Jimmy Ramirez sat on the edge of the community pool, stubbornly refusing to get in. He knew it would come to this. He knew it when he had begged his mother, "Please don't make me go! I can't swim with the other kids and I'll be embarrassed in front of all my friends."
But she didn't listen. So here he sat. His mother, Lucia, had made him put on his trunks, slapped that white sun block on his nose, and sat him down at the by the pool. It didn't matter to Jimmy that he wasn't allowed to have cake until he at least tried to swim. It wasn't happening and his mom was just going to have to deal.
Suddenly, a hand slapped him on the back and shoved! Before he knew it, Jimmy was chest deep, shocked by the coldness of the water after the hot sun. He tried to hold his arms up out of the water, to at least keep part of his body dry, but it was no use. Before he could so much as duck under the water, his flesh rippled with that itchy, tingly feeling, starting at his toes and running up his legs. He turned around as fast as he could to get out of the water, only to see his mother's smiling face staring down at him. She had done it! She was the one who had pushed him!
"See, Jaime'? I told you it wasn't so bad."
But Jimmy wasn't listening. It was too late and the look of horror that crept across his mom's face told the story. He looked at his still-dry arms and then down at his belly. His brown skin went goose-bumpy, prickling out, then turned green, sprouting scales that crept up out of the water and ran down his arms.
"I told you I would be embarrassed," he said just before the prickly feeling ran up his neck and his eyes and mouth went puffy. The hardest part was when the gills split open in his neck, but he never really noticed it when the skin grew between his fingers. His mother screamed.
Even though the other kids shrieked and and flew from the pool at the sight of him, the day was not a complete loss. At least he got the pool all to himself.
But she didn't listen. So here he sat. His mother, Lucia, had made him put on his trunks, slapped that white sun block on his nose, and sat him down at the by the pool. It didn't matter to Jimmy that he wasn't allowed to have cake until he at least tried to swim. It wasn't happening and his mom was just going to have to deal.
Suddenly, a hand slapped him on the back and shoved! Before he knew it, Jimmy was chest deep, shocked by the coldness of the water after the hot sun. He tried to hold his arms up out of the water, to at least keep part of his body dry, but it was no use. Before he could so much as duck under the water, his flesh rippled with that itchy, tingly feeling, starting at his toes and running up his legs. He turned around as fast as he could to get out of the water, only to see his mother's smiling face staring down at him. She had done it! She was the one who had pushed him!
"See, Jaime'? I told you it wasn't so bad."
But Jimmy wasn't listening. It was too late and the look of horror that crept across his mom's face told the story. He looked at his still-dry arms and then down at his belly. His brown skin went goose-bumpy, prickling out, then turned green, sprouting scales that crept up out of the water and ran down his arms.
"I told you I would be embarrassed," he said just before the prickly feeling ran up his neck and his eyes and mouth went puffy. The hardest part was when the gills split open in his neck, but he never really noticed it when the skin grew between his fingers. His mother screamed.
Even though the other kids shrieked and and flew from the pool at the sight of him, the day was not a complete loss. At least he got the pool all to himself.
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