chlorine and riddles

The day I accidentally turned the neighborhood pool into a chemical disaster was also the day I met Jordan. It was the first week of summer, and I was zombie-level exhausted from finals—basically functioning on caffeine vibes and zero sleep.

I'd miscalculated the chlorine. Again. The water turned this weird, unnatural blue, and Mrs. Henderson was definitely going to file another complaint. I was mentally spiraling, already imagining my minimum-wage future, when this guy appeared at the pool gate.

"New here?" he asked. He had dark hair and this quiet confidence that made me nervous.

"Is it that obvious?"

He laughed. "You look like you're questioning every life choice that led to this moment."

That's when the neighborhood cat—a scrawny gray tabby everyone called Sphinx because it appeared out of nowhere and stared judgmentally at everyone—hopped onto the pool deck and started meowing at me.

"Great. Now the cat's disappointed in me too."

Jordan crouched down, and Sphinx immediately wound around his legs like they were best friends. "Her name's actually Luna. She just has resting cat face."

"You speak cat?"

"I speak 'people who leave food outside.'" He stood up. "I'm Jordan, by the way. My mom's the one with the nice garden you accidentally killed with pool chemicals last week."

I wanted to dissolve into the chlorinated water. "I am SO sorry about your hydrangeas—"

"They were already dead," he said. "Plus, you saved me from watering them all summer. Win-win."

Something about his smile made my chest feel weird. Not like indigestion weird, but like maybe-I-shouldn't-have-had-that-much-sugar weird.

"Want help fixing this?" he gestured at the blue water. "I'm pretty good at chemistry. You know, for a guy who supposedly talks to cats."

"Only if you promise not to tell anyone I'm basically a disaster at my job."

"Your secret's safe with me." He grinned. "Besides, everyone starts somewhere. Even Sphinx was a kitten once."

The cat meowed in agreement. And just like that, my zombie summer suddenly felt like it might be the start of something real.