Kelsey the Incorrigible

“Kelsey,” Corey said, looking up at the sun and wiping a mixture of water and sweat from his brow, “I’m taking off the wetsuit!”

It was mid-June and he’d been following her all up and down the fairground for hours. He half-turned towards the Black Buick Le Sabre parked on the hill, by the school building.

“Can’t we please go just once more?” Kelsey asked, grabbing his thick, rubbery arm.

“I think we’re to big for this and—“

A loud thunk behind him foretold the splash and spray of water that peppered his back.

“—and I think we should get back to the cakewalk. Rachel’s probably lonely and bored out of her mind.”

“So, yes, then?” Kelsey was incorrigible.

“Well…”

“Great! One more and then we’ll go.” She moved to stand in line behind two skinny adolescent girls, waterlogged and shivering.
Corey obligingly shuffled in behind her as the first of the girls in front of them mounted the Tupperware stairs to the dunk tank. “This better be quick,” he said, shielding his face with one octopus-arm.

Thunk. Splash.

The line shifted forward, as the next girl clambered onto the spring-loaded platform. “Do you think they’ll let us do one together”?

“Um… we can ask.”

Kelsey took the hair tie off of her wrist and put her hair back. She handed him her earrings.

Thunk. Splash.

“I’m having so much fun! I could do this for hours!”
He furrowed his brow and pouted at her ascending backside. “Kelsey…”

Thunk. Splash.

He waited for her to exit the tank before taking his place.
Thunk. Splash.

“Now let’s go,” he said, shaking the water out of his hair. The sun felt even hotter after leaving the cold water, and his head hurt.

Kelsey said, “Alright, we’ll go and change, but then I want to do one with me in the wetsuit…”