She waves me over. I motion to her that I have to grab some food, first. She smiles and nods, then returns to her conversation with the people around her. “Hey guys,” I say as I sit down. I recognize all of Katy’s friends at the table. Monica and Jamie are on either side of me, while Tracy, Lauren, and Emma crowd around Katy on the opposite side of the table. Emma and Jamie both have their boyfriends with them. “Hey, girlfriend, where you been?” Lauren asks. “We missed you at practice this morning.” “I kind of overslept,” I admit. Lauren’s also on the swim team with me. She laughs. “Coach is going to be pissed.” “I know,” I sigh. “But he won’t hold it against me long, will he? I’d hate that.” “With the times you’ve been putting up? Not a chance in hell.” “Yeah, I hear you’re like a mermaid in the water,” Karl—Emma’s boyfriend—offers. “Still, I bet I can take you.” In high school, Karl had been a varsity football, soccer, basketball, and baseball player.
