Cannonball Courage

Leo's **running** shoes hit the pavement with a rhythm that matched the panic in his chest. Three miles into his solo jog through the suburban maze, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"WHERE R U??" The group chat exploded with notifications. "Pool party @ Tyler's. EVERYONE is here."

Leo slowed to a walk, his **palm**s sweating against his phone screen. He'd been ghosting his friends since freshman year ended – since Jordan graduated and left him as the awkward sophomore nobody really talked to anymore. The social hierarchy at Northwood High had shifted like tectonic plates, and Leo was stuck in the fault line.

"Come on, bro," Tyler had DM'd him yesterday. "Maya's asking about you."

Maya. The girl with the constellation of freckles across her nose who sat behind him in bio. Who always smelled like coconut **water** and vanilla.

Leo turned around and jogged back toward his house, toward the party where his entire social future waited. His strides lengthened. Running was easy – it was just left foot, right foot, repeat. But people? People were impossible to predict.

The backyard was already chaos when he arrived. Tyler's massive pool was dotted with inflatable floats. Seniors lounged on patio furniture like royalty. Leo stood by the fence, heart hammering.

"Leo!" Maya waved from the pool edge. She was wearing a retro rainbow one-piece that looked like it belonged in a 90s sitcom, not 2024. "Finally! Get over here!"

He approached cautiously, wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts.

"We're doing **palm** readings," she announced, grabbing his hand before he could retreat. "Your lifeline is super short. That means you live fast, right?"

The whole pool area went quiet. Everyone was watching.

Leo could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. He could make an excuse, bail, go back to **running** alone every afternoon.

Instead, he squeezed her hand back.

"Actually," Leo said, his voice surprisingly steady, "I think that means I should get in the **water** before I miss everything."

He dove into the pool fully clothed, creating a splash that soaked half the seniors. When he surfaced, Maya was laughing so hard she fell in beside him.

"Your future," she said, pushing **water** at him, "is gonna be way more fun than you think."

For the first time all summer, Leo believed she might be right.