The Dare

Last night after practicing a song with some girls from church, I decided I needed to go svelte myself.  (That means go workout.)  It was kind of dark, but since I'm really tough and strong, Joey had a lot of homework to do, and it really wasn't that far, I thought I could walk over myself.

I made it safely.  No one even talked to me, it was great.

After killing myself on the treadmill (while reading and listening to pinkPod, trying desperately to remember I was in public and that, no, I shouldn't break out into song at the top of my lungs) my number was up and it was time to go.  Joey and Henry were waiting outside for me, a very pleasant surprise!  Joey was checking his email and Henry was shaking with delight that he'd found me.  (We can get free WiFi at the club, plus it was really dark out and Joey is a gentleman so he came to escort me home.)

"You were really zoned in there," Joey told me as we started to walk back.

"I was reading and listening to my Pod, of course I was zoned!"

"Yeah, Henry and I stood right outside the window from where you were and you didn't even see us."

"Oh.  Well, guess I wasn't paying attention."  Obviously.

The lawn sprinklers turned on just then, making us really glad we hadn't decided to walk home through the athletic fields.  Overall it was a nice, relaxing sound.  One of the sprinklers had gotten kicked or something, because it was shooting straight up into the air like Old Faithful.

"I dare you to run through that sprinkler."  Joey said, nudging me in the ribs as we got closer.

A challenge.  I can never resist a challenge.

"But...I'm all sweaty!"  I protested

"Sweat is like water. You're already wet...now, go run through the sprinkler."

I hesitated.  The water was shooting straight up into the air at, what appeared to be, a painful force.  "Which part do I have to run through?"

"That part right over there."  Joey pointed to where the spray of water was falling back down into the parking lot.  It looked much more gentle.

"Oh.  That's not so bad."  I handed him my book, my pinkPod, my cell phone, my water bottle and the dog's leash.

"One...two...three...go!"  Joey yelled.  I took a deep breath and ran straight into the water.  Henry tried to run after me but was foiled by his leash.

"It's going to be cold!!"  I squealed.

It wasn't cold at all.  It was a little bit cooler than lukewarm, but it was nothing like the shock of running through a freezing sprinkler in Iowa on a muggy summer day.

"You have to come back throught he sprinkler," Joey insisted, after I tried to walk around the cascading water.

"Nuts."  I said.  I took a deep breath again, spread out my arms, and ran back through the sprinkler.  I screamed this time for good measure.

"Very nice."  Joey said, handing me back my water bottle.  Between the sweat from working out and the water from the sprinkler, I was really wet.  He kept all my technological devices in his pockets so I wouldn't short myself out.

I was almost dry by the time we got home, too.