Verda Foster - Graceful Waters

"She's bald down there. Shaves it all off."

"Why bother?" Grace asked.

"Maybe she doesn't like getting her hand covered with short and curlies," Jan said.

"Hey, girls."

"Hey, Latisha," Grace said as the younger teen stepped up to the shower next to her.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Jan said. "Just talking about Rosetti and her bald spot."

"I shaved there once," Latisha said. "Itched like hell when it grew back in."

Grace looked at the area in question. "You've got the Black Forest going on there. What'd you use, a lawn mower?" Jan laughed while Latisha flipped her the middle finger. "Just kidding," she said, putting her soapy head under the water. The chatter died down as others entered and the sound of running water increased. Make sure no one notices, she thought as she covertly stole glances of the other girls, making them brief and infrequent for fear her guilty pleasure would be discovered. Ever since she'd found a magazine left around by one of her mother's boyfriends, Grace had found breasts fascinating. Of course, it was not something she would ever admit to anyone else, nor would she ever speak of just how good a shower felt on her nipples. Adjusting her position, Grace closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of the pelting water. Maybe I can sneak into the bathroom for a little while, she thought, rinsing the rest of the soap from her body before she became too aroused. She would have wished for more time but Jan and Latisha shut off their showers within seconds of each other, forcing her to reluctantly do the same.

Instructor Carey blew the whistle. "All right, enough chatter. Hathaway, you know the shirts get tucked into the shorts." She held the basketball up. "Obviously you know what we're going to be doing. The focus here will be on teamwork, not trying out for the WNBA. No Harlem Globetrotter bullshit, no hanging from the hoop." She walked to the center of the basketball court. "Five girls from each squad. Let's go." She held the ball in one hand and the whistle in the other. "All right, play nice, play fair and have fun." The two squads moved into position on the court or on the benches. "Ready?"

Grace won the tip-off and the game was on. A quick pass from Jan to Campbell resulted in the first basket, but was answered quickly by a three-point shot by Lauren Grenner for Alpha Squad. Carey ignored the street talk between the two teams as the lead went back and forth with Grace and Jan scoring the most points. Unfortunately, ignoring the talk also meant she missed the comment Grenner made when she blocked Grace's shot and sent the ball down court for Rosetti to make the basket. She did notice when guarding became nudging and was just about to intervene when an elbow flew.

"Foul on Grenner," Carey said.

"I didn't do nothing," the heavyset redhead protested.

"All right, that's it," Carey said. "Grenner, drop for twenty. Jones, go get the ball."

"It was an accident, ma'am," Grenner said as she lowered herself to the ground.

"Bullshit," Grace said, rubbing her jaw.

"Waters!" Carey said, glaring at the blonde teen. "I don't need your help. Grenner, that was no accident. You owe me a two-page report on sportsmanship and fair play."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Waters, if I thought washing your mouth out with soap would help, I'd need a bar the size of Kansas. Do you think civilized young women swear like that?"

Grace rolled her eyes, knowing she was about to get a lecture. "No, ma'am."

"Drop for twenty!" Carey shouted. "I've warned you before about that stunt with your eyes." She knelt down next to the teen. "You will break that habit, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Grenner, you need to learn to keep your hands to yourself."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You two better get over this, and quick, or you'll be very unhappy little girls. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison.

"Let's go Waters, you're holding up PT," Carey said as Grace continued to do pushups. "Now," she said when the teen finished and stood up. "Take your free throws. Grenner, I'm not going to warn you again."

Grace set her tray down on the table, then lifted her legs over the long bench and sat down. "Z-burgers again," she said, looking at the cheeseburger on her tray.

The dark-skinned girl sitting next to her chuckled. "Damn straight. I know I'm going to fall asleep in class again."

Grace smiled. "I hear you, Latisha. It doesn't help we have the most boring class right after lunch."

"Better than PT," Latisha said, popping a lukewarm French fry into her mouth.

"I don't know," Grace said. "I'm not happy about running three miles right after breakfast." As she lifted the cheeseburger to take a bite, a sharp elbow caught her in the back of the head.

"Sorry, accident," Grenner said, though the girl with her began giggling.

"Bullshit," Grace said, rising to her feet and turning to face the bully. "What's your problem, Grenner?"

"Sit down, Waters," the redhead said. '''Fore you get your ass kicked all over the floor."

"It was a basketball game, Grenner. It's not my fault you suck." The normal din of chatter stopped, replaced by the sound of the nearby girls moving their trays away.

"Is there a problem here?" Instructor Gage said, setting her hands on her hips. "Grenner and Dawson, go find a place to sit. Waters, sit down. Since you two seem to have so much energy, you can do trash detail today." Grace exchanged an angry glare with the heavyset redhead and her shorter sidekick before sitting back down on the bench.

Grace kept a wary eye on Grenner and her friends as everyone readied for bed. She exchanged a concerned look with Latisha. "Trouble," she whispered. As expected, the redhead walked down the aisle, stopping in front of Grace's bunk.

"Bitch," the redhead said. "You're lucky Gage was there."

"Go away," Grace said. "I'm not getting in any more trouble because of you."

"Oh you've got trouble, Waters," Grenner said.

"Ten hut!" Instructor Gage shouted from the doorway, causing the girls to scatter back to the foot of their own bunks. The diminutive black woman strolled down the aisle, stopping in front of Grenner. "You just don't learn, do you?"

"I wasn't doing nothing, ma'am," Grenner said.

"Obviously you must have been sleeping during English class," Gage said. "You can write a report for me on double negatives."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What were you doing by Waters's bunk?"

"Nothing, ma'am," Grenner said. "Just talking, ma'am."

"Drop and give me twenty," Gage said. "I don't tolerate lying."

Grace swallowed, knowing she was next. She contemplated what to say when it was her turn. Tell the truth and make the situation worse or lie and hope things would calm down. When the instructor stopped in front of her, Grace made her decision.

"What was Grenner doing by your bunk?" Gage asked.

"Talking, ma'am," Grace said.

"Talking about what?"

"Nothing important, ma'am."

Gage tapped her booted foot on the concrete floor. "I didn't ask you if you thought it was important or not, Waters. What did she say to you?"

"I don't remember, ma'am," Grace said, knowing Gage knew it was a lie.

"Drop," Gage said. "I'll let you know when to stop."

Grace dropped to the floor. "Yes, ma'am."

"Jeez, Gage is in a mood this morning, isn't she?" Jan said as she arrived at the table and sat down next to Grace.

"I think she sleeps on a bed of nails," Grace said. "Either that or she's not getting any."

"Well, look at her," Jan said, smothering her waffles with syrup.

"Who would fuck her?"

"Donaldson," Rosetti chimed in. "That Viking looks like a great big dyke."

"Yeah," Jan said. "Or Scary. She probably can't get any either." She brushed her shoulder against Grace's. "You gonna eat that?"

Grace stabbed one of her waffles with her fork and put it on Jan's plate. "I don't know how you can eat so many of them," she said. "Tastes like cardboard to me."

"Anything tastes good if you put enough syrup on it," Jan said, grinning before she shoved a piece of waffle into her mouth. "You sfill gomma help me wiff mulpfying factions, wight?"

"Yeah, study hall before math," Grace said, reaching for her lukewarm coffee. "You've got the homework done, right?"

"Mose of ip." Jan drained her milk carton. "I didn't get the last ten or so."

"No prob. We'll get them done before you have to go to Mitchell's class," Grace said, bringing her carton to her lips. A hard bump from behind sent milk over her face and down her shirt.

"What the..." She knew from the giggling who it was before she turned. "What's your problem, Dawson?" she said, seeing Lauren Grenner standing next to the smaller girl.

"It was an accident," Sally said, her smirk telling a different story.

Grace jumped to her feet. "Bullshit."

"Goon Squad," Jan warned.

"What's going on?" Instructor Gage asked as she crossed the room.

“Dawson hit my chair," Grace said.

"It was an accident," Sally said.

"It was, I saw it," Grenner said.

"You two have no business being near Bravo table," Gage said. "Put your trays down and both of you drop for ten. Waters, are you done eating?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then go get changed and you can spend your study period writing a paper about the proper way to deal with a confrontation."

Grace glared-at Sally and Grenner as they did their pushups. "Yes, ma'am."

"It's too fucking hot for PT," Jan said.

"They're trying to kill us," Grace said. "Two miles a day is too much. Here they come." The girls snapped to attention as the instructors entered the formation area, having changed into the PT shorts and shirts.

"Ten hut," Instructor Gage said. "It's really hot today, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," a chorus of voices rang out.

"I bet you'd love it if we didn't run two miles today."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Because we're not running two miles, we're doing three. Now spread out and start stretching."

"I told you so," Grace whispered to Jan.

"Damn bitches," Jan whispered back.

"Of course they can run it with no problem, they've been doing it for years probably," Grace said. "Four weeks and they're kicking us up to three miles."

"Goon Squad loves to stick it to us," Jan said. "It's in their job description to be assholes."

"Cut the chatter," Instructor Carey said. "Unless you'd rather have four?"

"No, ma'am," the group said quickly.

"All right then. Everyone ready? Let's go."

Once on the trail, the girls found some relief from the beating sun thanks to the trees and the shade they provided. Still, the extra mile took its toll, slowing even the fastest girls down. Grace found herself doing barely more than a slow jog during the last half-mile. "Come on, Waters, pick it up," Instructor Carey's voice came from somewhere behind her. "You'll be glad you did when you get over that hill."

"Yes, ma'am," she said, willing her legs to keep moving. Why? Am I going to drop dead of a heart attack when I get there? The hill seemed insurmountable and her pace slowed to a walk.

"Move it, Waters."

"Yes, ma'am." Just a few more feet. A little more. Then I can rest.

Step by step she made it to the crest of the hill, convinced she wanted nothing more to do than collapse on the grass past the finish line.

Convinced, that is, until she saw what lay just beyond, a crystal clear lake as blue as the sky.

"Let's go, girls," Instructor Donaldson said from her perch sitting against a shady tree. "Jump in, the water's fine."

"All right," Jan said as she reached the top of the hill. "Hey, there's a lake up here."

Grace heard the shouts of those behind her as she dropped to the ground and whipped off her sneakers and socks. "Jan, hurry up," she said, stuffing the socks into the sneakers.

"I'm hurrying," Jan said, flopping to the ground next to her. "Keeping your shirt on?"

Grace nodded, standing up and wiping the sand off her shorts. "I'm not getting sunburned."