Poolside Apocalypse

Maya's stomach did somersaults as she stood at the edge of the pool, clutching her towel like a lifeline. This was it—the party of the year, and somehow, she'd actually been invited.

"You coming in or what?" Jake called from the water, droplets cascading down his stupidly perfect abs. Maya's brain short-circuited. Jake Torres. The Jake Torres who'd never looked twice at her in biology was now inviting her into his pool.

Her golden retriever, Buster, chose that exact moment to gallop around the pool's edge, barking at his own reflection. The dog leaped—splash—and cannonballed into the water, sending a wave straight at Maya's drying powder foundation.

Everyone stared. Maya's face burned hotter than the July sun.

"Someone's in zombie mode today," her best friend Chen whispered, nudging her arm. "You've been staring at Jake for like five minutes. It's getting weird."

"Shut up," Maya hissed, but she pulled herself together. She dropped the towel and slid into the pool, letting the cool water wash away her embarrassment.

Jake swam over, somehow even more gorgeous up close. "Hey, you made it."

"Yeah," Maya managed, treading water like her life depended on it. "Buster has terrible timing."

"Nah, he's a legend." Jake grinned. "Last month, he chased a bear up a tree in my backyard. True story."

Maya laughed before she could stop herself. The tension in her chest loosened. Maybe this night wouldn't be a total disaster after all.

Then Jenna, the queen bee of sophomore year, emerged from the house with her squad. They were dressed like they'd stepped out of a TikTok tutorial, while Maya felt like a drowning rat in her two-year-old swimsuit.

"Oh look," Jenna announced, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Someone brought the family pet. How... wholesome."

Maya's stomach dropped. But Jake didn't laugh.

"Actually," he said, swimming over to Maya's side, "Buster's the only reason I passed that history final. He ate my flashcards, so I actually had to study."

Chen snorted. Jenna's smile faltered.

By midnight, Maya was tired enough to feel like a zombie, her fingers pruning from hours of swimming, but she was grinning so hard her face hurt. She'd spent the evening actually talking to Jake—really talking—and Jenna's attempted shade had backfired completely.

As she dried off, Buster shook himself vigorously, spraying water everywhere. Jake wiped it from his face, still smiling at her.

"Same time next week?" he asked.

Maya's heart did that somersault thing again. But this time, she didn't hate it.

"Definitely."