Poolside Resurrection

Maya felt like a zombie as she stepped through the sliding glass door, her flip-flops smacking against the concrete. Three hours of sleep will do that to you. But when Chloe—the undisputed queen of sophomore year—invites you to her pool party, you don't say no. You just chug an energy drink and pray your hair doesn't look like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket.

The backyard was already buzzing. Kids from Maya's biology class clustered around the pool, their laughter mixing with the splash of canonballs and the thump of bass from portable speakers. Chloe waved from the deep end, her wet hair slicked back like a mermaid who'd switched to expensive conditioner.

"Maya! Finally!" Chloe shouted. "Get in here!"

Maya's stomach did that thing where it simultaneously wanted to explode and disappear. She'd worn her two-piece last summer at family reunions, but this was different. This was social suicide waiting to happen.

"I'm good," she said, suddenly fascinated by a fake palm tree in the corner. "Maybe later."

"Bull," someone said behind her. She turned to see Devon, Chloe's neighbor and unfortunately accurate truth-teller. "You've been 'maybe later'-ing everything since September."

He held out his hand, palm up. "Let me see your hand."

"What? No."

"Palm reading," he said with a grin that made something in her chest do a little flip. "I learned from YouTube. I'll tell you your future."

Maya hesitated, then gave him her hand. His fingers were warm against hers. "Okay, future teller. What do you see?"

"I see..." He traced a line on her palm, pretending to concentrate. "That you're about to jump in that pool with your clothes on."

"That's not palm reading. That's peer pressure."

"Same thing at a pool party." He stood up, offering her his other hand. "Come on. Before Chloe starts singing karaoke."

Maya looked at the pool, the water rippling with movement. She thought about September Maya, who would've found an excuse to leave five minutes ago. Then she thought about zombie Maya, running on three hours of sleep and somehow more alive than she'd felt in months.

She took Devon's hand.

"Fine. But if I get wet, you're buying me nachos."

"Deal."

They jumped together, screaming as they hit the water. When Maya surfaced, Chloe was cheering and Devon was grinning like he'd just won something important. And for the first time all year, Maya didn't feel like she was faking it. She was just a girl in a pool, hair plastered to her forehead, finally figuring out how to stop watching from the sidelines.