Green at the Gills

Maya's stomach did backflips as she stood at the edge of the pool, chlorine stinging her nose. Everyone from sophomore year was there—except her, apparently, because she was still fully clothed while practically half the school was already splashing around in the water.

"You coming in or what?" shouted Jake, who'd somehow become popular over summer vacation. He did a cannonball that sent waves crashing toward the edge.

Maya clutched her towel. Her swimsuit was underneath her clothes, but suddenly it felt like the most exposed she'd ever been in her life.

"Give her a second!" Chloe, her best friend since kindergarten, materialized at her side, shoving a plastic cup into her hands. "Here, try this spinach dip first. It's actually fire."

Spinach dip. At a pool party. Because obviously.

Maya forced a smile. "Chlo, I'm not really—"

"Just taste it! My mom made it."

Fine. Maya took a scoop, trying to look casual. But then Jake yelled her name from across the pool, and she panicked, choking on nothing, and suddenly her mouth was full of spinach leaves that absolutely would not go down.

She coughed. Once. Twice. And then—because the universe had it out for her—a chunk of green spinach escaped her mouth and landed directly on her white shirt.

Right on her chest.

For three solid seconds, nobody noticed. Then someone laughed. Then someone else. And suddenly Maya was the girl who spit spinach all over herself at Jake Miller's party.

Her face burned. She backed away from the pool edge, toward the fence, toward escape—

"Maya, wait!" Chloe grabbed her arm. "Nobody cares."

"They're literally laughing at me."

"Jake's laughing because he thinks you did it on purpose. He's like, 'that was legendary.'"

Maya froze. "What?"

"He thinks you're funny, Maya. He thinks you have 'main character energy' or whatever." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Boys are dumb, but he's into it."

Water splashed nearby as someone surfaced. Jake waved from the pool. "Yo Maya! Ten out of ten, would watch again! Get in here!"

Maya looked at the spinach stain on her shirt. Then at the pool, shimmering blue under string lights. Then at Chloe, who was already pulling off her t-shirt.

"Fine," Maya said, peeling off her clothes. "But if I sink, you're explaining to my mom why her daughter drowned at a pool party."

"Deal."

The water was cold at first, then perfect. Maya treaded water as Jake swam over, spinach stain and all.

"So," he said, grinning. "That spinach bit—comedy genius or total accident?"

Maya smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

She paddled backward, feeling lighter than she had all day. Sometimes the most embarrassing moments became the best stories. And somehow, that green stain on her shirt had become exactly what she needed to dive in.