Pool Party Truth or Dare

I stood at the edge of the pool, clutching my solo cup like it was a lifeline. Tyler's summer bash was supposed to be legendary, but I'd been hovering near the snack table for twenty minutes like a total loser.

"Bro, you gonna stand there all night?" Marcus appeared beside me, grinning. "Tyler's playing baseball in the yard with the seniors. You should join."

I shook my head. Tyler was on varsity. I'd be lucky if I could even hit the ball. Besides, the real problem was Jessica—Tyler's ex-fling who'd been giving me these looks all night that I couldn't decode. Was she into me, or was I reading way too much into it?

Then I saw it: Jessica slipping around the side of the house alone. Before I could second-guess myself, I went full spy mode, following her past the drunk seniors and into the relative quiet of the driveway.

She sat on the curb, her phone illuminating her face in the darkness. "You gonna lurk or actually say something?"

I froze. She'd noticed. Typical.

"Sorry, I just—" I started, but she cut me off with a laugh.

"Chill. I'm not mad." She patted the spot beside her. "Tyler's being such a bull tonight. Started spreading rumors that we hooked up after we broke up. Total bullshit."

I sat down carefully, trying to play it cool even though my heart was running laps around my ribcage. "That sucks. He's always been full of it."

"Yeah." She leaned back, looking up at the stars. "You know what's funny? Everyone thinks you're this quiet shy kid, but you're actually pretty chill when you stop overthinking everything."

I stared at her, surprised. "You think so?"

"I know so." She grinned. "Wanna go back and crash Tyler's baseball game? I bet I can strike him out."

I laughed, and for the first time all night, the tightness in my chest dissolved. Maybe this party wouldn't be a disaster after all.

"You're on. But first," I stood up and offered her my hand, "we're getting you another drink. A real one this time."

"Deal." She took my hand, and we walked back toward the noise and chaos together.

I wasn't Tyler, and I never would be. But maybe—just maybe—that wasn't such a bad thing after all.