Breathing Underwater

The pool smelled like chlorine and secrets. Maya clutched her iPhone under her towel, heart racing as she debated pressing send. The draft—a confession to Kai about how she'd been lowkey crushing on him since September—stared back at her.

"You gonna swim or just hold up the wall?"

Maya jumped. Kai. He was inches away, dripping wet, grinning like he knew something.

"I'm thinking," she said, trying to play it cool. Failing, probably.

"About?"

"Stuff." Maya hated how her voice squeaked.

Her phone buzzed. Her brother's dog, Buster, had somehow gotten into the group chat. Again. The photo showed him wearing her sister's cat, Mittens, like a hat. The whole swim team would see it by dinner.

"Your dog's a legend," Kai said, peering at her screen.

Maya's face burned. "He's not my dog. He's a menace."

"So about that party tonight," Kai said, sudden and serious. "I was hoping you'd come."

Maya's stomach did that thing where it felt like she was underwater without knowing how to swim. "Oh. I mean, maybe?"

"Cool." He nodded once, then dove into the pool with perfect form.

Maya watched him surface across the lane, shaking water from his hair like a golden retriever. Her phone lit up again—a notification from an unknown number: *I know what you did.*

Spy crap. Someone from school messing with her, probably. But then another message: *You left your copy of The Catcher in the Rye in the cafeteria AGAIN. Third time this month. It's on the lost-and-found pile.*

Maya exhaled. Not spy stuff. Just Jordan from English class, who'd somehow appointed herself guardian of Maya's absentmindedness.

Kai waved at her from the pool. "You coming in or what?"

Maya smiled. Maybe she'd send that text later. Maybe she wouldn't. But for now, she kicked off her sandals and dove in, letting the water wash away the weight of everything unsaid.