Poolside Confidence Scheme

The July heat wave had everyone at Lakeside Camp flocking to the waterfront like moths to a porch light. I leaned against the snack bar, nursing a flat Sprite, watching Jenna dive into the cool blue water.

"You gonna stand there playing sphinx all day?" Maya appeared beside me, smirking. "Mysterious and brooding? Not really your vibe, Kyle."

I rolled my eyes. Maya was my camp roommate and had been roasting me since day one. "I'm not brooding. I'm observing. There's a difference."

"You mean spying?" She raised an eyebrow. "Been watching Jenna for twenty minutes now. Your subtle game needs work."

My face burned. Maya knew I'd been crushing on Jenna since orientation, when she'd helped me find my lost cabin key and laughed at my terrible puns. But every time I tried to talk to her at pool activities, I'd freeze up. Something about water just made me awkward. Maybe it was the goggles. Or the swimsuits. Or the fact that I was coordinated as a baby deer on ice.

"They're doing the pyramid again," Maya pointed. Jenna was climbing onto someone's shoulders, wobbling but grinning. The whole camp cheered as their human formation held steady for three seconds before collapsing into a chaotic splash fest.

"She's so... confident," I muttered. "Like, she just does stuff. No second-guessing."

"So do stuff," Maya pushed me toward the pool. "Go swimming. Talk to her. Be brave for once in your life."

But before I could chicken out, Jenna was climbing out of the pool, water dripping from her hair, spotted bikini gleaming in the sun. She spotted me and waved. "Hey! You gonna come in or just tan all day?"

"I was just..." I started.

"Good!" She grabbed my hand. "C'mon, we're doing teams for chicken fights. You're with me."

As she dragged me toward the water, Maya winked from behind her smoothie. My stomach did backflips. Maybe confidence wasn't about not being scared — maybe it was about jumping in anyway.

"Ready?" Jenna asked, treading water.

"Born ready," I lied, and dove in.