Pool Rules

The first time I saw Jordan, he was crushing it at the padel court behind the community center. I was supposed to be practicing with my dad, but instead I was leaning against the chain-link fence, watching Jordan's serves bounce off the walls like he had them on speed dial. His laugh echoed across the court every time his partner missed — this easy, confident sound that made my chest feel tight.

"You gonna stare all day or actually play?" Jordan called out, catching me. My face burned. I mumbled something and walked away, but not fast enough to miss him grinning.

That was Friday. By Saturday, I'd convinced my crew that hanging by the community pool was infinitely better than the mall. The plan: accidentally run into Jordan. The reality: watching him do cannonballs off the diving board while I sat in the shallow end, clutching a rubber pool noodle like it was a life preserver.

Then Chase showed up. Chase, with his stupidly perfect hair and his dad's membership to the actual country club. Chase, who played padel competitively and had somehow already heard about my crush through the grapevine.

"Your boyfriend's got form," Chase said, sliding into the water beside me. "Too bad he's out of your league."

I was about to reply with something cutting when Jordan appeared above us, dripping wet. "Who's out of whose league?"

Chase smirked. "Just telling stories about the bear incident at summer camp. You know, fifth grade?"

The air left the pool area. Literally, I forgot how to breathe. The bear incident. The thing I'd successfully buried for three years. The time I'd panicked on a camping trip, insisted I'd seen a bear, and made everyone pack up in the middle of the night. There was no bear. It was a really large dog. I'd lived in terror of anyone remembering.

Jordan looked at Chase, then at me. Something clicked in his expression.

"Oh yeah," Jordan said slowly. "The bear thing. Crazy night." He turned to me. "You know, I never actually saw a bear that night either. But I'll never forget how scared we all were." He paused. "Or how you made sure everyone got back safe."

Chase's face fell. I stared at Jordan, this person I'd put on a pedestal, who was suddenly on my level.

"Wanna play padel later?" Jordan asked. "I can show you some wall serves. They're not as hard as they look."

"Yeah," I said, finding my voice. "I'd like that."

Chase swam away toward the deep end. Jordan lingered for a second. "For what it's worth," he said, "I like your laugh. Even if you do use pool noodles wrong."

I watched him dive back under the water, thinking maybe, just maybe, I'd finally figured out how to play this game.