Poolside Truth

I sat on the edge of the pool, legs dangling in the water, scrolling through my iPhone. Everyone else was actually having fun. Jake was doing cannonballs off the diving board, Maya was laughing with her friends by the snack bar, and I was just... existing.

Then there was Tyler.

"Hey, check this out," he said, sliding onto the concrete next to me. "My cousin's a bodybuilder now. Says this vitamin supplement is gonna get me shredded before sophomore year."

I nodded, trying to look interested. Tyler was always talking about getting huge, getting girls, getting popular. It was exhausting.

"That's cool," I said.

"And get this—my dad's talking about getting me a job at his friend's farm. Working with the bulls. Can you imagine? Total badass energy." He flexed his arms, which weren't exactly impressive but okay.

"Bulls? Like, actual bulls?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He pays fifty bucks an hour. I'd save up, get a car, pick everyone up for school..."

"Tyler, your dad told my dad you're working at the coffee shop downtown."

He froze. "What? No, he said—"

"Bro, it's fine. You don't have to make stuff up." I set down my phone. "We've been friends since seventh grade. You don't need to impress me."

Tyler looked away, picking at a loose thread on his shorts. "I don't know. Everyone else is doing cool stuff. Jake's on varsity, you're gonna be sophomore class president, Maya's already got like five hundred followers..."

"So? None of that matters. You're funny, you're good at video games, and you gave me half your papaya at lunch that one time when I forgot my wallet. That's way more impressive than working with bulls."

"That papaya was actually pretty good though, right?"

"Decent. Still mad you didn't share the garlic bread."

He laughed. "Fine, next time."

"Next time what?"

"Next time I bring exotic fruit to lunch, which will be never."

"Deal."

Jake splashed us both, and Tyler shoved him into the water. They were laughing, and I was laughing, and my iPhone buzzed with a notification from Maya: pool party tomorrow, bring snacks.

I didn't respond. I just slid into the water, watching Tyler fake-wrestle Jake, neither of them anywhere close to being badass, both of them exactly who they needed to be.