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on my knees, letting my head hang low.
    After another deep breath, the world steadies. The kids are hugging the wall, but they’re staring off to the side. I follow their gaze and see Katie standing on the stairs. She’s bent over.
Why? What?
    Then I hear the sounds. She’s throwing up in the pool.
Katie is throwing up. I need to
—
    Alec?
    He’s suddenly there, lifting Katie from the water. “It’s okay,” he says. He’s got one hand on her shoulder and the other is rubbing her back as she throws up again, this time on the cool deck.
    The kids scream and scramble to pull themselves out.
    “Katie,” I say. I’m moving forward and I’m a little wobbly but mostly I’m scared shitless.
What if she’d drowned?
I bend down beside her. “Are you okay, honey?”
    She nods, looking scared over her puddle of throw-up. It breaks my heart to see her trembling in her pink bikini and a swim cap with yellow daisies.
    “Let’s find your mom, huh?”
    “I want to go with Alec,” she whispers. She won’t meet my eyes. I didn’t think it was possible to feel any worse, but I do.
    “Sure,” Alec says. He shoves back a wave of his hair. He wears it long for a swimmer, halfway down his neck. “You and I are buds, aren’t we?” he says, his eyes on Katie. “Is your mom waiting inside?”
    Katie nods.
    Alec glances up at me. “Can you keep an eye on Benji?”
    I look over at lane 6. Alec’s student is sitting on the edge of the pool. His feet are pulled out of the water. I don’t blame him. The throw-up is floating like a gray film. “Of course.”
    His eyes are cold when they look at me, but when he turns to Katie, she presses herself against his side. She obviously knows him somehow and trusts him. I want to warn her not to, but she looks okay with his arm around her shoulder. Safe. Does she know something I don’t? Or is it just easier to fool a nine-year-old?

7

    T he parents have all come and gone. Thank God. Class was nearly over when Katie threw up, so no one complains. The vomit was contained to lane 1 and the chlorine levels are high enough that they won’t have to close the pool. Still, I get a nasty look from Bob, who runs the maintenance crew and shows up as the last kid is leaving. He takes one look at the puke and curses under his breath.
    “We got a broken pipe in the men’s locker room,” he says. “My guys are up to their necks in it right now. This one’s on you.” His voice is a tired grumble, but it’s still clear what he’s saying. “Make sure you get it all,” he adds as he leaves.
    All
being the throw-up.
    I nod, but I’m not sure I can do it. I have one of those gag reflexes. The sight of throw-up makes my stomach lurch, and I’mnot real excited about adding two cinnamon rolls to Katie’s pile. I use a kickboard to direct the mess toward the stairs but I’m too chicken to do more. Now I’m squatting on the cool deck, mopping things up with one hand and pinching my nose with the other when Alec comes back out.
    He stares at me a long second. I don’t care how stupid I look or what he thinks. I’m too busy being angry with myself. After yesterday’s dizziness, I know I’m dehydrated. So what did I drink this morning? Half a glass of milk—that’s it.
Real smart, Abby
. No wonder I’m dizzy. I drop the rag in the bucket and stand up.
    “How’s Katie?” I ask.
    “Okay. Her mom said she hasn’t been feeling well the past few days.”
    “So why did they bring her to swim class?”
    His eyes flash. “Why didn’t you notice she was sick?”
    I pause, my mouth open and ready with a comeback, but I have no answer for that.
    “I was across the pool,” he says, “and
I
could see her turning pale.”
    “I thought she was tired,” I say. “Or faking it. Katie does that sometimes.”
    Also, I was too dizzy to see straight
. I lift a hand to my face, rub my eyes. They feel achy. Maybe I caught a virus or something? Or maybe it’s a migraine. I knew a girl in middle