Orange One-Piece Summer

The orange one-piece swimsuit hung from my hook like a neon sign screaming 'I don't belong here.' Maya's pool party. The invite said 'bring your swimsuit!' but failed to mention everyone else would be wearing matching bikinis from that boutique at the mall where my mom refuses to shop.

I spent forty minutes in the bathroom stall at Maya's house, hyperventilating. The swimming part wasn't the issue—I'd been on swim team since seventh grade. It was the being seen part. The walking to the pool in this bright monstrosity that made me look like a traffic cone crossed with a middle school gym teacher.

'They're waiting for you!' Maya called through the door. 'Even Cooper's here!'

Cooper. The reason I'd spent three days straightening my hair and teaching myself winged eyeliner via YouTube tutorials.

I stepped out, clutching my towel like a shield. The pool deck was packed—Maya's popular friends, some juniors I didn't recognize, Cooper's whole friend group. And Cooper, sitting on the edge with his feet in the water, grinning at something Tyler said.

Then chaos erupted.

Maya's golden retriever, Buster, who'd been sleeping under a lounge chair, suddenly bolted. Not running—running implies purpose. This was spastic, joy-fueled chaos. Buster spotted something in the grass, executed a sliding turn, and careened straight toward Cooper.

Cooper, caught mid-laugh, didn't see Buster coming. He didn't see the leash wrapped around someone's ankle. He definitely didn't see his phone slide off the edge of the pool as Buster's tail knocked it sideways.

Splash.

Everyone froze. Cooper stared at the water. His iPhone, in a protective case but not exactly waterproof, sunk slowly toward the bottom.

'I'll get it!' I didn't think. I didn't hesitate. Old swim team instincts kicked in. I dropped my towel, dove in, and surfaced a second later, Cooper's phone in hand.

Dead silence. Then Cooper started laughing. Not mean laughter—genuine, doubling-over laughter. 'Bro,' he gasped. 'You literally saved my life. My dad would've killed me.'

Later, dripping and sitting on the edge with the biggest group of kids I'd ever been within five feet of, someone commented on my swimsuit.

'Dude,' said Tyler, Cooper's best friend. 'That color is actually sick. Where'd you get it?'

'Target,' I said, and they all nodded like this was perfectly normal.

'I have one just like it,' this junior girl named Jordan said. 'Wore it last weekend.'

We spent the next hour swimming, racing Cooper across the pool (I let him win, obviously), and eating the orange slices Maya's mom brought out. Buster sprawled in the sun, occasionally running circles around anyone who stood up too quickly.

When I finally left, Cooper walked me to the gate. 'Hey,' he said. 'Thanks again. For saving my phone. And for actually, like, swimming. Everyone else was just standing there.'

'No problem,' I said, trying to sound casual while my heart hammered against my ribs.

'Pool party next weekend too,' he said. 'You should come.' He paused. 'Bring the orange suit.'