Poolside Ghost Mode

Maya's thumbs hovered over her iPhone screen, doom-scrolling through Instagram while the pool party raged around her. The bluetooth speaker blasted something that sounded exactly like every other song played at every other party since the dawn of time. She'd been here two hours and had said approximately twelve words total, mostly thank you and excuse me.

Across the pool, Jake lounged on a floatie with his shirt off, laughing at something Chloe said. Maya's stomach did that weird flippy thing it always did when Jake was within a fifty-foot radius. He'd made varsity padel last semester and now every conversation somehow circled back to his killer backhand. Chloe seemed genuinely interested. Maya just nodded along like she knew what a backhand even was.

"You're not in the pool," a voice said.

Maya jumped. Jake's little sister Bella stood there, dripping wet, holding something furry.

"I'm good."

"You're doing that thing where you disappear. Ghost mode."

"I'm not—"

"Whatever. Anyway, Mittens got out again." Bella thrust the gray tabby cat toward her. "Can you hold her? I need to do a cannonball."

Before Maya could protest, a wet cat was pressed against her dry sundress. Mittens dug her claws in and immediately started purring like a motorboat. Of course. The only living creature who actually wanted to be near her right now.

"Thanks!" Bella executed a cannonball that displaced approximately half the pool's water.

Maya sat there holding a purring cat, scrolling through texts from friends who were ACTUALLY at cool parties, not third-wheeling at some random pool gathering where her crush was laughing at Chloe's not-funny jokes. She could leave. Her mom was working late anyway. She could ghost.

Mittens licked Maya's hand with a sandpaper tongue.

Then her iPhone buzzed. Unknown number.

Hey, this is Jake. Bella said you're babysitting Mittens? That cat's an escape artist lol. Also I noticed you haven't eaten any pizza and I'm currently in possession of the last pepperoni slice. You want it?

Maya stared at her screen. Then at Jake, who was looking in her direction with a half-eaten pizza slice. Then at the cat, who was now kneading her lap like it was cat dough.

She texted back.

Depends. Does it come with a padel lesson?

His response came immediately.

Trade. Pizza for your Instagram, since I know you're doom-scrolling over there.

Maya set down her phone, stood up with Mittens still in her arms, and walked toward the shallow end where Jake waited.

"You're leaving ghost mode," Bella observed, surfacing from her cannonball crater.

"Yeah," Maya said. "I think I'm done with that."