IKR? About the KOOL sign? Although I've seen one in recent years, self-consciously used on a rural corner store repurposed as a gourmet food shop and deli. I was just kind of glad they hadn't bulldozed the building. But the sign was fun to see and brought back all kinds of summer memories.

I picture her somewhere between eight and ten. She's still centered in herself--by eleven-twelve she'd be thinking about boys, and real bathing suits. Context and a fuller story would make that clearer.

It's funny about the sandals. At first I had her with her socks falling down around her ankles, the elastic all gone, but then what kind of shoes? And the dust was there, and well, what child in hot weather wears socks and shoes, unless they're going to church, right? And then sand between the toes, and washing them off in the creek.... That's how it goes, characters revealing themselves as I write more about them.
Thanks for playing!