Chapter 11

Mick wakes up uncomfortably. She has had to sleep in the living room because Etta is sick. She has had nightmares about Willie. It has been a month since Portia told them about Willie and she has been dwelling on the horror of it since then. She gets up and goes to GeorgeÂ’s room where she gets into bed with him. When itÂ’s time to wake up for the day, she goes into her sistersÂ’ room and looks suspiciously at her hat box, wondering if they have gotten into it. She gets into an unpleasant exchange with her sisters and then leaves. Outside, the boys are playing with the water hose. She calls over to Harry. She has been spending a lot of time talking to Harry lately. They talk about all sorts of subjects, including HarryÂ’s pantheism. They decide to take a bicycle ride out to a Girl Scout camp located by a creek in the middle of some woods. Mick realizes she thinks Harry is good looking.

They leave early the next morning and bicycle for miles out to the camp. They are very hot and tired. Before they arrive, they buy two beers. When they get to the creek, they eat sandwiches, then change into their bathing suits to swim. Mick doesnÂ’t know how to swim and is embarrassed about it. She makes up a story about having been hurt while diving in a pool and says that now she swims in a funny way. After they play in the water for a while, Mick asks him if he has ever swam naked. They take off their bathing suits ad when they turn toward each other they stand still and stare for what seems like a long time. They feel embarrassed and put their clothes back on. They have lunch together in awkward silence. Harry tells Mick he has realized only recently that she is pretty. They muse on what they want to see, the ocean for Harry and snow for Mick. Then Harry makes a bed of pine needles and suggests they lie down for a nap before bicycling back home. When they lie down they have sex.

They bicycle home slowly. Harry is very downcast. They stop to discuss what has happened. Harry feels deeply ashamed of having sex with her. He says his mother will be able to see it on his face, so he will run away and go to another town to be a mechanic. They both decide that they will never marry. Walking home they both feel very old. Harry tells her he will write her in a month to make sure she is not pregnant, then they wonÂ’t have any more contact with each other.

Table of Contents | Printable Version