Bull's Eye at Midnight

The lakehouse party was supposed to be legendary, but Maya stood frozen at the edge of the dock, fingers gripping her phone like it might save her from drowning in social humiliation.

"You coming in or what?" Tyler called from the water, that annoyingly confident grin plastered across his face. "Everyone's doing it."

Everyone. The universal teenage pressure. Maya's heart hammered against her ribs as twenty pairs of eyes waited for her response. The problem? She'd never told anyone she couldn't swim. Not her best friends, not Tyler (who she'd been crushing on since September), nobody. At sixteen, you're supposed to have basic life skills figured out.

Suddenly, Bull—that massive pit bull mix belonging to Tyler's older brother—came charging down the wooden planks, barking at something only he could see. The distraction gave Maya an idea.

"Wait!" she shouted, grabbing Bull's collar. "Someone needs to watch him! He'll get in the water and freak out."

Tyier rolled his eyes. "Maya, he swims better than half the people here."

Bull chose that exact moment to launch himself off the dock, executing the most graceful doggy-paddle Maya had ever witnessed. The whole group erupted into laughter.

So she did the only logical thing: she started running.

Like, actually running. Away from the lake, away from the party, away from the humiliation. She sprinted through Tyler's backyard, past the pool house, toward the woods behind his property. The cool November air burned her lungs, but she didn't stop.

"Maya!" Tyler's voice called from behind her.

She slowed at the tree line, chest heaving. This was it. The moment her social life officially ended.

Tyler caught up, shirtless and dripping wet. "What's going on with you tonight?"

The truth spilled out before she could stop it. "I can't swim, okay? Like, at all. And I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of everyone. Especially not you."

Tyler stood there for a second, processing. Then he started laughing.

"Great," Maya muttered, turning away. "Thanks for that."

"No, wait—" He stepped closer. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing because I was terrified too. Last year? I pretended to be all expert and then almost drowned in like four feet of water. My sister had to save me."

Maya turned back. "Seriously?"

"Cross my heart." He gestured toward the lake. "We could teach you. Or we could just hang out on the dock and make fun of Bull trying to chase ducks."

Bull came trotting out of the darkness, shook water all over both of them, and looked ridiculously pleased with himself.

"Deal," Maya said, smiling for the first time all night. "But I'm still not getting in that water."

"Whatever you want." Tyler grinned. "Nobody's watching anyway."

And somehow, that made all the difference.