69 Things 2Do B4 U Die - Episode 18

The dirt lot reeks of suntan oil and warm beer. A woman in body glitter throws her top over a chain link fence. I follow her lead. Naked bodies everywhere, bouncing to bad rock and roll. A man in boots and nothing else sprays whipped cream across two breasts, licks it off slow. I crack a beer, walk past a slip and slide made of plastic sheeting and baby oil. Someone pushes me in. Skin meets the slick surface, slides twenty feet, lands in a laughing pile of strangers. The sun burns hot on my bare back. Later, when the sun drops behind the bleachers, I wade into the lake alone. The water takes me under, cold against every inch. I come up gasping, nipples tight, lakeweed stuck to my thighs. Two women on a pontoon boat cheer and strip off their suits. They dive in without splash. We float together, nothing between us but cool black water and the sound of frogs.