Poolside Apocalypse

The water in Mia's above-ground pool shimmered like liquid diamonds, but my stomach churned like I'd swallowed a blender. Freshman year, and somehow I'd scored an invite to the legendary end-of-summer bash. Everyone who mattered would be there, including Kai, whose smile could practically generate its own gravitational pull.

I stood by the plastic palm tree decoration – super tacky, obviously – wiping my sweaty palms on my denim shorts. My brain kept serving up zombie apocalypse scenarios: What if I said something weird? What if nobody talked to me? What if I somehow ended up floating face down in the shallow end?

'This playlist is absolute fire,' announced Chloe, radiating the kind of confidence I'd sell my soul for. She was surrounded by the usual crowd, all acting like they owned the world.

Then I saw Kai approaching, and my heart flatlined. He was wearing that vintage band tee I'd mentioned once in passing, back when we'd partnered up in science class. Could he possibly remember?

'Hey,' he said, sliding through the water toward where I sat dangling my legs in the pool. 'Brave enough to get in, or just testing the temperature?'

'My dog actually ate my swimsuit,' I blurted without thinking. 'Like, literally ate it.'

Kai stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing. 'That's actually wild.'

'Yeah, my mom said she had to bear witness to the crime. Bear. Get it?'

'That was... that was terrible.' He was still laughing though. 'But your dog sounds chaotic. What kind?'

'Golden retriever. Named Pancake.'

'Cute name for a tiny dog.'

'Oh, he's fifty pounds of pure destruction.'

Someone splashed water at us, and suddenly Kai was splashing back. Before I knew it, we were having a full-on water fight, me still fully clothed and somehow not caring at all.

Later, as the sun dipped behind the garage and people started leaving, Kai sat beside me on the pool deck.

'You know,' he said, 'I was actually hoping you'd come today.'

My brain short-circuited. 'Really?'

'The zombie movie marathon you organized for the film club? That was legendary. I've been wanting to talk to you since then.'

The palm tree decoration flickered in the breeze, suddenly not looking so tacky anymore. Sometimes the world does actually work in your favor. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge – literally – and trust that maybe, just maybe, you're not as invisible as you feel.