Poolside Intelligence

The morning sun hits the water at the Miller residence, and I'm already hiding behind the fake palm tree. I've been a lifeguard for exactly three days, and the combination of 5 AM shifts and minimal sleep has turned me into something resembling a zombie. My dad says it builds character. I say it's just brutal.

"You're staring again," says Maya, sliding up beside me with her sunglasses pushed down her nose.

"I'm observing," I correct her, even though we both know I'm definitely staring. At Jake Chen. Who is currently doing laps with the kind of effortless grace that makes me feel like a coordinated giraffe.

Maya snorts. "You're not a spy. You're a lifeguard who's supposed to be watching the shallow end, not conducting surveillance on the swim team captain."

"Same difference."

"No, actually a huge difference. One involves a whistle and sunscreen. The other involves actual skills and cool gadgets."

I ignore her because Jake has finished his laps and is now toweling off near the diving board. This is my chance to—

"Lifeguard on duty!" someone screams.

A kid is flailing in the deep end. Not drowning, but definitely not swimming either. I blow my whistle so hard I see spots and dive in. The water is shocking cold, clarity hitting me like the chlorine burning my eyes. I reach the kid—Marcus, from my history class—and help him to the edge.

"You okay?" I ask, genuinely concerned now.

"Yeah," he says, coughing. "Just... my brother dared me to swim to the other side."

"And you took that bet?"

"He said he'd stop telling everyone I still watch Bluey."

"Valid."

When I finally pull myself out of the pool, Jake is standing there. And he's smiling.

"Nice save," he says.

"Just doing my job."

"You're Maya's friend, right? The one who's always... watching?"

I feel my face heat up. This is it. He's noticed. He knows. I'm about to die of embarrassment when he adds, "You sit behind me in English. You always draw in your notebook. Those sketches are actually really good."

Oh.

"Thanks," I manage, while internally screaming.

"Hey, some of us are grabbing smoothies after practice. You want to come?"

Maya appears behind me, vibrating with suppressed excitement. I look at Jake—really look at him. He's not just the swim team captain or the guy I've been not-secretly watching for weeks. He's just a guy. A guy who maybe wants to get smoothies.

"I'd love to," I say.

And maybe I'm not a zombie anymore. Maybe I'm just a girl who's about to get her first smoothie with Jake Chen, and honestly? That's way better than any spy mission I could have dreamed up.