Chlorine Kisses and Undead Dreams

Maya stood at the edge of the pool, fingers twisting through her chlorine-green hair. She'd spent forty-five minutes braiding it perfectly, but now she just looked like a mermaid who'd been through a car wash.

"You coming in or what?" Jordan called from the deep end, splashing water everywhere like an overexcited golden retriever. His swim team practice had ended an hour ago, but he was still swimming laps like his life depended on it.

"I'm thinking about it," Maya lied. She wasn't thinking about swimming. She was thinking about how her legs looked in this swimsuit, how everyone else seemed so comfortable in their skin, how she was the only one who felt like a zombie moving through social situations — dead inside, somehow still functioning.

The pool party was Jordan's idea. Classic Jordan — popular, athletic, completely oblivious to how exhausting it was to be around people when you'd rather be binge-watching apocalyptic TV shows in your room. Which was exactly what Maya had been doing before Jordan showed up at her door with his puppy dog eyes and promises that THIS time, it would be fun.

A group of girls from the volleyball team clustered by the snacks, their hair somehow still perfect despite the humidity. They were laughing at something, and Maya felt that familiar pang in her chest — FOMO mixed with relief that she wasn't part of whatever drama was unfolding.

"Maya!" Jordan swam over to the edge, dripping wet. "There's literally no one watching you. Just jump in already."

"That's easy for you to say," she muttered. "You're not the one who looks like a drowned rat before you even get in the water."

Jordan shrugged, water rolling down his shoulders. "So what? Nobody cares, Maya. We're all just zombies before noon on a Saturday anyway."

She snorted despite herself. "Did you just reference my show?"

"Maybe." He grinned. "Now get in here before I splash you."

Maya took a breath and jumped.

The water shocked her skin, cold and bright and overwhelming. For a second, she couldn't breathe. Then she broke the surface, gasping, and Jordan was right there, laughing as she wiped water from her eyes.

"See? Not so bad, right?"

"You're the worst," she said, but she was smiling. Her hair was ruined, her makeup was gone, and somehow, none of it mattered. For the first time all day, Maya didn't feel like watching from the sidelines.

"Race you to the other end?" Jordan challenged.

"You're on, Zombie Boy."

She dove forward, and for once, Maya didn't overthink it. She just swam.