I stepped out of my skirt, slid off my underwear, unfastened my bra, and then dove into the water. Sam jumped in seconds later, a flash of white limbs. We kept our distance from each other, but I paddled away further still and turned onto my back, spreading my arms and legs, floating under the open sky. My feet tingled with relief. The water swirled around me, and my eyes grew heavy. Eventually someone splashed me, and Charlie said, “I think it’s time to get Percy to bed.”
He ran up to the house in his underwear and came back with towels, and Sam walked me home through the path.
“Ready for the swim tomorrow?” he asked when we got to the bottom of the steps.
I hummed in response. “You might have to give me a wake-up call.” I said good night, climbed the stairs up to the cottage, and sprawled out naked on my bed.
* * *
THE SOUND OF knocking woke me suddenly. I glanced at the clock: 8:01 a.m.
“A phone call would have been fine,” I grumbled after I threw on a cotton robe and trudged downstairs to open the door. Sam gave me a guilty half grin, and I motioned for him to come in.
“Thought an in-person alarm would be more effective. You seemed really tired last night.” He shrugged. He was wearing a bathing suit and a hoodie. His light brown hair fell over his face in a tumble.
“You know, for such an anal guy, your hair is extremely messy.” I glowered.
“Someone’s grumpy this morning,” he said, slipping off his sneakers.
“I just woke up, and I’ve really got to pee.” I walked to the bathroom. “There are Cheerios in the cupboard and bagels in the bread drawer if you haven’t eaten yet.”
The phone started ringing mid-pee. “You mind getting that?” I yelled to Sam. “It’s probably Mom or Dad.”
When I came out, he held the receiver in my direction.
“Hello?”
“Percy, it’s Mason.” My eyes skipped to Sam’s.
“Hey. I didn’t think you woke up this early,” I replied as Sam turned and busied himself with the toaster. There was no privacy on the main floor of the cottage, and Sam was going to hear every word.
“It’s your swim today, right? I wanted to wish you good luck.” Mason called the cottage to talk about once a week. If he hadn’t, I think I would have forgotten about him almost entirely, the same way I forgot about nearly everything to do with my life back in the city when I was at the lake.
“It is, thanks. It’s looking a little gray outside,” I said, peering out the window, “but it doesn’t seem like there’s wind, so I should be good.”
“Who was that who answered the phone?”
“Oh, that’s Sam.” Sam glanced over his shoulder. I’d mentioned him to Mason before, and he knew that we were friends—I just hadn’t told him Sam and I were best friends or that I was harboring a not-insignificant crush on him. “He’s spotting me while I swim, remember?” Sam pointed to himself like, Who me? and I bit back a laugh.
“He’s there early.” It wasn’t an accusation. Mason was too sure of himself for jealousy.
“Yeah.” I laughed nervously. “He wanted to make sure I got out of bed. Busy night last night.”
“Well, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to check in before your swim. And”—he cleared his throat—“to tell you that I miss you. I can’t wait to see you when you come back. I want to hold you, Percy.” I watched Sam smear cream cheese on a bagel. His forearms were thick and covered in fine, fair hair that glowed in the sun. He looked big in our small kitchen. There wasn’t a hint left of the gawky thirteen-year-old boy I met three years ago.
“Me too,” I replied, feeling guilty for the lie as it left my mouth. I hadn’t really missed Mason at all.
When I hung up, Sam handed me the bagel on a plate.
I thanked him and sat on a stool chewing while he prepared one for himself. When he was done, he stood on the other side of the counter and took a bite out of his breakfast, watching me while he ate.
“Was that the famous Buckley?” he asked, his mouth full. I gave him a flat look.
“Mason.”
“Does he call a lot?”
I took a big bite of my bagel to stall. “Every week,” I said after a minute. “It’s probably good he does, otherwise I might forget he exists.”
Sam stopped midchew, his eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“What’s with the face?” I asked.
He swallowed and then cleared his throat before answering. “Nothing. It just doesn’t sound like you’re that into him.”