Growing up, Lainey's parents never let her go to Lake Lanier.

She was always jealous of her friends who came back to school in the fall, armed with tales of their family vacations to the lake.

Every year, Lanya asked if her family could go to the lake too.

And every year she got the same response.

It's too far, complained her father.

It's too dangerous, warned her mother.

It's too cursed, declared her older sister, Tammy,

always followed by a scolding from their parents.

When Tammy was a senior in high school, she and her friends planned to take a post-graduation

trip to the lake. Lainey was 13, just out of middle school, but she begged Tammy to let her

come along, promising to stay out of the older teens way.

Fine, Tammy agreed.

You better not tell Mom or Dad.

Saturday after graduation, Lainey, Tammy, Tammy's boyfriend, and a mutual friend drove the 90 minutes to Lake Lanier.

The weather couldn't be better.

Brilliant sunshine, a gorgeous cloud pattern, and a pleasant high of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. A top 40 radio station blared from the front

of the car. Lainey sat in the back seat and leaned her head against the window, her chest vibrating

with the music. Tammy and her friends against the window, her chest vibrating with the music.

Tammy and her friends had managed to make her feel like a third wheel, despite her being

the fourth person on the trip, but Lainey didn't mind.

The lake finally came into view, and Lainey was out of the car before Tammy had even turned

off the ignition.

...