Chlorine and Courage

Maya clutched the bottle of orange gummy vitamins in her pocket like they were magic. Her mom swore they'd help with "adolescent mood swings," which was just parent-code for "please stop crying at dinner."

She stood at the edge of the pool party, heart hammering. Everyone else was already splashing in the crystal-blue water, laughing like they'd been born in it. Meanwhile, Maya was wearing a t-shirt over her swimsuit because her stomach did this weird roll thing when she sat down.

"Hey! You coming in or what?" Jake called from the water. He was all golden skin and easy confidence, the kind of person who probably didn't need to stress-eat gummy bears before social events.

"In a minute!" Maya lied. She popped a vitamin into her mouth, chewing aggressively. Magic courage. That's what she needed.

Then she saw it—the giant inflatable bear floatie drifting toward the deep end. Bella, the girl who'd made fun of Maya's "grandma swimsuit" last week, was currently trapped on top of it, screaming bloody murder as it spun in slow, helpless circles.

Maya's feet moved before her brain could protest. She dove into the pool, chlorine stinging her eyes, and powered through the water. The bear floatie was ridiculous—bright pink with a stupidly happy face—but Bella's terror was real.

"I got you!" Maya grabbed the floatie's ear and towed it toward shallow water, her arms burning. When they reached the edge, Bella scrambled off, shaking.

"Thanks," Bella muttered, looking at the ground. "I thought I was gonna drift to Antarctica."

"No problem," Maya said, treading water. The t-shirt felt heavy, but for some reason, she didn't mind anymore.

"Your form is actually really good," Bella said. "Like, you were swimming so fast. Do you compete?"

Maya laughed. "Dude, I'm literally just trying not to drown."

Bella smiled—a real one. "Well, you're better than me. I was defeated by a pool toy."

Later, floating on her back under the evening sky, Maya fished another vitamin from her wet pocket. Maybe they weren't magic. Maybe courage was just diving in anyway.