Poolside Brain Fog

I looked like a zombie. No, correction: I felt like a zombie that had been hit by a truck, then resurrected, then hit by another truck. The mirror showed dark circles that could rival any panda's and hair that screamed "I gave up three days ago."

"Chloe! You're gonna be late for Taylor's pool party!" my mom yelled up the stairs.

Pool party. Right. The one where Jason would definitely be. The Jason who'd smiled at me in algebra yesterday, causing me to almost trip over my own backpack. The Jason whose Instagram stories I may or may not have scrolled back to January.

"Coming!" I grabbed the neon orange bottle from my desk. My mom's new wellness phase had brought home these gummy vitamins that supposedly boosted energy and focus. I'd been taking double doses since Thursday because I desperately needed both.

"You look... tired," my best friend Maya said when I climbed into her car. She was already in her swimsuit, looking effortlessly radiant. I was still in my cover-up, feeling like I'd just crawled out of a tomb.

"I haven't slept properly since finals week," I admitted, popping three more gummies into my mouth. Orange flavor. Artificial sunshine.

"You're taking those again? Your mom said those are supposed to be once a day."

"Desperate times, Maya. Desperate times."

Taylor's house was already buzzing when we arrived. Kids everywhere, music thumping, and there he was — Jason, shirtless by the pool, laughing at something someone said. My stomach did this nervous flutter thing that had nothing to do with the vitamins.

Then the dizziness hit.

It started as a subtle lightheadedness, like I'd stood up too fast. But then the edges of my vision began to blur, and Jason's face started looking weirdly distorted, like a funhouse mirror version of himself.

"Chloe? You okay?" It was him. He was right in front of me, and I was swaying like I'd had way more than just vitamin gummies.

"I'm great," I tried to say, but my tongue felt thick. "Just... been taking these vitamins for energy, and..."

The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the pool deck with Jason and Maya hovering over me, everyone staring.

"You literally almost face-planted into the deep end," Maya said, handing me a water bottle. "Jason caught you."

"You were saying something about vitamins?" Jason asked, grinning. "Because I'm pretty sure those are supposed to help you, not turn you into a zombie."

I felt my face burn. This was it. The most embarrassing moment of my life, captured by an audience of my entire grade.

But then Jason sat beside me. "You know, last week I almost passed out in chem because I was chugging energy drinks to study for finals. I get it."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I looked like a zombie for three days straight." He laughed. "Maybe we can both work on this whole 'sleep is actually important' thing together?"

I might have been humiliated, but as I looked at Jason — who was still in his swimsuit, still smiling at me like my zombie moment wasn't the worst thing ever — I thought maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all.

Note to self: vitamin overdose is not a vibe. But sometimes, your most embarrassing moments can become your best stories. Eventually.