and she only had to turn her head to see the culprit standing less than ten feet away. "You are such an asshole, Grenner."

"What's the matter, Scary's bitch can't take a little water?"

"Walk away," Latisha said, grabbing Grace's arm.

"Come on, Grace," Jan said. "Don't let her ruin our fun."

Grace allowed herself to be led away but not before giving Lauren Grenner a murderous look. "Someone should slap that bitch silly," she grumbled.

"Yeah but not you," Jan said, putting her hands on Grace's shoulders and pushing her away from the possible confrontation. "Come on, it seems like it's gonna be an easy day today. I don't want anything to screw it up."

Since Bravo Squad won, they got to sit back while the losing squads collected all the broken balloon bits and put them in the trash. "Don't split those shorts, Dawson," Jan said.

"Obviously she decided to skip the undies today," Grace said.

"Damn," Latisha chimed in. "Can she get it any deeper in the crack?"

"Gonna take her an hour to dig them out," Grace said, hugging her arms around her knees and enjoying the summer sun. "Look how tan I'm getting."

"Never get as tan as me," Latisha said, holding her dark brown arm against Grace's. "So what do you think is next?"

"No idea," Grace said. "Oh, look. There goes Viking and Mitchell."

"Think it's another balloon fight?" Campbell asked from behind Grace.

"Doubt it," Jan said. "Hey, what's that?"

"Sounds like an engine," Grace said. "Like a tractor."

"Bravo Squad," Carey called as she approached. The girls rose to their feet. "Bowen, Campbell, go man the hose." As she spoke, the tractor they had heard appeared, towing behind it a wooden dunking booth. "Jones, Rosetti, go to the supply shed and get the bucket of softballs just inside the door." She tossed a large piece of colored chalk at Grace. "Waters, once the booth is in place, count off twenty paces and draw a thick line. Bowen, no goofing around with that hose. You put it in the tank and you fill it, nothing else."

"Yes, ma'am," Jan said as she and Campbell headed for the side of the building where the hose was located. The hose was powerful but it still took a while to fill the tank, during which the sun helped dry most of the girls' shirts and shorts, though the sneakers continued to squish as the girls ran around.

"All right, squad formation facing the booth," Carey said. "Yes, I think you can all figure out what that is. Now here's how it's going to work. Your squad's instructor will go up and each member of the squad will get two chances-to dunk her." Cheers went up through the group. "You think it's that easy?" Her lips curled into a devilish grin that Grace recognized immediately. "You'll be read one trivia question. You get it right, you get a shot. Get it wrong, you're the one that gets wet. All right, since Bravo Squad won the balloon fight, they go first." Carey took off her hat and mirrored sunglasses, handing them to Instructor Gage as she passed. "Bravo Squad, line up and take your best shot." Carey removed her sneakers and socks, then climbed up the ladder and swung herself onto the short bench above the tank.

"Oh let me go first," Grace said to the others as they huddled near the chalk mark.

"No way," Hathaway said. "I got three hits from her this week. I'm going first." She grabbed a softball from the basket, then walked up to the chalk line.

Instructor Donaldson stood near the booth, holding several index cards. "Name the capital of Maine."

Hathaway wiggled her glasses and assumed a pitcher's stance. "Augusta, ma'am."

"Fire away," Donaldson said.

"Come on, Mo. Dunk her," Jan said as she and the others clapped in encouragement. Hathaway took aim, then threw the softball.

Unfortunately it was high, missing the target and bouncing harmlessly against the wooden frame. Before the teen could react, Instructor Mitchell was there with a bucket of cold water, her aim much better than Mo's.

"Oh! Oh, that's cold!" Hathaway sputtered, pushing her drenched hair out of her face.

"That's what you get for throwing like a girl," Carey taunted from her perch.

"Please let me go next," Grace said. "I made JV softball as a freshman. I know I can hit her."

"Let her go before she has a frigging heart attack," Jan said. Grace ran up to the mark.

"Waters," Donaldson said. "Capital of California."

"Um...Los Angeles, ma'am."

"Sacramento," Donaldson said as Grace was soaked by Mitchell. "That should cool you off," Carey said, waving her legs and smiling broadly.

"Hey, Grace, your village called. Their idiot is missing," Campbell said.

"Yeah yeah," Grace said, handing the softball to Latisha. "And there's a ventriloquist missing his dummy."

"Jones, alphabetically, which state capital comes first?"

"Boston, ma'am."

"Albany." Mitchell's aim was true, drenching Latisha. Some got their answers right but their aim failed to hit the center of the bull's-eye. Campbell came closest, her ball pinging off the edge of the metal target. Carey continued to tease and taunt her squad while sitting high and dry on the bench.

"Did you plug your brain in this time, Waters?"

"Yes, ma'am," Grace said, bouncing the softball in her hand. "Waters, name…" Donaldson stopped and looked at Carey. "She's gonna get this one," she said. "Waters, which state boasts the highest latitude?"

Grace looked directly at Carey. "Alaska, ma'am," she said, causing Instructor Mitchell to pause with the bucket.

"I knew you'd get one right sooner or later," Carey said. "Now let's see how good your aim is."

Grace tossed the ball back and forth between her hands. "Oh, I have very good aim, Instructor Carey." She focused on the red bull's-eye, took her position, and fired. The metal target moved back, causing the bench to collapse and Carey to fall into the tank while the girls cheered. Grinning from ear to ear, Grace turned and bowed at her friends. "Thank you, thank you," she said, looking back to see Carey standing up and wiping her face. "I told you I had good aim, ma'am."

Carey reached up and reset the bench. "Yes you did, Waters." She climbed the ladder, water running from the back of her shorts. "Don't you worry, we get our revenge later."

Grace stood to the side as the others took their remaining shots, her eyes focused on the soaked woman. Guess that's why guys like wet tee shirt contests, she thought, wishing Carey hadn't worn her sports bra.

The dunking booth kept the group busy until lunch, when the girls were happy to be told that they could attend in their PT clothes instead of changing into their dress uniforms.

"All right, this should be a snap for all you big mouths," Carey said, holding a bushel of apples on her shoulder. "You have sixty seconds to get an apple for your squad. Did I mention just to make things a little more interesting, you'll be blindfolded? Now be careful, we don't want


any of you to drown." Once Gage had the bucket filled with water, Carey leaned over and dumped the apples. "Alpha Squad, line up."

"Well, look who's going first," Grace muttered to Jan as Lauren Grenner knelt down in front of the bucket.

"Figures," Jan said. "Talk about big mouths."

"Look at her go," Grace said. "What's she gonna do? Drink all the water?"

"Naw." Jan bumped her. "She's just trying to get her weekly bath in."

"And time," Instructor Gage said, tapping Grenner on the shoulder.

"Next."

"Dumb ass couldn't even get an apple," Grace said.

"The trick is to suck against it, then bite," Jan said. "If you just try to bite it, it'll move out of the way. Look, that toadie Dawson is trying now."

"No way," Grace said. Being careful not to be overheard by the instructors, they passed the time picking on and gossiping about the girls of Alpha Squad.

"All right, that's five apples for Alpha Squad," Carey said. "Bravo Squad, line up."

"I'm going first," Jan said, moving to the front of the line. She knelt down, waited to be blindfolded, then dunked down and snared an apple on the first try. Grace and the others cheered and clapped, hoping their turns went as well. "Next."

"Go on, Grace," Latisha said, giving her friend a shove.

"Come on, who's next?" Carey asked.

"I guess I am, ma'am," Grace said, walking over to the bucket and kneeling down.

"Good luck," Carey whispered as she tied the blindfold. "Ready?"

Only three of the six members of Bravo Squad that had gone before her were able to secure apples and Grace felt pressure not to let Alpha Squad get the best of them. When the whistle blew, she dove in head first, careful to keep her arms out of the water per the rules. She tried to sink her teeth into the apple but it moved, forcing her to quickly find another. Come on, come on. Time's running out. She picked her head up, took a deep breath, then plunged in again, not stopping until she had an apple pinned against the bottom of the bucket. Grace bit down, made sure she had a firm grip, then stood up quickly, proudly showing off the apple in her mouth.

"Thanks a lot," Carey said as she wiped the water off her face. Grace let the apple drop into her hand and tried not to smirk as she saw just how much water had been splashed on the instructor. She dared to take a quick glance. Yup, got them too. "Sorry about that, ma'am," she said, not meaning it a bit.

"That's four apples so far for Bravo Squad," Carey said, running her fingers through her short black hair and flicking off the excess water. "Next."