Fox in the Deep End

The pool party invitation had been sitting in Maya's inbox for three days. She'd been staring at it like it was a bomb, which honestly, for someone with her social anxiety, it basically was. Everyone from sophomore year was going to be at Jake's house. Jake, who she'd had a crush on since that time he'd helped her pick up her dropped books in the hallway and said "no worries" with that casual grin that made her brain turn to static.

"You're going," Sophie declared, flopping onto Maya's bed. "You literally cannot spend another Friday watching Netflix and overthinking every interaction you've ever had with Jake."

Maya groaned into her pillow. "I can't **swimming** in front of people. Have you seen me? I move through water like a distressed potato."

"That's literally what two-piece bathing suits are for. Distracting everyone with your skin so they don't notice your terrible form."

"You're the worst."

"I'm the best. Now get up, we're going shopping."

The party was in full swing when they arrived. The backyard was already steamy with humidity and teenage hormones. Someone had set up a speaker blasting the kind of bass-heavy music that vibrated in your chest. Maya clutched her towel like a lifeline.

And there he was. Jake, sitting on the pool edge with his legs in the **water**, laughing at something his friends were saying. Maya felt that familiar swooping sensation in her stomach, the one that was half excitement and half I'm definitely going to embarrass myself.

"Hey!" Jake called, spotting her. "Maya! Finally made it?"

"Yeah, uh, fashionably late?" she managed, which was a stupid thing to say but her brain was currently rebooting.

His **dog**, a golden retriever named Buster who was apparently friends with everyone on Instagram, came bounding over and shook his **water**-soaked fur directly onto Maya's legs.

"Buster! No!" Jake laughed, but he was already sliding into the pool. "Sorry, he has zero chill. Want to come in? The **water**'s perfect."

Maya looked at the pool. At Sophie, who was already neck-deep with some juniors. At Jake, waiting for her answer with that genuine, easy smile.

She thought about how she'd spent the whole week worrying about this exact moment. About how she'd almost stayed home. About how life kept happening whether she showed up for it or not.

"Yeah," she said, dropping her towel. "Yeah, I'm coming in."

Later, drying off in the golden afternoon light, Jake would sit next to her and they'd talk about nothing and everything for forty minutes straight. But that was later. Right now, Maya just had to take the plunge.

She cannonballed into the deep end.