Poolside Surveillance

Leo adjusted his binoculars from the safety of his second-story bedroom, the afternoon sun glinting off the Chandler's massive swimming pool below. His mom called it creepy. He called it field research.

At fifteen, Leo had mastered the art of being invisible at school—the kind of kid who blended into lockers and hallway walls. But from up here, watching the popular kids splash and laugh during Maya Chandler's legendary end-of-summer party, he was something else entirely: a spy in enemy territory.

"You again?"

Leo nearly knocked over his lamp. A calico cat sat on his windowsill, yellow eyes judging him. This was the third time this week she'd appeared, like she was onto him.

"I'm observing," he told the cat. "There's a difference."

The cat chattered something that sounded suspiciously like "loser" and hopped onto his bed, curling up like she owned the place.

Down at the pool, someone waved. Leo's heart did that embarrassing fluttery thing—Maya herself, motioning toward... his house?

Oh no. Oh no no no.

His phone buzzed. Unknown number: *your cat is cute but come down already*

Leo stared at the calico, who was now very conspicuously sitting in his windowsill, visible from the pool. Traitor.

He grabbed his hoodie (why did he own so many black ones?) and headed downstairs, each step feeling like walking toward certain doom. The cat followed, trotting at his heels like a tiny, furry drill sergeant.

The backyard gate creaked. Every conversation stopped. Ten faces turned toward him.

"Hey!" Maya pushed off from the pool edge, water dripping from her hair. "You're Leo, right? You sit behind me in bio."

"Uh. Yeah. Hi."

"This your cat?" A guy with impossibly perfect hair gestured to the calico, who had already abandoned Leo to weave between legs, demanding scratches from everyone like she'd been personally invited.

"She... kind of adopted me?"

"She's been coming here all summer," Maya laughed. "We call her Katniss." She paused. "You've been watching us for weeks, haven't you?"

Leo's face burned. "I was just—"

"Bored?" Maya finished. "Same. Why do you think I have these parties every weekend?" She climbed out of the pool. "Wanna get in? The water's actually not terrible."

The cat rubbed against Leo's ankle, purring like a tiny engine.

Sometimes, Leo realized, you had to stop watching from the window and just dive in. He pulled off his hoodie.