Orange Cat at the Pool

Maya stood at the edge of the pool, her toes curled against the warm concrete. The chlorine smell hung thick in the air, mixing with the sunscreen scent of summer. Everyone else was already in the water, laughing and splashing like they'd been friends forever.

She'd moved to Oak Creek three weeks ago, and somehow hadn't managed to make a single friend. Until today, when she'd spotted Luna reading near the pool fence—an orange cat curled on her lap like it owned the place.

"Hey," Maya had said, approaching with her bottle of vitamin water clutched like a shield. "Cool cat."

Luna had looked up, her frizzy curls escaping her bun. "His name's Mango. Because he's basically an orange with legs."

Maya had laughed, and just like that, they were talking about everything from their awful summer reading list to why the school cafeteria's pizza tasted like cardboard.

Now Luna waved from the pool. "Maya! Get in here! The water's perfect!"

Maya hesitated. She'd been self-conscious about her pale skin since the move, especially compared to Luna's easy confidence. But then she remembered what Luna had said earlier: "You know what my mom says? Vitamin D is basically happiness. You gotta get it from somewhere."

She slipped into the water, letting it swallow her doubts. Luna paddled over, grinning.

"So," Luna said, splashing water dramatically. "You coming to my party Friday? My brother's friend Dex will be there."

"Is Dex..." Maya searched for the right words, "is he worth my vitamin water budget?"

Luna laughed so hard she snorted. "Girl, Dex is like human caffeine. But honestly? I think you'd make better friends with Mango. That cat has better taste in people than my brother."

Maya grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Later, as they sat on the pool edge with their legs dangling in the water, Luna dropped a piece of her orange snack. Mango appeared from nowhere, sniffing it dramatically before deciding it was beneath his dignity.

"Typical," Luna said, wiping cat hair from her swimsuit. "He's a critic. A furry, orange food critic."

Maya watched the sun dip below the fence, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. Sometimes friendship found you in the weirdest ways—a cat who looked like fruit, honest words about happiness vitamins, and someone who made getting dunked in pool water feel like the best thing ever.

"So Friday?" Luna asked again. "Mango approves. That's basically his blessing."

Maya nodded. "I'll be there. With vitamin water to spare."

Luna threw an orange snack at her. Maya caught it, grinning. This might actually work.