going on with my body and showed me what I needed. Mom shrugged when I told her about my experience. I didn’t really expect any other reaction.
School had ended for the year, and I had all summer to lounge in the pool, work on my tan, and go shopping. Mom might not want me around, but I had friends that did. More than likely because of my rich girl status and because they had crushes on Magnus. Whatever the reason, at last I found myself in a group. I’d also found Ms. Blessing, my math teacher. Most seventh graders hated math with a passion, but I loved numbers. Simple, exact, and structured. Two and two always equaled four. We studied pre-algebra in preparation for next year, and I couldn’t wait until fall for that class. English and social studies? Nah. Give me more math.
My half-asleep mind floated along with my body, thinking about clothes and what the new fall trends would be, when a loud voice startled me, almost sending me into the water. I froze instead.
“Damn, Magnus. When did your sister grow that rack? Bet you could shelve books on those things.”
I kept still, hoping they thought I slept on, but opened my eyes to see Robert Corrigan, Archie Mayhew, and Magnus standing at the edge of the pool. The black of my sunglasses kept them from noticing I was awake.
All three were dressed in golf clothes, and I guessed they were coming back from a game at the country club. Magnus got a brand-new car for his birthday, and he and his friends spent hours driving around in the gorgeous red Saab convertible. I never asked him to take me for a ride. I already knew the answer he would give.
Robert spoke again. “She got hair on her pussy yet?”
Magnus frowned at him. “How the fuck should I know? I try not to be around her any more than I have to.”
“Just wondering how ripe that cherry is.”
Robert laughed. The look in his eyes made me uncomfortably aware of my near-naked state. I wore my favorite pink bikini that showed a lot of skin to get as much of me tanned as possible. Now I wished I had donned my frumpy one-piece suit. I wasn’t stupid. Bee-Dee had explained to me about sex and boys and more changes that would be coming. I knew what pussy, rack, fuck, cherry, cunt, ass, dick, and cock meant from older kids at school. Lying there on the raft in the middle of the pool, I was conscious of my body being displayed. Hearing Robert use those dirty words in reference to me scared me. Fear bloomed in my bare stomach, and I had to concentrate hard to keep still and not tremble. I didn’t know what else to do. Go away, go away, go away, I chanted over and over in my head.
Archie answered my silent prayer. “Fuck, Rob, she’s only twelve. Give her a few years before you go after that fruit. Let’s drive over to my place and play video games. My parents aren’t home from their cruise, and the liquor cabinet is full.”
The raft started to spin away from them in the current. I held my breath as they faded from my sight. If I couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see me, right?
Robert laughed again as they moved off. “What do you think, Magnus, old buddy? Mind if I bang your little sister sometime?”
“I don’t give a shit what you do. She’s useless as it is. Fucking waste of space.”
Right then, the universe decided to fuck with me some more. My head swiveled as if controlled by something else, and my eyes locked onto a figure on the other side of the fountain. Robert stood there with a model-thin blonde next to him glittering in a white sheath dress and heels more suited to a formal evening than an afternoon party. If this was Kiki, his third wife, whatever weight he claimed she had gained at the July festival certainly didn’t show much to me. Prick! Maybe I’d mail her one of my bottles of lavender body spray.
Robert paid no attention to his wife or the man who spoke to him. His eyes were on me. Watching. He lifted his glass in salute and stared at me over the rim. He had the same smug look on his face he’d perfected years ago. One I wanted to tear off with my nails. The man speaking noticed Robert’s distraction