.

We'll see.

Second grade for me was after the summer Grease came out, and everyone (of the not-loser kids like me) had a "boyfriend" or a "girlfriend" and they were totally "dating". But not really, of course. They may have talked a bit on the playground, but that was about it.

At least when I was little and where I was, kids would play at dating the same way they may play at any adult activity. but if you play that you're a truck driver, that doesn't mean you're driving a truck. So that's been kindasorta what I've been going for. ALTHOUGH: they do have the beginnings of emotional stirrings, and Sarah does get a bit more into it due to her enjoying feeling the power of femme expression. If it was up to her, she could quite well get in over her head and this may have serious consequences.  On the other hand with "couples" like Marta and Irma, there's not much to it other than the surface level of they like hanging out and playing and the whole 'dating' think is part of that play.

I dunno.... maybe it was me, maybe it was the '70s, but crushes and play like this was a large part of my childhood, whether it was friends crushed on figures like Shawn Cassady (again myself there, aren't I?) or the sort of 'Charlie Brown's Little Red Haired Girl' type of crushes. I know some people are baffled that these kids are acting that way. For me, it was just a part of childhood. You had a "gang", but not a GANG, you built a "fort" but it wasn't an actual military FORT, and you maybe had a "boyfriend" but he wasn't a BOYFRIEND. Is this unusual?

But Sarah being who she is, it may be lucky for her that watchful parental eyes are about.