Poolside Pyramid Schemes

The pool at Jordan's house shimmered like liquid diamonds, but I was too busy hyperventilating to notice. My first pool party since moving to this upscale suburb, and I was already failing at basic teenage socialization.

"You're not actually going in, are you?" Chloe asked, lowering her sunglasses. She lay on a lounge chair like she'd been practicing the pose for years.

"I brought a bathing suit," I said weakly, clutching my towel like a security blanket.

"So did half the people here. Doesn't mean they're getting wet." She nodded toward a group of guys standing near the **palm** trees, bro-dap greeting each other like they hadn't seen each other since second period yesterday. "Chase and his crew never swim. Too much product in their hair."

As if summoned, Chase materialized beside us, board shorts slung low, confidence radiating off him like expensive cologne. "Ladies. enjoying the view?"

Chloe rolled her eyes so hard I worried they'd get stuck. "What do you want, Chase?"

"Just spreading opportunity." He pulled a sleek bottle from his pocket. "These **vitamin** supplements? Game changer. I'm looking for motivated associates to join my team. Residual income, fire your boss, live your best life."

I'd seen enough TikToks about multilevel marketing to recognize a **pyramid** scheme when it was pyramid-ing right in my face.

"You want us to sell vitamins?" I asked.

"Sell? No. SHARE the lifestyle. My team's already clearing five figures monthly. We're building an empire."

"Bro," someone called from the pool. "Stop trying to recruit everyone at every party. It's weird."

Chase's expression didn't flicker. "Haters gonna hate. But when you're all still working minimum wage jobs and I'm retired at 22..."

"When you're what at 22?" Jordan's older brother Marcus appeared, eating a sandwich. "Chase, didn't you try to sell my mom essential oils last summer?"

"Different company. Better leadership."

"And didn't you lose like three hundred dollars?"

"That was a learning experience," Chase said, already backing away. "I'll leave you to it. Keep the door open, though. Opportunity waits for no one."

Chloe shook her head. "Every. Single. Party."

The pool surface rippled as someone did a cannonball. I watched the **water** droplets scatter like shattered glass, something loosening in my chest. This was what high school was actually like—awkward, weird, and nothing like the carefully curated Instagram feeds.

"You know what?" I said, dropping my towel on the chair. "I think I will go **swimming**."

Chloe grinned, finally sitting up. "About time. Race you to the deep end?"

I didn't beat her. But for the first time since moving here, I didn't feel like I was underwater anymore.