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“That building was a thousand years old when we used to go there,” Jack said.

“We spent a lot of time there as kids,” Rhett said.

“I have fond memories of their summer camps,” I said. They’d been practically free for kids in our income bracket. My mother had signed us up for as many as they offered.

“Yeah, me too,” Rhett said. “That place saved us from getting into trouble.”

“The staff was so sweet to us,” I said.

“They all loved Jack, if I recall,” Rhett said, laughing. “Even back then he was slaying the ladies.”

“Ick,” Ivy said, rolling her eyes.

“Do you guys remember the swimming pool in town?” Rhett asked. “Is it still around?”

“They filled it in,” Holly said. “Lack of funds.”

“That’s a shame,” Jack said.

Rhett nodded, his jaw clenched. “The four of us standing outside the locked fence—watching all the kids in the water while we melted in the heat—is forever embedded in my memory.”

“Good times,” Jack said.

Rhett had been angry that day, hands gripping the metal cage that kept us out as half the town splashed around.

“I vowed that someday I’d swim in any pool I wanted,” Rhett said.

“And you can,” I said. “You did exactly what you said you would.”

“You too, Professor,” Rhett said to me.

“Why wouldn’t they let you in?” Blake asked.

“It cost a dollar each for an afternoon,” I said. “Which none of us had.”

“How sad,” Blake said.

“We made our own fun,” Holly said.

“You could have gone to the pool,” Rhett said, looking over at Holly with an expression of tenderness. “But you hung out with us riff-raff instead.”

“That’s how the idea for the dance contest came about,” Holly said. “Rhett and I got it in our heads we were going to win the dance contest and be able to get us all into the swimming pool the rest of the summer.”

“Spoiler alert. We didn’t win,” Rhett said, shaking his head. “But we gave it a good try.”

“We were spectacular,” Holly said.

“I’d like to see that dance,” Beck said.

“You’re in luck. Rumor has it we’re reenacting it for the talent show,” Holly said, eyes sparkling.

“No way,” Jack said. “You can’t possibly remember it?”

“We practiced that thing a thousand times,” Rhett said. “Turns out we still remember.”

“We’ve been secretly practicing,” Holly said. “Which is good because the food’s way too good here. I’m going to go home as plump as a sausage.”

“No way,” Rhett said. “Those impossibly long legs of yours require a lot of calories.”