Poolside Panic

The invite to Jake's pool party had been sitting on my phone for three days, and I'd been low-key spiraling the whole time. See, the thing was — I couldn't actually go **swimming** without immediately looking like a drowned rat attempting its first-ever breaststroke. My friends kept hitting me with 'just come, it'll be chill' and 'don't overthink it,' but they didn't get it. Jake was practically Instagram royalty, and this was the social event of the summer.

I showed up anyway, because apparently I'm a glutton for punishment. I spent the first hour holding the same red Solo cup, positioned strategically near the snack table like I was guarding it with my life. That's when Jake's golden retriever, Buster, decided I was his new best friend. This **dog** had zero concept of personal space, which was actually kind of perfect because it gave me an excuse to kneel by the patio and pet him instead of facing the pool situation.

'He likes you,' Jake said, appearing behind me with that effortless smile that made my brain short-circuit. 'Most people think he's too much.'

'He's good,' I managed, scratching behind Buster's ears. 'Better than people sometimes.'

Jake laughed, and I felt myself actually relaxing for like the first time all afternoon. Then someone shrieked from the pool deck.

'THE **GOLDFISH**!'

I looked up to see Jake's little sister Maya crying at the edge of the pool, pointing dramatically at the water. The glass bowl that had been sitting on a nearby table was now empty, upside down and rocked forward.

'Simba!' she wailed. 'He jumped! He's gonna drown!'

Everyone froze. The shallow end was crystal clear, and there he was — a tiny orange speck near the bottom, looking completely unbothered.

'I'll get him,' someone said, but they were already in their swim trunks.

'I got it,' I heard myself say, standing up and pulling off my hoodie before my brain could process what was happening. My cover was blown either way.

I dove in, and the water was colder than expected but also kind of perfect. I reached down and scooped up little Simba in my hands, surfacing to actual applause.

'You're literally a hero,' Jake said as I deposited the fish back into his bowl, now safe on a table far from the edge.

'More like someone who didn't want to see Maya cry,' I said, dripping water everywhere but weirdly not caring anymore.

'Seriously though,' Jake said, 'you coming back in?'

'Yeah,' I said, and meant it. 'Yeah, I think I am.'

Sometimes the scariest moments are just your brain lying to you, and sometimes all it takes is a goldfish and an overly friendly dog to remind you that you're not as awkward as you think you are. Also, Jake's smile when I climbed back into the pool? Absolutely worth the panic.