Poolside Ghosting

The humidity was already hitting different at 2 PM, but there I was, standing at the edge of Jake's above-ground pool like I had anywhere else to be. My best friend since third grade, Marcus, was supposed to be my ride. Instead, he'd ghosted me an hour before the party that would literally define our entire junior year social status.

"You coming in or what?" asked Chloe, who sat on the pool deck with her legs dangling in the water. She was the kind of effortlessly pretty that made my brain short-circuit.

"Waiting for someone," I mumbled, feeling like a total loser. This was it – the moment I became that person who shows up solo to the party of the summer. I could already feel my social capital circling the drain.

Then I heard it – a mournful meow from behind the shed. A cat. A skinny, orange tabby with one ear that looked like it had seen better days.

Chloe's eyes lit up. "Is that a CAT?"

Before I could process what was happening, this random cat had become the center of attention. People were actually gathering around. I knelt down and it walked right up to me, rubbing against my leg like we were best friends.

"He likes you," Chloe said, sliding into the water beside me. "What's his name?"

"Uh... Orange Julius?"

She laughed. Actually laughed. "That's terrible." But she was smiling.

Marcus finally showed up forty minutes later with some weak excuse about his car not starting. By then, I was in the pool with Chloe and three other people, having a debate about whether Orange Julius was a stray or belonged to the neighbors, feeling more like myself than I had in months.

"Yo, you good?" Marcus asked, looking confused.

"Yeah," I said, treading water as the cat watched from the deck. "Never been better."

Sometimes the moments that seem like they'll ruin everything end up being exactly what you need. Plus, I got a cat out of the deal. Orange Julius, if you're reading this – still got your back, buddy.