Poolside Fox

Maya's palms were sweating so much she could barely grip her phone. Three texts from Jordan: 'u coming?' 'party starts at 7' 'everyone's gonna b there'

She stared at her reflection. Bikini? Too much. One-piece? Too childish. This was the first big party since freshman year, and somehow she'd been invited. The popular crowd. Jordan Waters. The kid who'd sat behind her in bio since September and somehow knew every embarrassing thing about her—like how she still watched Disney movies when sick.

'Fine,' she typed back. 'omw'

The Peters' house was glowing. You could hear the bass from three streets away. Maya smoothed her hair, took three deep breaths, and walked in like she owned the place.

'You made it!' Jordan materialized, grinning, holding—was that a mango smoothie? 'Scoops over here. C'mon.'

The pool was already chaos. People she'd known since middle school were suddenly unrecognizable, sleek and confident in ways she couldn't fathom. Someone pushed past her, splashing chlorinated water onto her leg.

'Sorry, sorry,' a voice said. A sophomore she didn't recognize smiled at her. Then he did something weird—pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at hers, then made a little V and winked.

'What?' Maya asked.

'It's what the fox says,' he said solemnly, like this explained everything.

'What?'

'You know—from the video. Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding?' He actually sang it. A girl nearby cracked up.

Maya blinked. 'That was, like, six years ago.'

'Exactly. It's retro now. It's vintage.' He said it like it was profound philosophy. 'I'm Lucas, by the way.'

'Maya.' She hesitated. 'That was... weirdly smooth?'

'That's the fox's special talent.' He winked again. 'Charm through maximum awkwardness.'

She laughed before she could stop herself. Someone yelled 'CANNONBALL' and a massive splash sent water everywhere. Maya yelped as it soaked her completely—hair, towel, everything.

For a second, she wanted to disappear. The old Maya would have run home, crying. The new Maya—the one Jordan kept saying existed somewhere—stood dripping while everyone laughed, including Lucas.

Then Lucas looked at her. Really looked. 'You know what?' he said over the noise. 'This is perfect timing.'

'For what?'

'For this.' He held out his hand. 'Palm reading lesson. Your palms are already all wet, it's ideal.'

'My palms were already wet,' she muttered. 'Nerves.'

'Nervous about what?'

'Everything. Parties. People. Being the driest person at a pool party.'

'Well, you're definitely not dry anymore.' He examined her palm like it held the secrets of the universe. 'Okay, so this line—that's your coolness line. It's pretty long.'

'That's my life line, you fraud.'

'Same thing.' He looked up, and something about his expression made her breath catch. 'Okay, real talk—I was gonna come find you anyway. Jordan said you might come, and I wanted to meet the girl who knows retro meme references are the highest form of comedy.'

'Jordan said that?'

'Said you were cool. Said you'd get it.' Lucas paused. 'So—do you?'

Maya looked around at the party—at the popular kids she'd been intimidated by for years, at Jordan across the pool giving her a thumbs-up, at this ridiculous boy pretending to read her palm with chlorine-softened hands. And suddenly she didn't feel nervous anymore.

'Yeah,' she said, and it was true. 'I think I do.'

'Good.' Lucas didn't let go of her hand. 'Because the fox has one more talent.'

'What's that?'

'Knowing when someone's worth talking to.' He smiled, and it wasn't awkward at all. 'So—what else is on your coolness line, Maya Peters' neighbor's mysterious cool friend?'

'My last name's Chen.'

'Even better. Chen, like... important stuff.' He thought about it. 'Important life stuff. Very coolness-appropriate.'

She laughed, and for the first time all night, her palms were dry.