The water sparkled below. She stood at the edge of the cliff for a long, long time. All she had to do was take one more step.

The other kids bumped and jostled her as they flung themselves over the edge, their joyful screams ending in splashes in the river below, but she couldn’t move herself any closer.

The boys were growing more and more daring in their efforts to impress the girls below. First, it was a splash contest. Then, Jack Marelli executed a perfect front flip, and suddenly the bar had been raised.

If she hadn’t been able to jump before, there was no way she could do it now. She couldn’t follow that performance. It was time to go home. She hoped the burning in her cheeks would just be mistaken for sunburn, the result of standing for far too long in the sun. Or better yet, maybe no one would notice that she had gone.

She turned to run home, but a hand touched her arm.

“You don’t get away that easy,” Jack said. He smiled and took her hand. “It’s best not to think about it. Ready? One, two, go!”