Orange Vitamin Summer

The community pool on July 4th was basically a social battlefield, and I was walking into it without armor. Unless you count the oversized t-shirt I'd thrown over my swim trunks because I was still self-conscious about how my ribs stuck out. Thanks, growth spurt.

"Marcus! You coming in or what?" Tyler yelled from the deep end. He was surrounded by the popular kids—THE popular kids, the ones who somehow made chlorine smell expensive. I'd been Tyler's best friend since fourth grade, but lately he'd been drifting toward their orbit. I was just the funny friend who happened to live down the street.

I pulled the giant bottle of orange vitamin water from my backpack. My mom had bought it in bulk from Costco because I'd mentioned feeling tired after swim practice. Now it was basically my security blanket. "Just hydrating," I called back, trying to sound casual.

That's when I saw her. Jenna. She was sitting on the pool edge, legs in the water, wearing this bright orange bikini that matched the streaks she'd dyed in her dark hair. I'd had a crush on her since she'd moved here in October, but I'd never actually spoken to her. Not really. Just "here's your homework" and "thanks" in AP Bio.

She looked up and caught me staring. I froze. Should I wave? Should I jump in dramatically? Should I pretend I hadn't been looking like a total creep?

"Is that the new orange vitamin one?" she asked, pointing at my bottle. "My friend said those taste like liquid Skittles."

"Uh, yeah?" I managed, my voice cracking slightly. Perfect. "It's... decent? Want to try?"

Jenna shrugged and slid into the pool, swimming over to where I stood paralyzed. "Sure. If you don't have cooties."

I handed her the bottle. Our fingers brushed for like half a second, and my brain short-circuited. She took a sip, made a face, then laughed. "Okay, that's actually pretty good. I'm Jenna, by the way."

"Marcus. I mean, I'm Marcus."

"I know," she said, grinning. "You sit behind me in bio. You're always drawing cartoons in your notebook."

My face burned hotter than the pavement outside the pool fence. She'd NOTICED me? This whole time?

"They're not good," I mumbled.

"I didn't say that," she said, handing back the bottle. "I said I noticed them. There's a difference." She paused. "Hey, some of us are going to the creek tomorrow after the parade. You should come. Tyler said you're cool."

Wait. Tyler had talked about me? To Jenna?

"Yeah," I said, trying to play it cool despite doing a mental victory lap. "Yeah, I think I can make that."

"Perfect." She swam back toward her friends, then turned back. "Hey Marcus?"

"Yeah?"

"Bring more of that orange stuff. It's actually not terrible."

I watched her go, feeling something bright and unfamiliar expand in my chest. Maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all. Maybe I'd finally stop being the kid in the oversized t-shirt, hovering at the edge of everything.

"Dude!" Tyler swam over, looking impressed. "Did Jenna just talk to you?"

I took a swig of my orange vitamin water and shrugged, trying to hide my smile. "Just sharing my drink, bro. No big deal."

But it was. It absolutely was.