“You’d better get home,” she told Chris. “If this happens again, I’ll call your parents,” she warned before slamming the window shut. I could feel myself trembling—with fear and anger—when Mom whirled around.
“I can’t believe you did that!” I screamed at her. “We weren’t doing anything wrong!” My hand sought the cover of my jeans pocket and my fingers wrapped protectively around the key Chris had given me. “Besides,” I added, holding back tears, “I can take care of myself!”
“Amy, what has gotten into you? Do you call staying up until all hours on a school night taking care of yourself?”
“I can handle it,” I said, more quietly that time because I wasn’t so sure I could. I was thinking of the C I’d gotten on the physics test, the health and English books I’d only skimmed, and the other homework I hadn’t even started.
“I know you think you can,” Mom told me. “But for the time being, you’re grounded. You’re to be in bed by ten onschool nights, and to come straight home after school or swimming practice.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested. “You can’t ground me anyway. I’m almost seventeen.”
Mom stormed out into the hallway. “Maybe this will remind you,” she told me, “that you’re not quite grown up yet.”
chapter thirteen
The next day, I strung the key on a satin cord and wore it like a piece of expensive jewelry around my neck. I was hoping it would glitter defiantly in the sunlight, but unfortunately, the day was overcast.
“What’s that? A cross?” Jill asked me at practice. We were doing timed trials for the meet the next day, and I guess she was worried that I might gain an edge on the competition by appealing to a higher, holy source.
“It’s a key,” I told her, covering it with my palm. The metal was cold. “I got it from Chris.”
“What a weird gift! You’re not going to wear that in the pool, are you?” Jill asked, pushing her straight brown hair underneath her swimming cap.
The truth was, I hadn’t been planning to—I was afraid the chlorine in the water might turn the brass green. But when Jill asked me, I felt I had to, just to spite her. We were the last two people in the locker room, and I headed toward the door. “Sure, why not?” I called back.
Once in the water, I discovered that the key lay against my body neatly as long as I kept moving forward, but it bobbed around in the water whenever I turned. Twice, the key rapped me on the forehead when I was upside-down underwater. Finally, on my fourth flip turn, the cord and the key wriggled free from my neck.
I stopped traffic in the swim lane as I dog-paddled in place, trying to find my treasure. “What’s your problem?” Jill asked as she swam up beside me. She had an I-told-you-so grin on her face.
Usually I tried to be cool with her. But I was too tired today.
You’re the problem
, I was thinking. And let me tell you, one second longer and the words would have sprung from my lips.
But just then I looked up and saw Chris standing at the edge of the pool, watching me. I knew he must have seen what had just happened. “There’s no problem,” I told Jill as I watched him dive purposefully into the water.
“Looking for this?” he asked me, smiling, as he emerged a moment later holding my key.
“Yes! Thank you,” I said. I stood in the water while he knotted the cord tighter and slipped it around my neck. Behind me, he leaned close so that Jill couldn’t hear. “I hope you didn’t get in too much trouble, Amy,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to leave you last night, the way your mom was yelling.”
“It was all right,” I told him, trying to sound bold—bolder than I felt. “I told her that we hadn’t done anything wrong and that I could take care of myself.”
“How’d she take it?” Chris asked, his eyes full of concern.
What I said next was only half true. “She just wants me to be careful.”
Just then Coach August blew
“I can’t believe you did that!” I screamed at her. “We weren’t doing anything wrong!” My hand sought the cover of my jeans pocket and my fingers wrapped protectively around the key Chris had given me. “Besides,” I added, holding back tears, “I can take care of myself!”
“Amy, what has gotten into you? Do you call staying up until all hours on a school night taking care of yourself?”
“I can handle it,” I said, more quietly that time because I wasn’t so sure I could. I was thinking of the C I’d gotten on the physics test, the health and English books I’d only skimmed, and the other homework I hadn’t even started.
“I know you think you can,” Mom told me. “But for the time being, you’re grounded. You’re to be in bed by ten onschool nights, and to come straight home after school or swimming practice.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested. “You can’t ground me anyway. I’m almost seventeen.”
Mom stormed out into the hallway. “Maybe this will remind you,” she told me, “that you’re not quite grown up yet.”
chapter thirteen
The next day, I strung the key on a satin cord and wore it like a piece of expensive jewelry around my neck. I was hoping it would glitter defiantly in the sunlight, but unfortunately, the day was overcast.
“What’s that? A cross?” Jill asked me at practice. We were doing timed trials for the meet the next day, and I guess she was worried that I might gain an edge on the competition by appealing to a higher, holy source.
“It’s a key,” I told her, covering it with my palm. The metal was cold. “I got it from Chris.”
“What a weird gift! You’re not going to wear that in the pool, are you?” Jill asked, pushing her straight brown hair underneath her swimming cap.
The truth was, I hadn’t been planning to—I was afraid the chlorine in the water might turn the brass green. But when Jill asked me, I felt I had to, just to spite her. We were the last two people in the locker room, and I headed toward the door. “Sure, why not?” I called back.
Once in the water, I discovered that the key lay against my body neatly as long as I kept moving forward, but it bobbed around in the water whenever I turned. Twice, the key rapped me on the forehead when I was upside-down underwater. Finally, on my fourth flip turn, the cord and the key wriggled free from my neck.
I stopped traffic in the swim lane as I dog-paddled in place, trying to find my treasure. “What’s your problem?” Jill asked as she swam up beside me. She had an I-told-you-so grin on her face.
Usually I tried to be cool with her. But I was too tired today.
You’re the problem
, I was thinking. And let me tell you, one second longer and the words would have sprung from my lips.
But just then I looked up and saw Chris standing at the edge of the pool, watching me. I knew he must have seen what had just happened. “There’s no problem,” I told Jill as I watched him dive purposefully into the water.
“Looking for this?” he asked me, smiling, as he emerged a moment later holding my key.
“Yes! Thank you,” I said. I stood in the water while he knotted the cord tighter and slipped it around my neck. Behind me, he leaned close so that Jill couldn’t hear. “I hope you didn’t get in too much trouble, Amy,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to leave you last night, the way your mom was yelling.”
“It was all right,” I told him, trying to sound bold—bolder than I felt. “I told her that we hadn’t done anything wrong and that I could take care of myself.”
“How’d she take it?” Chris asked, his eyes full of concern.
What I said next was only half true. “She just wants me to be careful.”
Just then Coach August blew
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