Palm Springs Chronicles

Maya's phone buzzed with the group chat. 'Pool party @ Derek's. 2 PM. BYOB (bring your own body).'

She groaned. Derek's parties were legendary, but also terrifying. This was the first one since the incident at spring formal, where she'd spilled punch on her crush's white sneakers and then tried to wipe it off with her sleeve, making it worse.

Her mom knocked on the doorframe. 'Don't forget your vitamin D supplements, mija. You've been inside too much.' She set the bottle on Maya's desk and surveyed the outfit laid out on the bed. 'That's what you're wearing?'

'That's the point, Mom.' Maya grabbed the bikini. It was revealing, yes, but everyone wore them. 'I'm not trying to impress anyone. I'm just... existing.'

Her mom raised an eyebrow. 'Your palm is sweating just talking about this.'

Maya wiped her hand on her shorts. Dammit. Her mom had always been able to read her like a—well, like a mom.

The party was already in full swing when Maya arrived. Bodies everywhere, music thumping, the smell of coconut sunscreen and chlorine. She spotted Derek immediately, holding court in the deep end with his crew. Last year's middle school bracket winner, now somehow even more annoying.

'Maya!' Chloe waved from the shallow end. 'Saved you a spot.'

Chloe was different this year. She'd grown like six inches and suddenly had curves where there used to be none. The boys noticed. Everyone noticed.

'Heard you talking to Jordan at the spring formal,' Chloe said quietly. 'Before the... incident.'

Maya's face burned. Jordan. The one with the ruined sneakers. The one she'd been lowkey obsessed with since seventh grade algebra, when he'd helped her understand factoring and she'd understood nothing else.

'He asked about you,' Chloe continued. 'At lunch yesterday.'

'What?' Maya nearly choked on her own spit. 'Wait, really?'

Chloe nodded solemnly. 'Said he felt bad about the whole thing. That he should've helped clean it up instead of just standing there like a fox caught in headlights.'

Maya processed this. Jordan felt bad? About the incident she'd been mortified by for months?

A shadow fell over them. She looked up to see Jordan standing there, dripping wet, holding—was that a vitamin water?

'Hey,' he said. 'Came to see if you wanted to hang out. Derek's being extra today, and I need actual conversation.' He gestured to the floaties. 'I call the pink flamingo.'

Maya looked at Chloe, who was already scooting away with a wink. 'Sure,' she said, trying to sound casual and probably failing. 'I can do that.'

They floated in silence for a minute, Jordan kicking lazily to keep them moving.

'So,' he said. 'My shoes are fine, by the way. In the wash. Totally clean.'

Maya laughed before she could stop herself. 'I'm still sorry about that.'

'I'm not.' Jordan met her eyes. 'Otherwise I wouldn't have had a reason to talk to you again.'

The sun was perfect. The water was perfect. This moment, right here, with Jordan looking at her like she was someone worth noticing, was perfect.

'So,' she said, 'tell me everything I missed in algebra while I was busy being a disaster.'

Jordan grinned. 'You mean besides the fact that Fox totally asked Emma to homecoming and got rejected in front of everyone?'

Maya settled back against her flamingo, the sun warm on her face, and listened.

Maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all.