Pool parties

Ned threw the best pool parties.
All Winter long, it’s what we all looked forward to.
The deck, the furniture, the firepit, the landscaping.
The sound system and the lights.
It’s better than any Downtown club.
All Summer long, the party never ended.
Until it did. Ned and his family moved.
New people moved in.
They had kids our age, but homeschooled.
We tried to introduce ourselves, and they were polite, but shy. Almost reclusive.
We offered to throw the parties for them.
No thank you, they said.
Jenny has a pool. And throws parties.
But it’s not the same.