THE SUN was setting at the lake. Laura was in the water by the floatplanes after she found one of Mrs Howdy's swimsuit in the house; it was also when she noticed the abstruse surgical scars on her chest, she kept it to herself and hid the detection by not ask about its gravity out of her embarrassment because she also noticed that she had grown a full pair of breasts since then—another reminder that she no longer twelve years old.

Joe was in one of his farcical showings off antics mode at the lakeshore, running on the stilted boardwalk and diving into the water, forming a huge splash. Laura ribbed that he might create a tsunami.

The rest of the Intersexuals were lazing in the porch of the lake-house. Troy looked over at the fun that Joe and Laura were having swimming at the lake. He can't join because of the head bandage-dressing that he sustained from the Jamaican's drubbing. He was instead happy lazing, reading an old battered Stephen King paperback which he found in the house. Two Bob was lying down napping on the boarded porch floor; while Reeves looked listless and was softly cursing under his breath. They found his presence annoying.

"What's the matter, man?"

"We are all packed to hit the road, then why are we sitting around here? It is really not safe to stay put after those Jamaican got bumped in LA."

They had this discussion earlier after accessing the situation of Laura's hearty recovery of coming back from her coma. Reeves was persistent that they should leave at dusk while the others were unresponsive. They were willing to take the risk by staying at the lake for a day or two since there were no Jamaicans breathing down on their necks with their death threats.

"Chill out, will you, It has only been 6 hours since Laura came out of an 18 year in a coma—just let her recuperate a day before we hit the road, man!"

Even True Bob with his eyes closed spoke after Troy. "We promised her inner-child that we are celebrating her birthday tomorrow."

He has plans to cook a feast with the balance from the Jamaican's moose meat—which he always felt it was rightfully theirs if only Reeves had taken the courageous shot at the creek.

"Come on, we can always celebrate whatever on the road at that Exodus Trail. But by staying put here, it is just an invitation for trouble."

True Bob chuckled with his eyes still closed. "Look, Reeves, let things cool off a bit—it is also much more dangerous to be out in the road with your Uncle Jensen setting up roadblocks everywhere."

Now everyone has caught up with Joe's butch-uncle banter. Reeves stood up, facing them and giving them his prudence...

"I doubt it—Cory's attention is currently focused on deploying her forces on the city lockdowns by the riots, and also now at the Mexican border bombing. Hey guys, we can dodge them while they are busy over there—and we can cover more distance rather than being sitting ducks here."

Troy Norton hindered with absurdity. "How do you know, man, all we know, we might walk into a trap set by Roberta herself? Lets rather be sitting ducks here for a day or two—and you Reeves, will you stop acting like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs for once, yeah—and try to chillax, man!"

Both Bob and Troy burst into laughter. It maddened Reeves to see Joe's cockiness had grown into them.

"Fuck you! You too, Bob, fuck you too!"

Reeves berated, walked away alone with his rifle sling on his shoulder.

He undertook the feelings that he has put up his team where no one listened to him anymore. To them, Reeves was just a fallow marksman with no killer instinct—now everyone was for themselves with no consensus in decisions.

Once Reeves had left, True Bob spoke in wit, "Big Joe was right about him—he overthinks matters and even worries too much on our behalf."

*

Laura had the inclination urge to climb on top of The Lady of the Lake float plane—just like the 'kids' did from the dream that she had awoken from. She stood on the roof and made out the rest of the 'boys' at the lake-house porch, seeing Reeves leaving the pack alone. She nonchalantly asked Joe.

"Is Reeves a good swimmer?"

Joe laughed and narrated from his memory of his buddy nearly drowning in the far end of the Wesleyan campus pool when he was eight—and ever since the incident he became a hydrophobic-cat and does not go anywhere near to any water surface.

She walked towards the tail on the floatplane and stood on the tail flap before the fat boy tried to caution her as late Zinga had once done—in case of injury, Laura did a complete back-flip and landed into the water which made the fat Intersexual gasp to mutter out...

"Show-off!"

Laura resurfaced and was delightfully giggling. "Good, I can still do that after all these years!" She started reeling further into the sunset lake and calling out.

"Come, Joe, come swim with me!"

Joe held the side of the floatplane. "Sorry, I don't swim that good either. You go ahead, but not too far, please."

He may be their best driver behind the wheels compared to the rest in the group, but in the water—Laura Jensen was a bona fide mermaid.