Chances and Changes: My Journey with Molly

For free choice after dinner, Linda and Bobbie go to the movie in Recreation Hall. But Molly and I choose to go swimming again so Molly can have more practice. By the end of the evening, she can jump off the dock, sink under the water, and bob up. I dive right next to her every single time to keep her company and encourage her.

That night, Molly shows Linda her wrinkly, pruney fingers. Linda says that she missed a great movie. It was a war movie with a mystery in it called The Stolen Jewels. Linda glances at me out of the corner of her eye, which makes me uncomfortable. She says the thief turned out to be someone everyone trusted.

Linda tries to continue speaking, but Molly talks over her. She says that I’m going to teach her to dive. And we’re going to enter the diving competition at the swim meet. Linda looks at Molly incredulously. But Molly praises that I’m a good teacher so she’s confident that I will have her diving very soon.

Linda questions that Molly really wants to dive. She reminds Molly that she didn’t even want to put her head underwater last summer. But finally, she just raises her eyebrows and flops onto her bunk. She rolls onto her other side, giving me and Molly the cold shoulder. Molly silently mouths to ask me what’s going on, but I just shrug.

The next morning, Molly’s shivering as she puts on her bathing suit. The suit is cold and damp. Molly and I joke around about the cold suit, but Linda doesn’t think it’s funny. Molly swirls around abruptly and says that Linda should talk to us. Why is Linda mad at us? Linda mimics Molly and says that it’s like Molly has forgotten that she even exists. All Molly does is boss her around and tell her what to do. Molly has been excluding her. We swim together, have heart to hearts, make plans, and even make puns together. It’s as if Molly wishes that Linda would just disappear.

I try to tell Linda that’s wrong, but she keeps going. She says that I’m just as bad. I waltzed into camp and stole her best friend and stuffed myself with pancakes and pushed Linda aside. That feels really bad.

I try to explain that I know how it feels. Mischa came in and robbed me of the things Gem used to do with me. So I do know how it feels to be left out. I apologize, but Linda says it’s too late for apologies. She doesn’t like to feel like a third wheel. And with that, Linda yanks her bathing cap over her head and storms off. Molly calls after her, but it’s no use. Linda ignores her.