What if we’re caught in this weird secretive limbo forever?
I don’t know what to do.
34
Saturday morning, Liam texts me.
What are you doing today?
Before movie night?
Nothing much
Why
?
There's public swim today.
You said I could teach you!
I did say that.
I'll drive us to the movie after?
Okay
After lunch, Amy drops me off at the Natatorium, two shmoodies clutched in my hands.
“Have fun. Don’t drown. Tell Bowie I say hi.”
“Okay.” I might havesaidimplied that it was Bowie giving me a lesson.
Liam’s waiting for me, practically bouncing on his heels by the registration desk. He grins when he spots me.
“Hey. I already paid, so you’re good to go.”
“You sure?” I pull out my wallet, but he stops me.
“Don’t try to taarof me. I know your secrets now.”
I snort. That’s not how taarof works, but whatever.
Liam leads me toward the locker room. I haven’t been in one since first-year PE, which was definitely the stuff of nightmares. At least this one is cleaner than the one at Riverstone: It’s got nice tile floors, pristine gray lockers, and it smells like baby powder instead of that weird mix of body odor and not-enough-deodorant that Riverstone’s had.
“I always use this one,” Liam says, dropping his mesh bag in front of locker 47. “I don’t know why. You mind sharing?”
I shake my head.
“Great.”
And just like that he pulls his shirt over his head. I’ve seen him shirtless often enough, but it’s been a while. He’s got a dusting of fine black hair on his chest now, and a little line that goes from his belly button straight down toward his underwear, which is black with a silverCalvin Kleinstitched into the waistband. I guess he stopped shaving once the swim season ended.
Liam catches me staring, but he just grins. “Come on. Get changed.”
He pulls out a swimsuit for me, baggy black trunks, because I told him I didn’t have my own. I do, technically, but it fit me back in seventh grade, andI like to thinkI’ve grown a little bit since then.
Liam digs out his own suit: one of his purple team Speedos. Then, without even blinking, he pulls his pants and underwear down in one fell swoop.
