His mom laughed. Then she said, “Olivia, you should come to our house for dinner.”

And even though it wasn’t marriage, which I didn’t want anyway, it was something.

Bart said, “She can’t.”

I said, “I can’t?”

And he said, “Can you?”

I said, “I think I can.”

Then he said, “She might be able to.”

And I said, “I can.”

And he said, “Are you sure? What about your dad?”

I said, “What about him?”

And he said, “Would he let you?”

I said, “I don’t know.”

He said, “She probably can’t.”

I said, “I probably can.”

His mom folded her arms, smiling.

Then he said, “You probably can?”

I said, “Yes.”

And his mom said, “It’s settled then. We grill at six.”

Then someone walked up to her to ask her a question.

Bart looked at me. “You don’t have to come.”

He had no idea that inside I was jumping up and down. I was screaming. I was more excited than I had ever been in my whole life except for the time we went to Disney when I was six.

I said, “I can come.”

And he said, “She cooks bad food.”

I said, “I don’t care.”

And he said, “Okay.”

And I said, “Okay.”

I couldn’t read his face. Why didn’t he want me to come?

He started to say something and I knew it was going to be that I couldn’t come because he didn’t like me. But instead he said, “I would never do Aqua Zumba in real life but it’s good for Tae Kwon Do.”

His lips were smooth like he wore a Chapstick regularly which is a good idea. Plus, he had braces. I’d always wanted braces.

Finally, he stopped talking and said, “I have to go.”

I said, “What?”

And then I realized that the pool area was almost empty except for a few lap swimmers, and his mom was waiting for him by the door.

“Oh,” I said. “Yeah. Okay. Thanks.”

And he said “Thanks?” Then he said, “I live at Nine Eleven North Elm Street.”

Panic went all over my body.

“Where?”

“Nine-one-one North Elm.”

I said it in my head 911 North Elm Street. 911 North Elm Street. 911 North Elm Street.

I knew I was going to forget it. I could not forget it.

Then he said, “Just remember, emergency Freddy Krueger.”

And I said, “What?”

And he said, “Never mind.”

Then he said, “What are you going to do now?”

I looked over at the play pools. Kids running around screaming. I looked at dumb-bum Dad. Ugh.

“I’m going to swim a few laps,” I said.

“You are?” he said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I do it all the time. I like it over here.”

He said, “That’s cool.”

And I said, “Thank you.”

And then he left. But not before his mom yelled, “See you tonight,” and I said, “See you tonight,” which sounded like I was copying her.

And then I stood there.

I got back in the pool and didn’t swim any laps. Instead I waited for five minutes on the clock.

911 North Elm Street. 911 North Elm Street. 911 North Elm Street.

Emergency. North Freddy Krueger.

~

Then I got out and went to the kiddie pools where I belonged.