the day before. The clear creek water rushed beneath the structure, and branches and leaves and other debris gathered around the sturdy legs. The bank was covered in tiny pebbles that crunched beneath my feet, and the water lapped at the shore.
Marty unslung his backpack and opened it up. He tossed a pair of trunks to my little brother. The swimsuit struck him in the face. Marty started to undress, but Alex’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. He looked from the trunks he held in his hands... to Marty... to Lisa.
“Um,” he said. “We’re not going to change clothes right here, are we?”
Marty tugged his shirt off. “Huh?”
Alex jerked his head toward Lisa.
“Oh.” Marty nodded. “Guess it wouldn’t be polite changing in front of a girl.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Lisa said, “if you found some place a little more private.”
Marty and Alex shuffled into the trees and out of sight. Lisa shook her head and raised her eyebrows at me.
“Thought it was too hot for jeans, huh?” She nodded in the direction of my bare legs. “Didn’t Marty warn you about chiggers?”
“I probably wouldn’t have listened,” I grumbled.
“You might want to leave your shoes on,” she said. “Some of the rocks in the creek bed can be awful sharp.”
“Won’t we ruin our shoes?”
“It’s either that or slice up the bottom of your feet.”
Marty and Alex came out of the woods, dressed in their trunks... and shoes. Guess Marty offered my little brother the same piece of advice about jagged rocks. Marty didn’t even slow down as he came barreling out of the trees. He built up speed with every step, splashing into the creek and sending a shower of cold water halfway up the bank.
“Woohoo!”
I pulled my tee-shirt off and put it on the shore along with my watch. As I waded into the shallows, minnows rushed away from my feet. It was a lot chillier than I expected. It took my breath away as it splashed up to my shins. It stung against the scratched chigger bites for a couple of seconds, but it still felt great on such a scorcher of a day. As I waded farther out, the water started tugging at me as it flowed beneath the bridge and beyond.
Alex waded in. “Brrr!” he said, wrapping his arms around his body and shivering. His lips were turning blue.
“You’ll get used to it,” Marty said.
Because she wasn’t dressed for swimming, Lisa stayed at the shoreline. She only waded in about ankle deep. The water never even touched the bottoms of her rolled up pants.
Water rushing into my tennis shoes and weighing them down took a little getting used to. I felt like I was moving in slow motion, like I had weights tied to my feet.
Laughing, Marty let himself fall to a seated position with the water rushing up to his neck. I did the same. The jagged rocks poked at me through the seat of my shorts. Marty splashed a handful of water into my face, starting a huge splash fest that lasted five minutes. Alex laughed at us, and Lisa scurried out of the water and away from the blast zone.
How awesome! In the city, we often went to the public pool, but swimming here, we had the entire creek to ourselves. No screaming babies. No prune-faced grannies sneering at you when you splashed a little too much. No grumpy lifeguards who were more interested in getting a tan than saving lives.
“In a couple of days,” Marty promised, “we’ll bring some inner tubes out and float on the rapids.”
That sounded great. I’d never done—
With a sploosh! Alex vanished. His entire body dropped like a brick beneath the water. He didn’t even have time to scream.
“Alex!” I jumped up. Water dripped from my body in sheets, spilling into the creek all around, sending ripples across the surface. I rushed to where he had been wading when he went under. “Alex!”
“He wandered into a deep pocket!” Lisa cried.
Now that she pointed it out, I noticed I couldn’t see the creek bed before me. Instead, it looked like a shadow covered the
Marty unslung his backpack and opened it up. He tossed a pair of trunks to my little brother. The swimsuit struck him in the face. Marty started to undress, but Alex’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. He looked from the trunks he held in his hands... to Marty... to Lisa.
“Um,” he said. “We’re not going to change clothes right here, are we?”
Marty tugged his shirt off. “Huh?”
Alex jerked his head toward Lisa.
“Oh.” Marty nodded. “Guess it wouldn’t be polite changing in front of a girl.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Lisa said, “if you found some place a little more private.”
Marty and Alex shuffled into the trees and out of sight. Lisa shook her head and raised her eyebrows at me.
“Thought it was too hot for jeans, huh?” She nodded in the direction of my bare legs. “Didn’t Marty warn you about chiggers?”
“I probably wouldn’t have listened,” I grumbled.
“You might want to leave your shoes on,” she said. “Some of the rocks in the creek bed can be awful sharp.”
“Won’t we ruin our shoes?”
“It’s either that or slice up the bottom of your feet.”
Marty and Alex came out of the woods, dressed in their trunks... and shoes. Guess Marty offered my little brother the same piece of advice about jagged rocks. Marty didn’t even slow down as he came barreling out of the trees. He built up speed with every step, splashing into the creek and sending a shower of cold water halfway up the bank.
“Woohoo!”
I pulled my tee-shirt off and put it on the shore along with my watch. As I waded into the shallows, minnows rushed away from my feet. It was a lot chillier than I expected. It took my breath away as it splashed up to my shins. It stung against the scratched chigger bites for a couple of seconds, but it still felt great on such a scorcher of a day. As I waded farther out, the water started tugging at me as it flowed beneath the bridge and beyond.
Alex waded in. “Brrr!” he said, wrapping his arms around his body and shivering. His lips were turning blue.
“You’ll get used to it,” Marty said.
Because she wasn’t dressed for swimming, Lisa stayed at the shoreline. She only waded in about ankle deep. The water never even touched the bottoms of her rolled up pants.
Water rushing into my tennis shoes and weighing them down took a little getting used to. I felt like I was moving in slow motion, like I had weights tied to my feet.
Laughing, Marty let himself fall to a seated position with the water rushing up to his neck. I did the same. The jagged rocks poked at me through the seat of my shorts. Marty splashed a handful of water into my face, starting a huge splash fest that lasted five minutes. Alex laughed at us, and Lisa scurried out of the water and away from the blast zone.
How awesome! In the city, we often went to the public pool, but swimming here, we had the entire creek to ourselves. No screaming babies. No prune-faced grannies sneering at you when you splashed a little too much. No grumpy lifeguards who were more interested in getting a tan than saving lives.
“In a couple of days,” Marty promised, “we’ll bring some inner tubes out and float on the rapids.”
That sounded great. I’d never done—
With a sploosh! Alex vanished. His entire body dropped like a brick beneath the water. He didn’t even have time to scream.
“Alex!” I jumped up. Water dripped from my body in sheets, spilling into the creek all around, sending ripples across the surface. I rushed to where he had been wading when he went under. “Alex!”
“He wandered into a deep pocket!” Lisa cried.
Now that she pointed it out, I noticed I couldn’t see the creek bed before me. Instead, it looked like a shadow covered the
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