Thanks for leaving me some.”

“I have some food to share,” a voice says behind me.

It’s Cybil. I didn’t realize she’d followed me out of the water.

I blush, realizing I sounded like a jerk just now, being mean to Ivy.

“What do you have?” Ivy asks.

“Same as you, actually,” Cybil says.

“Essence of peanut butter? Shoot.”

“Essence?” Cybil asks.

“The jar was almost empty, so we had to make do,” I explain.

“I’m pretty sure my crackers have more than essence.” She walks over to her backpack to rummage for snacks. She’s wearing a two-piece like everybody else. I quickly wrap my towel around myself.

Cybil straightens and shakes a sandwich bag with peanut butter crackers in it. “Want some? Looks like plenty of peanut butter in there.”

“Sure.”

We sit side by side on her towel, me still wrapped in mine. Ivy stretches out on her own towel, tummy down, and closes her eyes.

Cybil and I eat quietly and watch the group play Chicken out in the water.

“I never really liked that game,” Cybil says. “It’s so sexist.”

“Yeah,” I say, not really knowing why it’s sexist. Maybe because it’s always the girls climbing on the boys’ shoulders and not the other way around.