Dog Paddle & Egos

The vitamin gummies sat on my nightstand, mocking me. Mom swore they'd help with my 'growth spurt,' which was basically code for 'you're short, Marcus, deal with it.' I shoved them in my pocket anyway, because at this point, I'd try anything.

"You coming to Jake's party?" Leo asked, falling into step beside me. "Everyone's gonna be there. Chelsea might actually show."

I'd been crushing on Chelsea since seventh grade, when she accidentally called me 'Mark' and I didn't correct her because I was too busy having a mini stroke. "I don't know, man. I'm not great at... swimming situations."

"Bro, it's not the Olympics. It's a pool party." Leo clapped my shoulder. "Just don't drown, and you're golden."

Easier said than done. Jake's family had this ridiculous inground pool with a waterfall and underwater speakers, and half our grade was already there when we arrived. Chelsea was in a lounge chair looking like she'd stepped out of a TikTok, and I immediately regretted everything.

Then things went sideways.

"Hey, Marcus!" Jake yelled, holding up a frantic bundle of fur. "My aunt dropped off her dog last minute. Can you watch him? He's super chill."

The dog—a golden retriever named Sunny—was not chill. The moment Jake handed him the leash, Sunny spotted something and bolted. I chased him through the crowd, past the snack table, right to the edge of the pool.

Where a cat was sitting on the diving board. A cat. At a pool party.

Sunny barked. The cat hissed. And then, in a moment that would forever live in infamy on our school's Instagram, I tried to grab Sunny's leash and tripped.

I went in fully clothed. Phone, vitamin gummies, dignity—everything.

The pool erupted. Someone started chanting my name. Underwater, I could see Sunny paddling happily around me like this was exactly what he'd wanted. The cat sat on the diving board, looking mildly amused.

When I surfaced, Chelsea was laughing. Not mean laughing—genuine, I-can't-believe-this-just-happened laughing. And somehow, that made it okay.

"Nice entry, Mark," she called.

I didn't even correct her. Some things were worth keeping the same.