Deep End Surveillance

I sunk into the chlorinated blue, letting the water muffle everything. Above the surface, the graduation pool party raged with Spotify playlists and overly loud laughter. But down here? Peace.

I wasn't just hiding from my ex-best friend Jessica, who was currently living her best life twelve feet away. I was hiding from the fact that I'd been lowkey spying on her Instagram stories for three weeks straight. Pathetic, right? We'd been inseparable since seventh grade, then she ghosted me sophomore year for the popular crowd. No explanation, just... gone.

But the water felt safe. Weightless. Like maybe if I stayed under long enough, I wouldn't have to face how awkward it was to be the only one not invited to the group chat.

Something tugged at my ankle. I shot upward, gasping, wiping chlorine from my eyes. Jessica stood there, arms crossed, dripping wet.

"You good? You were under for a weirdly long time."

"I'm fine," I lied, treading water. "Just... thinking."

She dove in beside me, surfacing with that perfect smile that used to make me feel special. Now it just made me feel fake.

"I missed you," she said quietly. The pool noise faded to background noise.

"Could've fooled me," I shot back, but without any real bite. "You seem busy with your new friends."

"They're not..." She paused, floating on her back. "They're not you, Mars. I've been wanting to reach out but I thought you hated me."

"I thought YOU hated ME."

We stared at each other, treading water in the deep end. Then she splashed me full in the face. I retaliated. Suddenly we were twelve again, having splash wars in her backyard pool, before high school ruined everything.

"I saw your story," she admitted. "The one about being lonely in crowded rooms. I felt that."

"You were spying on me too?" I laughed, genuinely laughing for the first time in months.

"Maybe," she grinned. "Or maybe I just still check your profile every day because my best friend doesn't just disappear because of some stupid friend group drama."

We swam to the edge, breathing hard. The pool party continued around us, but something had shifted. The water that had been my escape became our meeting ground.

"Wanna get out of here?" she asked. "Like, actually out. There's this spot by the lake..."

"Only if you promise no more ghosting."

"Promise." She extended a hand. "Friend?"

"Friend," I said, and pulled myself out of the deep end.