Poolside Static

Maya clutched her phone, the plastic case slick with sweat. Around her, the pool party raged—splash fights, laughter, boys showing off their cannonballs. She stayed firmly in her lounge chair, knees pulled to her chest, oversized T-shirt covering her swimsuit.

"You coming in?" yelled Brianna, already dripping wet, hair plastered to her forehead. "It's perfect out here!"

"Maybe later," Maya lied.

Inside the house, through the sliding glass door, she could hear the muffled announcers from the cable TV in the living room. Her brother and his friends had abandoned the pool for video games, leaving her alone at the edge of everything.

She fished in her bag for her phone charger, a tangled cable that refused to straighten out. Typical.

"Need a vitamin?"

Maya looked up. Tyler stood there, dripping pool water onto the concrete. He held out a handful of gummy bears. "My mom says they're basically the same thing."

She laughed despite herself. "Pretty sure there's a difference."

"Not really." He sat on the lounge chair next to hers, close but not too close. "So what's the deal? You hate water?"

Maya hesitated. Then decided—what did she have to lose? "I never really learned to swim properly."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"My parents tried when I was little, but I was scared of drowning. Then they got busy and I just... never did. Now I'm fifteen and everyone assumes I can, and it's too embarrassing to admit it." The words rushed out. She couldn't believe she was telling him this.

He nodded slowly. "That's actually kind of brave. Saying it, I mean."

"I feel like an idiot."

"You're not." He stood up and held out his hand. "Come on. I'll teach you."

"Now? Everyone's watching—"

"Let them watch." His grin was sudden and bright. "Or we can wait until they're all inside watching cable TV. Which is happening, like, right now."

She looked around. Sure enough, most people had drifted back toward the house.

"Fine," she said, taking his hand. "But if I drown, it's on you."

"Deal."

They waded in together. Maya's heart pounded as the water rose past her waist. Tyler showed her how to float, how to kick, how to trust that the water would hold her up. She splashed him. He splashed back.

Then the sky darkened.

"Oh shit," someone shouted from the deck. "Storm's coming!"

A crack of lightning split the sky, illuminating the entire backyard in stark white. Thunder rattled the ground beneath them.

Maya gasped and grabbed Tyler's arm.

"Everyone out! NOW!" a parent's voice boomed from the house.

They scrambled for the ladder, but Maya slipped. Tyler caught her elbow, steadying her. In that flash of lightning, their eyes met. Something electric passed between them that had nothing to do with the storm.

They ran inside, soaked and breathless, as rain began to hammer the roof.

Later, wrapped in a towel, her hair still wet, Maya caught Tyler's gaze across the room. He smiled.

"Tomorrow?" he mouthed.

She nodded.

For the first time in her life, she couldn't wait to get back in the pool.