Papaya At The Pool Party

The pool party at Tyler's house was exactly the kind of thing I usually avoided. Too many people, too much skin, too many opportunities to say something awkward and cement my status as the weirdest kid in sophomore year. But Maya had texted me 'please come 🥺' with those pleading eyes emoji, and honestly, I'd do pretty much anything when Maya Zhou asked.

I was already regretting it. The backyard was packed with juniors and seniors, everyone in swimsuits that cost more than my entire wardrobe. I stayed fully clothed in cargo shorts and a faded band tee, clutching a cup of fruit punch like it was a lifeline.

"Try this!" Maya appeared beside me, shoving something bright orange toward my face. "It's papaya. My mom cut it up this morning."

I eyed the fruit suspiciously. "I've never had papaya."

"You're missing out! It's like if a mango and a sunset had a baby." She laughed, and I noticed for the thousandth time how her nose crinkled when she smiled. I took a bite, and okay, she wasn't wrong. It was weird but good, sweet and somehow different from anything I'd tasted before.

"That's actually fire," I admitted, and Maya did a little victory dance that made me smile despite myself.

Then Tyler, looking very much like the captain of the swim team that he was, shouted: "YO, who's up for chicken fight?"

I was about to decline, obviously, but Maya grabbed my arm. "We got this!"

"Uh, Maya, I'm not really—"

"Running from a challenge? Not the Jordan I know." She winked, and before I could process that Maya Zhou noticed my existence enough to have expectations, she pulled me toward the pool.

We climbed onto the shoulders of some juniors I didn't know, and somewhere between Maya falling off and me somehow managing to not immediately drown, I heard someone yell "nice one, fox!" and for a second I thought they meant me—like, maybe my red hair had earned me an actual nickname instead of just 'ginger kid' like usual—but then I realized they were talking about a literal fox that had just wandered into Tyler's backyard.

Everyone freaked out, in a good way, phones out, someone posted it on their story with 'FOX AT THE POOL PARTY' and three fire emojis, and the chaos gave me and Maya a moment to drip-dry on the pool deck, shoulders touching.

"So," she said, grinning, water droplets sliding down her cheeks. "You gonna try papaya again?"

"If you're there," I said, and then immediately wanted to dissolve into the pool water, but Maya just smiled like I'd said something smooth instead of terrifyingly honest.

"Deal."