When I got home from school that day, no one was home.

I’d walked by myself on the river trail even though I thought maybe I could walk with Carlene but I couldn’t find her.

I did see dumb-bum Bonnie out waiting for her ride but who cares about that.

I walked and I watched the river moving fast and suddenly I fell in it.

I was screaming and I was going to die, the water choking me and every time I tried to swim, an undercurrent would pull me farther.

There were people on the bank. Hugging and crying.

“Help me,” I cried.

But no one dared because the water was ice cold and the current swift.

More people showed up.

And I thought this is how I’m going to die.

Then I thought: I almost died in the pool before.

And then I thought: I am going to die in water.

And then I thought: What if I died in the bathtub?

And then there were voices.

“Somebody save her!”

“Somebody jump in!”

But nobody jumped in.

And I said, “Dear God. Thanks for the good times. At least it’s not the tub.”

But then, right before I went under, right before a huge news helicopter spun overhead, right then, I got a surge of energy.

I swam across the rushing water, my body almost like a fish. People cheering. Bart yelling.

Bart?

Bart was there.

He was there and he held a big towel that said, GO OLIVIA!!

And Berkeley was jumping up and down. Dad was giving Mom a piggyback, which was weird but kind of romantic.

And Carlene and Lala and dumb-bum Bonnie and Chip and Tandi and even Delilah were sitting on Chip’s monster truck cheering.

And this time, when I got out, nobody had to give me CPR. But Bart kissed me. Again.

In front of everyone.

Again.

Even Troy the lifeguard was there and he looked on in jealousy.

Then I tripped on a rock and fell down and scraped my knee.

My first day back where no one talked to me and where I knew I was never going to pass sixth grade and where I tried to pretend like I didn’t care.