Battery Life at the Deep End

Maya's orange tankini felt way too bright against the sea of muted blues and blacks at Jordan's pool party. She'd agonized over the swimsuit for three days, and now she stood at the edge of the deck, clutching her iPhone like it was a life preserver.

"Yo, Maya! Get in here!" Jordan splashed water from the deep end, surrounded by the usual crowd—kids who'd been swimming since they could walk and made everything look effortless.

She scrolled through her notifications like they held the meaning of life. Anything to avoid actually stepping toward the pool.

Her phone battery icon flashed red. 3%. Seriously? She'd charged it to 100% an hour ago. The charging cable was still sitting on her bed at home, mocking her.

"Maya!" This time it was Keon, the new guy whose headphones were always around his neck. "We're doing chicken fights. You and me versus Jordan and Samara?"

Her stomach did that thing it always did when she was put on the spot. "I'm—I'm good."

"Dude, just get in already." Someone groaned.

Maya's thumb hovered over Instagram one last time before—

Dead. Her iPhone screen went black. No scrolling. No fake bathroom breaks. No shield.

"You coming?" Keon was treading water now, looking at her like he actually wanted her to say yes.

The orange fabric of her swimsuit suddenly didn't matter. The phone was dead anyway.

"Yeah." Maya dropped her phone on a lounge chair and stepped toward the pool. "Yeah, I'm coming."

She dove in, chlorine hitting her senses, and something shifted. Maybe it was the water, or the way Keon high-fived her when she surfaced, or Jordan screaming "GAME ON" like chicken fights were the Olympics.

Twenty minutes later, Maya sat poolside with Keon, dripping wet and laughing so hard her ribs hurt. They'd lost spectacularly—Samara had nuclear chicken arms apparently—but Maya had made three jokes that people actually laughed at.

"Your phone's been dead for like, half an hour," Keon observed, nodding toward her lounge chair.

Maya shrugged. "Yeah. I think it was saving me from myself."

He laughed. "I have a cable in my bag if you need it. But maybe let it die a little longer."

She looked at her phone one last time, then back at the pool, where Jordan was already yelling for round two. "Yeah," Maya said, standing up. "Let it die."

This time, she didn't hesitate before diving back in.