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time,” I said. “First one to bail loses.”
    â€œSounds good,” Goat said. He looked to Jack. “Sound all right to you?”
    â€œSure,” said Jack.
    â€œNo contact,” I said. “No cutting the other guy off. Nothing but skating. No stopping. No rolling around in the bottom of the pool. You have to hit one side, then the other, and go full-out.”
    â€œHead Case,” Goat said. “When have I ever not gone full-out? Come on, let’s go before it’s past your bedtime. We can take my car.”

chapter eight
    The Henderson house was at the bottom of a road that passed through a section of forest and ended at the ocean. There were no other houses in the area. Goat pulled up to the curb and parked as far away as he could from the only streetlight on the block. We all grabbed our boards and climbed out of Goat’s car.
    â€œThis is the only way in,” Goat said.
    It was dark and cool as we stepped from the street into the forest. We hiked up an incline, pushing our way through branches and bushes until we came to a chain-link fence. It was true: to a skater, Henderson’s pool was a beautiful thing.
    â€œHis backyard is gated, so we have to climb the fence,” said Goat.
    I could hear the waves washing against the shore and the caw of seagulls circling overhead.
    â€œI’d rather not,” Jack said. He had his skateboard with him, but we all knew he wouldn’t be riding the pool.
    â€œThat’s cool. You can stay out here,” Goat said.
    â€œWhat about you?” I asked Sara.
    â€œWhatever,” she said. I knew she would love to skate Henderson’s pool. I also knew she would never do it—not because she was scared of getting caught, but because she felt it was wrong.
    â€œI’m going to go wait in the car,” McNaughton said. He and Goat had been friends since they were kids, but McNaughton was more interested in football than skateboarding. We’d probably return to find him half-asleep in Goat’s car, listening to a country singer moan about a broken truck and a dead dog.
    â€œDo you want to climb over?” I asked Sara.
    She narrowed her eyes. “No, I can watch you be an idiot just as easily from here. I’ll stay with Jack.”
    â€œPerfect,” Goat said. He put one foot through a link in the fence, pulled himself up and threw his board over the top. I did the same. The two of us climbed the fence and dropped over the other side.
    My shin screamed when I landed on the hard concrete surrounding the pool. I grabbed my leg and looked up to find Goat smiling at me.
    â€œA bit tender, Head Case?” he asked.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” I said. I stepped forward to retrieve my board, and the pool exploded with light.
    â€œDon’t worr y about it. Old man Henderson ain’t around,” said Goat. He grabbed his board and looked at the pool. “That is beautiful.” He turned to me. “Let’s say we roll in, all right? Take it easy to start off?” He glanced at my shin.
    â€œSure.”
    Goat squinted into the darkness back toward where Jack and Sara were. “One of us bails, and it’s over, cool?”
    â€œCool,” Jack said.
    Goat and I walked to the edge of the shallow end and stepped in. The pool gradually got deeper until it was a full ten feet deep. It was shaped like a keyhole, perfectly round at the deep end, and straight and square at the shallow end.
    Goat dropped his board. “On the count of three,” he said.
    I dropped my board and put my foot on the tail. “One, two, three.”
    We both pushed a few times and crouched, skating in opposite directions of the deep end. Neither of us hit the lip of the pool the first time. We cruised and dropped back in. The surface was so clean and smooth, we barely made any noise.
    I cut around Goat as we both reached the bottom of the pool and shot up the other side. I had gained enough speed