The swimming pool was thronged that afternoon by the usual crowd of children, mothers, and old men that came there on summer days. It was a very selfconscious Dennis that walked to the main entrance and passed through the gate with a group of adults and children leaving his quarter in the grey steel box. The press of people all about both frightened and thrilled him. It was the first time he had met the world as a girl. Apparently the world was going to accept her. She was fitting in amongst the crowd and no one had yet paid any particular attention to the little girl in the blue and white swimming suit. Dennis walked around the edge of the pool seeking an open space of concrete to leave his towel on. As he went he continually stole glances at those who passed searching for some sign that he was seen and perhaps appreciated by the viewers. Several met his glance and he turned his eyes away quickly, his heart pounding, his mind whirling in the knowledge that he had been noticed. The little game brought an absorbing sense of self-awareness.

He found an unoccupied space and claimed it for his towel. He would be content to lie here for awhile to watch the people swimming and sunning and perhaps they would watch him. He could always swim later.

The pool was guarded by four older high school boys and girls. Dennis knew most of them by name. There was a girl named Maryann that he liked best and sometimes talked with. She was tall and had long golden hair. Dennis thought she was beautiful and perhaps he was somewhat infatuated. He saw her now across the pool on the life guard tower high above the water in the deep end close to the diving boards. She wore a bright red lifeguard's suit. Occasionally her high voice would amplify over a bull horn and the pool noise would subside suddenly while Mary- ann directed some errant swimmer out of the pool for splashing or some other breach of swimming etiquette. Her word was law and Dennis prided himself that he had never been the subject of such a disgracing reprimand.

At length he decided to swim. He entered the large pool at the shallow end where the water was less than three feet deep. The water felt cold at first and he went in slowly adjusting to the temperature gradually. He had taken swimming lessons for two summers and could swim a hundred feet. He struck out across the pool wending his way around other swim- mers. He found that his new swimming suit hampered his stroke a bit. He decided that it would be just as well not to do any serious swimming. Today he would stay on the sides and paddle around. He marvelled at the way the pleated skirt buoyed up in the water. The polish on his finger- nails gleamed with the wetness and he looked at his hands frequently.

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