Cannonball Courage

Maya stood at the edge of the **pool**, toes curling against the concrete while everyone else splashed like they'd been doing it since birth. It was Jordan's end-of-summer bash, and half the sophomore class was there, looking effortlessly perfect in their swimsuits while Maya remained fully clothed, clutching her orange Fanta like a lifeline.

"You coming in or what?" Jordan called from the water, droplets spraying everywhere as he pushed his wet hair back. That hair. The reason she'd even come.

"Maybe later!" Maya lied, her voice cracking slightly.

The truth was, she couldn't swim. Not really. Not like them. She'd spent her entire life avoiding pools, lakes, oceans—basically anything with more **water** than a bathtub. Her parents had never signed her up for lessons, and by middle school, it was too embarrassing to admit. So she'd become the expert at holding phones, taking photos, volunteering to get snacks from the kitchen. Anything to keep her feet on dry land.

But this was Jordan. The guy who'd sat behind her in homeroom since freshman year, who always made those dumb jokes that still somehow made her smile. Who'd somehow become her summer text buddy, sending memes until 2 AM. This was the summer everything was supposed to change.

"Maya!" Her best friend Chen popped up beside Jordan, grinning wickedly. "Jordan was just telling us about that time you beat him at Mario Kart. Claims you cheated."

"Did not!" Jordan protested, splashing Chen.

"Did too!" Chen shot back, then locked eyes with Maya. "Unless you want to defend your honor in person?"

Everyone was looking now. Waiting.

Maya's heart hammered against her ribs. This was it—the moment she'd been avoiding for years. She could make up an excuse. Say she forgot her swimsuit. Say she wasn't feeling well. Say literally anything to preserve the carefully constructed version of herself she'd presented to the world.

Or she could jump.

Her grip tightened on the orange soda. Then she set it down on a nearby table.

"You know what?" Maya said, surprised by how steady her voice sounded. "I don't cheat. I just don't lose."

She took a deep breath, ignored the screaming voice in her head that listed every way this could go wrong, and jumped.

The **water** swallowed her whole—cool and shocking and everywhere. For a second, she flailed, panic rising in her throat. Then she felt hands beneath her, steadying her.

"Got you," Jordan said, close enough that she could see the droplets on his eyelashes.

She surfaced, sputtering and laughing as everyone cheered. Chen high-fived her from the shallow end. Someone shouted "CANNONBALL!" as another person leaped in beside them.

Maya wiped **water** from her eyes, heart still racing but for a completely different reason now. Sometimes the scariest jumps were the ones worth taking.

"So," Jordan said, grinning. "About that Mario Kart rematch..."

Maya smiled back. "Bring it."

Her orange Fanta sat untouched on the table, condensation dripping onto the concrete. Maya didn't need it anymore. She was already floating.