Poolside Spy Games

Maya smoothed down her frizzy hair for the hundredth time, regretting the impulsive chop she'd given herself last week. Now her curls stuck out like a confused halo around her head. Great. First pool party of the summer, and she looked like a electrostatic poodle.

Her golden retriever, Buster, nudged her knee with his wet nose, sensing her anxiety.

"It's just the popular kids, Buster. Just Chloe and her clique. No big deal."

The dog's soulful brown eyes seemed to call bullshit.

Maya grabbed her towel and headed toward the backyard, where laughter echoed over the fence. Chloe's pool parties were legendary—the social event of the summer before freshman year. If you weren't there, you didn't exist.

She crept along the side of the house, channeling her inner spy. Maybe if she observed first, she could figure out the right moment to slide in. That's what they did in movies, right?

Through the bushes, she spotted them—Chloe, Jason, and the rest, splashing around like they owned the world. And there was Tyler, Chloe's boyfriend, being his usual bull-headed self, dramatically dunking people while everyone laughed.

Then she saw something that made her freeze. Tyler pulled Chloe close, kissed her cheek, and whispered something that made her face fall. Chloe's smile didn't reach her eyes. Even from here, Maya could tell it was fake—the same kind she'd used all semester when people made fun of her hair.

Buster barked behind her. Damn it.

"Maya?" Chloe's voice called. "You coming in or what?"

Heart pounding, Maya stepped through the bushes. Her frizzy hair wild, her dog at her side, she felt like everything she wasn't supposed to be. But something had shifted.

"Hey," she said, walking toward the pool. "Saw you guys from over there. Your hair looks awesome, Chlo."

Chloe's eyes widened. For a second, the fake mask slipped.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "You too."

Maya slid into the water, hair floating around her like a weird, wonderful crown. Being herself wasn't so bad after all.