Pool Party Confidential

The humidity hit me like a wall as I stepped onto the patio, my cheap flip-flops already starting to melt. The Richardson's annual pool party. The social event of the summer, or at least that's what Maya had been texting me about for three weeks straight.

I clutched my phone against my **palm**, sweat already making it slippery. This was it. The moment I'd been psyching myself up for since school ended. I was going to talk to him. Actually talk to him. Not just stare at the back of his head in chemistry like a total weirdo.

"You're **spy**ing again," Maya whispered, appearing beside me with two sodas. "You're not subtle, Alex. You're about as subtle as a nuclear explosion."

"Shut up," I hissed, grabbing a soda. "I'm observing. There's a difference."

Jordan was by the **swimming** pool, shirt off (RIP me, mentally), laughing at something Chloe-from-lunch had said. His hair was wet, probably from a recent dip, droplets catching the sunlight like tiny diamonds. Of course he was surrounded by people. Of course Chloe was laughing like he'd just delivered the TED talk of the century.

"You know what you need," Maya said, already knowing my entire emotional state like she always did. "Liquid courage. Or actual courage. Or both."

"I need an exit strategy. This was a mistake. I should've stayed home and continued my Doctor Who marathon."

"Nope. Nope. We discussed this." Maya scanned the crowd. "Ooh, entertainment. Kyle's about to do something stupid."

Sure enough, Kyle—the kid who'd once eaten an entire pizza in four minutes during lunch—was climbing onto the diving board holding a massive teddy **bear** someone had brought as a joke gift.

"BEAR-illator coming through!" he announced, and launched himself and the stuffed animal into the deep end with a massive splash.

Everyone screamed. Jordan laughed so hard he nearly fell off his lounge chair. The bear bobbed to the surface like a triumphant, cotton-filled warrior.

"That's your opening," Maya pushed me. "Go. Now. While everyone's distracted by the drenched teddy."

I took a deep breath, forgot how to breathe, remembered how to breathe, and marched toward the **pool** where Jordan was still chuckling and wiping water from his eyes.

"That," I said, my voice doing that annoying shaky thing, "might be the most impressive thing I've ever seen. And I once watched my brother try to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon."

Jordan looked up, grinning. Water droplets clung to his eyelashes. "The Cinnamon Challenge? Legendary. I'm Jordan, by the way. We've been in chem together all year and I don't think I've ever actually heard you speak."

"Alex," I said. "And I've been working on my mysterious silent persona. It's very intentional."

He laughed. Actually laughed. "Well, mystery solved. You're funny. You want to play chicken? Maya's looking for a partner to destroy Kyle and the bear."

I looked at Maya, who was already motioning dramatically from the other side of the pool. Then back at Jordan, who was still smiling at me like I was someone worth talking to.

"Absolutely," I said. "But we're going to crush them. I'm surprisingly competitive."

"Good," he said, standing up and offering me a hand to help me into the pool. "Because I refuse to lose to a guy who just jumped in with a teddy bear."

My heart did approximately twelve backflips as I took his hand, palm against palm, and stepped into the cool water. Whatever happened next, at least I'd have a story. And Maya, standing triumphantly by the snack table giving me a thumbs-up, would never let me forget it.