Ketty got serious while her breathing slowed and she relaxed. She wasn't that interested in boys since she was preoccupied with her robots. "Don't be so shallow, Rayleen. There's more to life than guys." They were miles from where they started. The shore was a thin line on the horizon. "I swear something is seriously wrong inside that twisted mind of yours."

Rayleen tread water easily. She was an athlete in school, above and beyond the status quo of competent, she excelled in every activity. For her, the game came easily. In addition to her genetic enhancements, she had latent talent that was rare even here on her homeworld of Karabellum.

The look of satisfaction drained from her face and was replaced by the sadness Ketty noticed from time to time. It was a cross between zombie and wax figure, a forlorn gaze like a mother who had lost her child.

Rayleen sputtered, then finally, as if a weight was lifted, she came clean.

"He used to make me sit on his lap, when I was younger." It was more of a confession than an admission of guilt. Either way, Rayleen took all of the burden, as if she was the problem.

"Who did? What do you mean?" Ketty struggled to keep her head above water. Thankfully, the high salt content of the Southern Ocean kept her afloat, but it was the worse place to hear terrible news.

"My precious dad, that's who. He would whisper in my ear how I was his little princess while he got his rocks off." Ketty stared in disbelief. A sleeper wave washed over their heads, leaving them gasping for air. Ketty couldn't hide her sorrow, and all her failures and disappointments came flooding back.

"That's the same look my mom gave me when I told her," Said Rayleen. "You know what the sad thing is? I liked the attention. It felt good to know he loved me, until I got older. After five years of abuse, he dumped me for my little sister. That's when I got my first period."

"I'm so sorry." It was all she could say as the waves continued to pound their heads. The fragile human in front of her seemed to melt into the blue-green ocean. Her life tilted ever so slightly on its axis and she knew it would never be the same. The Subdivision throbbed with a freakish dreamlike life of its own.

Rayleen swam at her and placed a kiss square on Ketty's lips. It lasted a few seconds then Ketty tried to pull away. But in that moment, she felt the warmth of another soul that was kindred to hers. It was intimate, like a mother cuddling her baby. Like a father pushing his son to climb that first cliff. This was a time that defined who she was. Her hand was still around Rayleen's shoulder, leaving her feet to keep her afloat. Rayleen threw her arms around Ketty and hugged her, burying her head in Ketty's neck. She held her breath as they went under, while warm hair swirled around her face and the moment lingered for an eternity.

She was out of breath.

Her legs kicked for the surface.

Ketty sucked the precious air. She was confused, but for Rayleen, it was an opportunity to lighten the moment. "Rayleen! I don't like you like that. I'm sorry, but I just don't feel the same."

"Can't blame a girl for trying? Can you?" Rayleen kicked for the shore and yelled, "Last one in buys lunch. It was one bet Ketty wouldn't lose.

This was a moment Rayleen would treasure forever. She had never felt so safe and so alive. Sex and gender faded, bleeding into lines of identity. Perhaps her life wasn't as bad as she thought. For Rayleen it was never safe to let her guard down. She was a victim, used up and ready for disposal. Today, she began to realize she was an amazing person created with a purpose. Hope welled up inside, and with Ketty, she found refuge from the hostile reality known as life.

"I'm not a lesbian, I just wanted us to be close. Best friend close."

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it."

They swam long and hard. Dolphins came up and escorted them, allowing their dorsal fins to be held until the two friends approached shore.

"Come Monday, you'll just ignore me like this never happened," Ketty didn't try to hide her disdain.

"Your different Ketty," Rayleen had said. "I can be myself and not worry about what you think. I've never had that with anyone."

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