Fox in the Pool Water

Maya's hair had declared war on her freshman year. The frizz halo around her head was basically a social notification that she didn't have her life together.

"You good?" Liam asked, handing her a cup. "You look like you're about to cry."

"I'm fine," Maya lied, taking the cup. It was some papaya concoction that tasted like sunscreen and desperation. "Just thinking about how my hair's doing the most today."

Liam laughed, and Maya felt that weird flutter in her chest—the kind that made everything feel dangerous and exciting at the same time.

They were at Jordan's pool party, the kind of event that could make or break your entire semester status. Maya had spent three hours straightening her hair that morning, only for the humidity to immediately undo all her efforts.

"Remember when we had those goldfish in third grade?" Liam said suddenly. "You named yours Glitter and then it died within like, two days?"

"Okay, first of all, Glitter had a pre-existing condition," Maya said, grinning. "And second, your goldfish was named Captain Fin and it lasted literally three hours before it did a backflip out of the bowl."

The water in the pool rippled as someone dove in, sending waves sloshing toward the edge where they sat. Maya's toes hung over the side, the cool liquid soothing her anxiety-sweaty skin.

"Hey, question," Liam said, his voice dropping. "Are you and Jordan like, a thing?"

Maya's stomach did a backflip of its own. "No. Why?"

"Just wondering. He's been talking about you all week." Liam's hand brushed hers, electric and terrifying. "Not that I care or whatever."

A red fox burst from the bushes behind them, sleek and impossibly real. It paused at the pool's edge, amber eyes locked on Maya's papaya-stained cup, before vanishing back into the shadows.

"Did you just see that?" Maya breathed.

"The fox?" Liam nodded, like it was totally normal. "Yeah, it lives in Jordan's backyard. It's basically part of the landscape at this point."

Maya looked at her reflection in the water—hair frizzy, papaya stain on her shirt, heart pounding like crazy—and somehow, everything felt exactly as it should be.