Diving In

The fluorescent orange slice bobbed in the pool water like a tiny life raft, and honestly? I felt like I needed rescuing too.

This was it—my first real party since transferring to Northwood High. My palms were sweating so bad I had to wipe them on my shorts like three times. I'd spent forty-five minutes perfecting my hair, only to immediately throw on my stupid baseball hat like a security blanket. Classic Maya.

Across the pool, the popular crew had claimed the prime spot. Jade, effortlessly gorgeous in her bikini, was holding court like she owned the place. I felt ridiculously out of place in my one-piece that my mom said was "age-appropriate." Whatever that means.

"Hey! You gonna stand there all day or actually get in?"

I jumped. It was Ryan—the guy from my English class who always smelled like papaya soap. He was dangling his feet in the water, grinning at me.

"I'm, uh, observing," I said smooth as sandpaper.

"Cool strategy." He patted the empty spot beside him. "Seat's taken, but this patch of concrete is primo real estate."

Something about his easy energy made me actually consider it. But then I remembered why I was nervous.

"I can't swim," I blurted out. "Like, at all. It's embarrassing, I know—"

"Wait." He tilted his head. "You came to a pool party and you can't swim? That's dedication. Or maybe you're just here for Taylor's mom's famous fruit punch."

I laughed, surprising myself. "That papaya blend is basically the only reason I showed up."

"No way." His eyes lit up. "That's my favorite too! Everyone thinks it's weird, but—"

"It's underrated!" I finished.

We spent the next twenty minutes talking about everything from our terrible music tastes to how Jade's laugh sounded like a dying hyena. I actually forgot I was supposed to be having a social anxiety crisis.

Then Taylor's little brother came barreling through with this massive inflatable bear inner tube, knocking into people and absolutely no one being mad about it because he was nine and chaotic.

"Dude, that bear is iconic," Ryan said. "Like, I want that energy."

"Bold of you to assume you don't already have it," I shot back.

He laughed—a real, genuine laugh. And something in my chest did this little flip thing.

"Hey, Maya?" He stood up, water dripping from his shorts. "You wanna go get more of that papaya punch? Together?"

I took off my hat and shook out my hair.

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah, I really do."