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Katie looked at the older kids in envy as they horsed around in the middle of the swimming pool. It was summer, and children from around the neighborhood had come to the local high school's swimming pool to cool off and hang out with friends. Katie was all alone and felt out of place. At seven, she was either older or younger than the other children--no one her age was around. She had tried to occupy herself by seeing how long she could hold her breath underwater as well as doing handstands, but after an hour of that, she was growing bored.
The older boys left, and Katie spotted her chance to take their spot. 'It's only supposed to be four and a half feet there, and that's only a couple of inches taller than me. If I stand on my tippy-toes, I should be okay," Katie thought to herself. She slowly waded out to the center, hands held out in front of her. So far, so good. About a foot away from the center, Katie already had to tilt her head back to keep her head above water. 'I might as well go all the way,' she thought and leapt forward that final foot.
Katie's foot landed on one of the smooth tiles at the floor of the pool. Used to walking on the roughly textured floor, her feet slid out from beneath her as soon as they came in contact with the frictionless surface. She flailed her arms wildly and managed to get her head above water level, but before she knew it, she was going under again. She planted her feet solidly on the ground and then stood on her tiptoes. To her horror, her head still didn't get above the water, and she was rapidly running out of air. She jumped up and gulped in some air, hoping someone would notice her predicament. All of the children were busy playing amongst themselves, though, and the lifeguards ahead of her were too busy flirting with one another. Before she could scream, she was pulled back under. Over and over again, she jumped up but only had enough time to suck in some air before she was beneath the surface. Everyone else remained oblivious. No one even swam by, and Katie was starting to feel herself grow tired. Her jumps had grown weaker and weaker. She looked at the side of the pool, which seemed so close and yet so far away. With one great jump, Katie launched herself forward and reached out with her hands. She paddled as hard as she could and a wave of relief washed over her as she felt her fingers touch the cool tiles at the side of the pool.