14 year old Nancy and her mom, Mrs. Hanna, are at the beach. Nancy is upset that she is going through puberty and her mom is trying to console her. Mrs. Royce and her little sons arrive at the beach. Nancy vows to never be like her. Mrs. Henderson arrives and joins Nancy and her mom. Mrs. Henderson expresses surprise that she is here and says that she should be with kids her own age since the beach is for kids and old women. Her mom says that she and Mr. Hanna tried to get her to go to camp or on a girls trip with some of her classmates, but she was insistent on coming back to the beach as she always has. Mrs. Hanna says that her and Nancy have been waiting since 9:30 A.M. for Jim the lifeguard so that Nancy can go swimming. Mrs. Hanna then says that she believes Nancy has a crush on Jim. Timmy Royce, one of Mrs. Royce’s sons, asks if Nancy can help her build a tunnel, but she declines. Jim finally arrives, but Nancy is hesitant to swim, realizing that she just wants to go back to the summer cottage. Her mom and Mrs. Henderson are insistent that she go swim. As Nancy is walking to the water, Jim comes to talk to her. At first she is happy, believing that she can maintain that childhood feeling of being at the beach, but her illusion is ruined when Jim begins to flirt with her. Nancy then freaks out and runs to the water. She swims out to the child rope limit, and she calls out to her mom before going under and past the line.