Deep End Drama

Maya's first day as a junior lifeguard wasn't going according to plan. The break room cable had been out for weeks, which meant no MTV while on break—just dusty VHS tapes of Baywatch episodes from 1997. The other junior guards, Jax and Sophie, didn't seem to mind. They were too busy making Maya feel like the awkward newbie she absolutely was.

"You doing guard duty at the lap lanes today?" Jax asked, grinning like he knew something she didn't.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason," Sophie said, exchanging a look with Jax. "Just that Ethan's working the deep end today."

Ethan. The senior lifeguard. The one with the perfect hair and the dimples who'd actually said "hey" to Maya at orientation. Her stomach did that annoying fluttery thing.

Her mom had packed her lunch—turkey sandwich, apple, and a spinach salad that Maya had dutifully eaten, trying to be healthy and grown-up. She checked her reflection in her phone before heading back to the pool deck. Teeth looked fine. Hair in a ponytail. One-piece swimsuitProfessional enough, not trying too hard. Good.

The pool was chaos—summer camp groups, lap swimmers, old ladies doing water aerobics to ABBA. Maya took her chair at the lap lanes, whistle ready, trying to look capable and alert. Ethan was at the deep end, looking effortless in the way only popular 17-year-olds can.

Around 2 PM, the pool cleared out for adult swim. That's when she saw him walking over—Ethan, approaching her chair.

"Hey," he said. "You're Maya, right? New junior guard?"

"Yeah!"

Way too enthusiastic. She cleared her throat. "I mean, yeah. That's me."

"Cool." He leaned against her chair. "Some of us are hitting the beach after work. You should come."

Was this happening? Was Ethan—perfect, gorgeous Ethan—inviting her somewhere?

"That sounds awesome," she said, smiling her biggest smile. "I'd love to—"

"Your tooth," Jax called from the next chair over. "You've got—" He made a circular motion around his own mouth.

Maya froze. She ran her tongue over her front teeth.

Spinach. A giant, obvious piece of spinach, probably there since lunch.

Ethan was already looking away, pretending to check the pool temperature.

"Right," he said. "Anyway, maybe some other time."

As he walked away, Sophie appeared at Maya's elbow with a napkin.

"Happens to everyone," she said. "Last week, Jax fell off his chair into the shallow end during swim team practice. In front of everyone."

Maya wiped her teeth. "Everyone?"

"Everyone. Including that senior he's been trying to impress since June."

Maya looked at Jax, who was studiously examining his whistle. He winked when he caught her looking.

"We should go to the beach," Sophie said. "All of us. Skip Ethan."