“I don’t want to race. The sun’s awful.”

“Wanna go to the tank?”

“Momma says I’m getting too old to skinny-dip.”

“C’mon, Samantha. I’m not goin’ to see anything I haven’t seen before. Wanna go back and get your suit?”

“It’s more than a mile, and then we’d have to walk back to the tank. Besides Momma doesn’t let me go in over my head unless a lifeguard is there. Tank’s all over my head -- over Dad’s head, for that matter. Promise you won’t tell?”

“Cross my heart. Do I ever tell your mother anything you do? Anyway, if you’re drowning, I’ll rescue you.”

“Well, let’s go look. If there are others there, I’m not going in. And I can swim rings around you, talk about rescue.”

“Rings. As if! I’ll race you across the tank.”

“Uh oh! Hear that, Jack? Somebody’s playing a radio at the tank.”

“Maybe they’re not at the tank. I can’t hear where the music is coming from”

“Yeah, right! They brought a radio out here and dropped it in the wheat. If it’s a radio, it’s in a car. And the only trees to hide a car are around the tank.”

“Let’s go see who’s there. You didn’t want to do anything else, anyway.”

“Might’s well. Maybe they’re ready to go home. Who’d play music to swim?”

“Or maybe they’re having a picnic. People we know might offer us a Coke or a slice of watermelon.”

“I swear, Jack. Looking at you, I see arms and legs. Listening, all I hear is stomach.”

“Tell me you would say ‘no’ to a slice of watermelon in this heat.”

“Well, if it was offered. But I’m not sidling up to somebody else’s picnic hoping to feed my face.”

“Out of the sun at last.”

“Yeah, but it’s no cooler under the trees.”

“Hey! Look there! That’s Ted’s car across the tank. Let’s go around and see him.”

“Stop a minute, Jack, and lower your voice.”

“Why? It’s Ted.”

“Well, Ted’s okay, though I’m sure not going in the tank when he can see me. But he sometimes runs with a rough crowd. Do you think he’s alone? It’s more likely he brought some friends with him.”

“Anyway, he can’t hear us over the music. It’s much louder across there.”

“Sure. But they’re probably swimming in the tank. Please keep your voice down. Keep your head down, too. For me?”

“For you. Look there. You’re half right. He’s not alone, but she isn’t one of his rough friends. Now can we go around?”

“I don’t think they want to talk to us. That’s Sharon. She used to baby-sit for Barry a coupla years ago. Well -- for both of us -- but Barry was too young to leave alone.”

“And you say you are getting too old to skinny dip!”

“She doesn’t know you see her. She would be mad if she knew -- me too, but maybe not as much. Maybe more, ‘cause I know her.”

“Well, Ted sure sees her.”

“I don’t know why she doesn’t mind that. I don’t think they’d like it if they knew we saw them. Just as it’s one thing for you to know that I disobeyed and something much worse for them to know.”

“And they aren’t even swimming.”

“Yeah. They’re just kissing. You’d think they could do it somewhere else. But we can’t swim until they quit.”

“You giggle at me when I stick out. You’re not giggling at him.”

“You’re funny when you stick out. I’m trying to be quiet right now.”

“He’s funnier. He’s sticking out much more.”

“Say! Her lips aren’t all he’s kissing. Be quiet. I want to see this.”

“I’ll whisper. They sure aren’t paying us any attention.”

“It’ll never go in.”

“But it did.”

“She must be big down there.”

“Look at that!”

“Oh, Sharon!”

“Yes, Ted, yes.”

“Uh! ... Uh! ... Was it good for you?”

“Wonderful. And you?”

“You know it was. I love you.”

“They say it’s wonderful. It didn’t look so hot. I can’t believe it didn’t hurt going in -- my finger...”

“Well, we don’t know. You were right, though. I’m glad they don’t know we’re here.”

“Now they’re both standing up, let’s be careful not to move.”

“Want another dip to cool off?”

“And to wash off? Yes.”

“Well, at least that didn’t last long.”

“Look at what she’s doing. Now, she puts on her suit!”

“Do you think she’s going back in? Maybe we can walk away while they’re swimming.”

“We don’t know how long they’ll be in the tank. It’ll be easy to see us from the road.”

“Now he’s putting his swimsuit on, too. I don’t see either of them heading for the tank.”

“And now they’re putting on their jeans.”

“And their shirts. They’ll get them wet.”

“Not all that wet. And it might keep the car seats dry.”

“Now that they’re out of here, do you want to go swimming after all?”

“Sure! You dared me to a race across the tank.”