Eli and Marcus, both fourteen, stand side by side in matching long denim overalls, sweat beading on their foreheads. Dirt smudges their cheeks and arms, and their boots are caked with mud. The air is thick with the scent of cut grass and warm earth, and the boys are panting from a long afternoon of yard work. "I'm so done with this. My back feels like it's gonna snap in half," Eli complains, dropping his rake onto the grass with a heavy sigh. "Same. But look at that pool, man. It’s calling my name," Marcus replies, eyeing the sparkling water longingly.

Eli glances at Marcus, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. Marcus meets his gaze, eyebrows raised in silent challenge. "You thinking what I’m thinking?" "Full send? Clothes and all?" "Yup. Last one in’s got dish duty for a week,"

They leap together, arms flailing, and crash into the pool with a spectacular splash. Water erupts in all directions, droplets catching the sunlight like tiny diamonds. Their overalls balloon with trapped air before sinking, the denim darkening instantly. "Whoa! It’s so heavy! I feel like an anchor!" Marcus sputters, pushing his soaked hair from his eyes. "Worth it! This is the best idea we’ve ever had," Eli laughs, his voice echoing off the water.

They surface, gasping for breath, and flop onto their backs to float. The sensation of cool water soaking through their clothes is both shocking and exhilarating. "We’re definitely not supposed to do this, right?" "Nope. But that’s what makes it awesome,"

They collapse onto the warm concrete, breathless and grinning, puddles forming beneath them. Their yard work is forgotten, replaced by the memory of shared rebellion and the freedom of summer. "Let’s never tell anyone about this," "Deal. But we’re definitely doing it again,"