Charlie looked at the women gathered around the table.
âOK. It was my senior year; remember when I hurt my knee? Well, Michael was helping me with the rehabilitation.â
Charlie smiled as her mind drifted back to that one afternoon.
âOw! Watch it OK!â Charlie glared at Michael.
âSorry. I'm just trying to help. Your knee is still pretty swollen.â
Charlie crossed her arms over her chest and didn't say a word. Until Mike twisted her knee the other way â âOW!â
âWhy did you wear these clothes today? It's hard to work you with âthisâ in the way.â Mike tugged at a floppy pant leg.
âWell sorry - if theyâre such a problem then take them off.â
âWhat!? Take them off?â
âOh please - I have sport briefs on.â Charlie unsnapped her shorts and lifted her hips. Mike paused. âGeez 'Michelle' you've seen me wear less in the pool.â
Mike flashed on a memory from many years back and smiled.
âWhat are you grinning at you big dork.â
Mike smiled deeply, âI was just remembering the first time I came over to swim. You certainly shocked me with what you were wearing that day.â
âYou are such a jerk. My sister still bugs me about that day. Gawd â I knew I was skinny then but how could you have thought I was a boy? That was so embarrassing â and in front of her friends too.â Charlie playfully punched Mike shoulder.
âI told you I couldnât see â Iâd broken my glasses just before I met you that first time. Câmon Char â give a guy a break?â
Charlene thought back to that summer day so many years before. They had recently moved into a new house and she hadnât met any kids her age. They were either older or younger, and what was worse none were interested in shooting hoops with her.
About two weeks into the new neighborhood she was at a local park practicing free throws when a skinny dark haired kid had walked up. He was squinting a lot and had that obnoxious problem that all boys seemed to have â they were alive and they had a galling need to state the absolute obvious.
âYou shooting baskets?â
Charlene stared at the boy with her mouth open as she stood at the free throw line. She shook her head to herself and swished another basket. She retrieved the ball and prepared to shoot again. Swish.
âNice shot.â
âThanks.â She stood ready to shot again when she glanced over at the squinting boy. âIs there something wrong with your eyes?â
âOh...no? Why? OhâŚI get it.â
âWellâŚis there something wrong with your eyes?â
âOhâŚI broke my glasses while I was on vacation. We were at my cousins house and we were playing baseball and I was hitting my cousin hard I mean I was hitting the ball hard because he was pitching and he was getting pissed off and he said Michael you asshole stop hitting the ball so hard andâŚâ
âOkay, okay⌠I get itâŚthanks for the life story.â Swish. âYou play roundball?â
âIs the Pope religious?â
âWhat?â Charlene shook her head again - boys. Her sister Jenn raved about them â this boy is this or that boy is that. âHeâs so cuteâŚheâs so coolâŚheâs soâŚheâs soâŚâ Charlene had yet to meet any boy that she didnât think was at best âso-so.â
âYeah. Whatâs your name? I like to know that name of my victims.â
Charlene flinched as she heard what was possibly the worstâŚno, no make that what was
certainly
the worst Dracula accent ever. âCharlene.â
âNice ta meetcha Charlie.â
Charlene shook her head again. He canât see, he canât hear, and he probably canât shoot - lucky me.
An hour later Charlene ran her fingers through her short blonde hair. Sweat dripped freely from her face. She glared into Mikeâs squinty face. âNext shot wins â alright?â Swish. âI win.â Charlene grabbed the ball and started to walk away.
âWhat? Whatâs wrong with you? Give me the ball!â
âI said, âNEXT SHOT WINSâ you nodded I shot - I swished - I win. Seems pretty clear to me â how do you see it?â
Mike sputtered and spit. âI demand a rematch!â
Charlene walked away in triumph, âFine â I see you here tomorrow at 10. Try to bring your âAâ game â I could use a good workout.â
And so began a hotly contested competition of cutthroat basketball between a couple of 11 year old kids. Games were won â games were lost. On the sixth day the temperature climb dizzyingly until Charlene called time out. âItâs too hot to play anymore â Iâm going home.â
âOK. Tomorrowâs supposed to be hotter.â
âHey do you want to come over to my house and swim? Itâll be okay because my mom will be home.â
âYeah! I canât come over until after lunch â Iâm getting new glasses tomorrow.â
Mike stood at Charlieâs front door with his towel in hand. His new glasses were great. He was in the middle of his second knock when the door opened. A girl with long blonde hair stood before him. Mike was eye level with her breasts. His eyes widen at the size of them. They were literally overflowing her bikini top.
âYes. What do you want?â
Mike glanced up at the girls face, âCharlie invited me over to swim,â and back at her breasts. Her nipples were swelling and Mikeâs mouth fell silently open.
âCharlie? Oh you meanâŚIâm up here you little pervert.â Mikeâs mouth snapped shut and his head flicked up. The girls opened the door wider, âWellâŚare you coming in or not?â She turned and walked away, âOh Charlieeee, your little friend is here to play with you.â The girl walked toward the back yard. âOh and this is the bathroom, please use it so you donât pee in the pool.â
Mike laid his towel on a table. The pool looked pretty good. The girl whoâd answered the door was sitting with two of her friends. Mike found it very easy to ignore them. He shook his head slowly girls were so weird.