Free Acting Out by Katy Grant Page B

there was pink underwear hanging all over it. I could pull off being JD at camp, but when camp was over, then what?
    There were times when it felt like I’d always been JD. Sometimes I completely forgot about my old life as Judith. Until it would come sneaking up on me, like Brandon Matheson. Don’t I know you?
    No, Brandon, you don’t know me. And Courtney, Lauren, Mei—they don’t know me either. How could they know me?
    They don’t even know my name.

Monday, June 23
    â€œSo how would you rate him, on a scale of one to ten?” asked Mei.
    â€œOh, I’d say about a seven,” I said. I kicked with my feet under water so I wouldn’t splash everyone around me.
    â€œA seven? Is that all?” Courtney asked, swimming up beside me. Out of everyone in the class, she was the one who was most able to keep up with me. But when we swam laps, I didn’t go fast. It was more fun for all of us to stay in a group and talk.
    â€œOkay, an eight, then,” I said. “Wait up for Lauren, you guys.” We all slowed down so Lauren could catch up to us.
    â€œDon’t let me hold everyone else up!” Lauren snapped at us when she got closer. We all felt bad that she had such a hard time. She tried her best, but it was always a struggle.
    â€œJD, admit it. Nothing happened between you and that guy,” said Claudia. “I bet he didn’t lay a hand on you. Or a lip!”
    The whole class cracked up over Claudia’s lip remark. She obviously saw through me, more than anyone else. I hadn’t exactly lied about what happened when Lance and I got caught by the Porch Patrol on Saturday night. Everyone had just assumed we’d been kissing. Of course, saying “I don’t kiss and tell” whenever anyone asked me about what happened probably had a little something to do with it.
    â€œOkay, whatever. Believe what you want to believe,” I told the others. “Maybe Lance and I weren’t kissing when those two CATs caught us. And maybe his breath didn’t smell like Skittles.”
    â€œLike Skittles? His breath smelled like Skittles?” asked Shelby, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.
    â€œYeah, but I didn’t mind,” I said. “He did have a pucker like a fish, though.” Now everyone was laughing over my remark. Poor Lance. He really was a nice guy, and I didn’t plan on making fun of him. I was just trying to think of something funny to say. Good thing he’d never know I’d said that about him.
    â€œOnly JD would be crazy enough to get caught by the Porch Patrol,” said Courtney.
    â€œYeah! I couldn’t believe the way you walked over and started talking to all those guys. You definitely have a way with boys, JD,” Mei said, paddling beside me.
    â€œWhat’s all the discussion about?” yelled Alex as we swam up close to the dock. “Everyone out on the side. We’re going to work on reaching and throwing assists today.”
    Alex told Claudia to jump in and show signs of distress. Then she demonstrated how to do a reaching assist by lying on our stomachs on the dock and reaching out with an arm, and then holding on to a rung of the ladder and reaching out with a leg. Next she threw a ring buoy out to Claudia and pulled her in.
    â€œOkay, now I want you guys to try it in pairs. Claudia, out of the water. Courtney, you jump in and Claudia will do both a reach and a pull assist with you.”
    The rest of us sat on the edge of the dock to watch the exercise.
    â€œYou guys want to know something?” whispered Mei, hugging her towel around her shoulders. “I’ve never been kissed. Pathetic, huh?”
    â€œNo, it’s not!” I said. “Look, it’s really no big deal. It’s not like I saw fireworks or anything.” I dangled my feet over the edge of the dock, my toes touching the water. I watched a few little tadpoles dart up to the dock and then swim