Poolside Panic

Jaylen's palms were already sweating when Kai's text lit up his screen: pool party @ 2. don't be a bear about it 🐻

Great. Jaylen had successfully avoided being seen shirtless for all of sophomore year, and now this. His roommate Devon had spent the entire morning hyping him up.

"Bro, you literally live in California and don't know how to swim?" Devon had laughed, peeling an orange at their desk. "That's actually embarrassing."

"Shut up," Jaylen muttered, throwing a pillow at him. "Not everyone's dad was an Olympic swimmer."

The backyard was already packed when they arrived. Jaylen spotted Maya immediately—of course she'd be there, looking effortlessly gorgeous in a cyan two-piece. She caught his eye and waved. His stomach did that thing it always did around her, like a whole swarm of bees were going absolutely feral.

"Yo Jaylen!" Kai shouted from the deep end. "Get in here! The water's perfect!"

Jaylen stood frozen at the edge, toes curled against the concrete. The pool stretched before him like an endless blue mouth waiting to swallow him whole. He'd nearly drowned at summer camp when he was seven, and ever since, swimming had been his personal nightmare fuel.

"What's up, scared?" This from Tyler, who Jaylen had literally never heard speak until today. Nice.

"He's not scared," Maya called out, flipping wet hair over her shoulder. "Are you, Jaylen?"

Something about her voice—gentle, not mocking—made his chest tight. She believed in him. Or she was about to witness his absolute humiliation. Either way.

He took a breath and jumped.

The shock of cold water swallowed him whole. For a terrifying second, he was seven years old again, panic rising in his throat like bile. But then someone grabbed his arm—Maya, already treading water beside him.

"I got you," she said. "Just relax. Float."

And somehow, with her hand steady on his arm, he did.

Later, sprawled on lounge chairs and sharing snacks, Tyler appeared with a plate of fruit. "Who wants papaya? My mom went full tropical at the grocery store."

Jaylen took a piece, surprised by how sweet it tasted. The sun was beginning to set, painting everything in gold and orange. He looked around at everyone laughing, at Maya smiling at him from the next chair over, at Tyler—not being a total jerk for once.

"You did good today," Maya said quietly, bumping his shoulder with hers.

Jaylen grinned, finally feeling like he could breathe. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did."