Deep End Discoveries

Maya stood by the edge of the pool, clutching her ridiculous bucket hat like it was a life preserver. Which, honestly, it kind of was – her social life preserver in a sea of perfectly tanned, confident teenagers who all seemed to speak a language she'd barely started learning.

"You coming in or what?" Jackson called from the water, grinning that effortless grin that made everyone fall all over themselves. His friends laughed. Maya's stomach did that familiar twisting thing.

"Maybe later," she mumbled, adjusting her hat. Like the hat was the problem. Like the hat was why she was standing there like a total loser while everyone else was having the time of their lives.

The pool sparkled with that impossibly blue water that only existed in real life at places like this. Maya could see her reflection in the glass sliding doors – a skinny, awkward girl in oversized clothes and a hat that screamed "I don't belong here."

Then something brushed against her leg. A calico cat, weaving through the crowd like it owned the place. The cat jumped onto a lounge chair, tail twitching, completely unbothered by the social minefield it was navigating.

"Nice cat," someone said.

"Yeah," Maya found herself saying. "My neighbor has one just like her. Names her Princess. Because she's obviously the queen of everything."

A few people actually laughed. Not mean laughter. Real laughter.

"That's actually pretty funny," Jackson said, swimming closer. "You're Maya, right? From English?"

She nodded, suddenly aware of her bare forehead where her hat had slipped. Somehow, with the cat watching and Jackson actually talking to her like a normal person, the pool didn't look so scary anymore.

"I'm going in," she heard herself say. "Hat and all."

"What?" Jackson grinned. "No way."

"Watch me."

And as she cannonballed into the water, making the biggest splash possible, she thought: maybe high school wouldn't be so terrifying after all. Sometimes you just had to jump in. Hat and all.