The article tells a harrowing personal experience of a young girl at a summer camp, navigating the complexities of adolescence, body awareness, and an unsettling encounter with an older boy, Harel. The narrative reflects her internal conflict over whether to leave the pool for the bathroom or to endure the discomfort of potential embarrassment. The incident escalates as Harel inappropriately gropes her, and she is left wondering why no one intervenes. Finally, lifeguard Kelly comes to her rescue, showcasing the importance of intervention in such situations.
I can't say how long he was groping me for, but it was long enough that I had time to wonder why no one was helping me.
This one older boy, Harel, though, who something was wrong with—his voice was too loud, his eyes didn't move—shot out of the line at me.
I made some kind of shrieky, involuntary noise that had never before come out of my throat, and it seemed to scare Harel.
Kelly, the lifeguard, jumped off her perch and yanked Harel back, toward the lockers.
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