Pool Party Undercover

Mia wasn't supposed to be here. Her parents had given her a firm "absolutely not" when she'd asked about Jordan's pool party, but here she was, crouched behind the massive oak tree in Jordan's backyard, feeling like the world's worst **spy**. Her phone had died three hours ago—stupid broken charging **cable**—and she couldn't even text Maya to come rescue her.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually come in?"

Mia nearly jumped out of her skin. Alex, that quiet kid from her English class, was sitting on the porch stairs, eating chips from a solo cup. He wasn't even in **pool** clothes.

"I'm... thinking about it," Mia lied.

"You've been 'thinking about it' for twenty minutes," Alex said. "I know because I've been counting. Also, you look like a **fox** that's been caught in headlights."

Mia snorted. "That's not even the expression."

"It is now." He tossed her the chips bag. "You're not the only one who doesn't wanna be here. My mom made me come. Said I need to 'put myself out there' or whatever."

"Same," Mia admitted, finally sitting beside him. "I've never been to a high school party before. I feel like everyone's gonna know I'm a fraud. Like, what if someone talks to me and I say something weird?"

"Bro, you literally just called yourself a fraud," Alex said, laughing. "Also, see Tyler over there? He's been trying to impress Jordan all year by acting all tough. Guy thinks he's such a **bull**, but I saw him cry when his goldfish died last week. Everyone's faking it, Mia. That's the whole secret."

Mia looked around at the party—the girls taking perfect selfies, the guys showing off their pool dives, Jordan laughing too loudly at someone's joke. For the first time all night, her shoulders dropped.

"So," Alex said, standing up. "Wanna get in the pool with our clothes on and make everyone else uncomfortable?"

Mia grinned. "Absolutely not."

"Cool. I'll go first." He cannonballed in, fully clothed.

Mia watched him surface, splashing water everywhere, and thought: maybe high school wouldn't be so bad after all. She jumped in right behind him.