Fox at the Pool Party

The heat wave had turned the neighborhood into a sauna, which meant Emma's annual pool party was the only place to be. Not that I wanted to go. But Mia, my best friend since third grade, had somehow convinced me that sitting on the sidelines watching everyone live their best lives was better than rotting in my room with Netflix.

"You're coming, end of discussion," she'd said. "I heard Fox might actually show up this year."

Fox.aka Finn Thompson. The guy who'd sat behind me in bio last year, smelling like mint gum and expensive cologne, while I'd struggled to focus on anything except the back of his neck. We'd never actually spoken, obviously.

Now I was standing awkwardly by the snack table, clutching a red solo cup like it was a lifeline, while Mia disappeared into the crowd. The backyard was packed—people from school, people I didn't know, people whose Instagram stories I'd watched but never talked to in real life. The pool shimmered blue and inviting, but I wasn't about to be that girl who showed up in a swimsuit when nobody else was ready to swim yet.

Then I saw him.

Finn—Fox—was standing by the patio furniture, surrounded by his friends. He was taller than I remembered, his hair damp like he'd already been in the water. My stomach did that embarrassing thing where it felt like it was trying to escape through my throat.

"You gonna stand there all day or actually say hi?"

I jumped. Finn was standing right there. Up close, his eyes were more hazel than green, and he had this tiny scar through his eyebrow that I'd never noticed from behind.

"I—I wasn't staring," I lied terribly.

His mouth curved. "You've been holding that cup for twenty minutes without drinking. Either you're really committed to hydration, or you're working up to something."

I laughed despite myself. "Option C: I'm socially awkward and regretting everything."

"Same." He gestured toward the pool. "Wanna bear witness to whatever's happening over there? I think someone's about to do something incredibly stupid."

I followed his gaze. A group of guys was setting up a makeshift net across the shallow end.

"They're not seriously..."

"Pool padel," Finn confirmed. "Because regular sports aren't chaotic enough." He shook his head. "My brother's a goldfish when it comes to impulse control. He organized this."

"Wait, that's your brother? The one who—"

"Jumped off the roof into a snowbank last winter? Unfortunately, yes."

We stood there watching as the most chaotic game of water padel ensued, with people splashing everywhere, the ball flying into neighbors' yards, and someone's grandma yelling from the next house over. And somehow, I was laughing. Actually laughing, not fake-laughing.

Finn bumped my shoulder with his. "You know, I've been trying to talk to you since October."

My heart did something that felt illegal. "Since October?"

"Bio class. You always wore that hoodie with the paint stains. I wanted to ask what kind of art you do, but I never worked up the nerve." He looked down, suddenly shy. "Which is ridiculous, considering I'm supposed to be this confident guy everyone thinks I am."

"Fox," I said. "People call you Fox because you're smooth."

"People call me Fox because one time I outsmarted a security guard at a football game." He met my eyes. "But I don't feel very smooth right now."

The sun was starting to set, casting everything in golden light. The chaos of the party continued around us—Mia was now participating in the padel disaster, losing spectacularly—but in that moment, it felt like we were in our own tiny bubble.

"Well," I said, setting down my cup. "Since we're both terrible at this..."

I walked to the edge of the pool and jumped in fully dressed.

The shock of the cold water was perfect. When I surfaced, sopping wet and grinning like an idiot, Finn was standing there shaking his head.

"You're crazy," he called.

"Join me!"

He jumped in, clothes and all, and when he came up spluttering, we were both laughing so hard we could barely breathe. Later, wrapped in towels and watching the stars come out while Mia dominated at padel, I realized something about growing up: sometimes you just have to jump in. Even if you're scared. Even if you look ridiculous. Especially then.

Finn's hand brushed mine, and he didn't pull away.

Maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all.