Poolside Zombies and First Jitters

My hair was basically a frizz disaster by the time I got to Tyler's pool party. I'd spent forty-five minutes trying to look effortless, which is the ultimate irony of being fifteen.

The whole scene was giving major TikTok perfection vibes – kids lounging on floaties, someone blasting Weeknd from waterproof speakers, and everyone acting like they hadn't just spent the entire school year desperately trying to figure out who they were supposed to be.

I stood by the gate, palm sweating like I was about to give a presentation rather than jump into a pool. Maya spotted me and waved, her curly hair somehow still perfect after literally swimming for an hour. "Finally! Come in!"

I dipped my toes in. "Maybe in a bit."

"You've been saying that for twenty minutes," she called back.

The truth was, I felt like a zombie walking through someone else's life. Ever since middle school ended, I'd been navigating this weird in-between space where friendships shifted, crushes became terrifyingly real, and my body felt like it was simultaneously mine and completely foreign territory.

Then Tyler swam over to the edge, dripping wet, and my stomach did that pathetic flutter thing it always did when he was near. "Hey," he said, like it was nothing. "You coming in or what?"

"Yeah," I managed, trying to sound casual and failing. "Just warming up."

"Perfect timing," he said. "We're playing sharks and minnows. You're it."

Before I could process, I was being pulled in – literally – by three different people, all laughing, screaming, and suddenly I was underwater, chlorine filling my nose, hair plastered to my face, and somehow I was laughing too.

When I surfaced, Tyler was grinning at me. "See? Not so bad."

I slicked back my hair, still grinning like an idiot. "Yeah. Not so bad."

Maybe that's what growing up feels like – not having everything figured out, but learning to trust that you'll surface eventually, even when you feel like you're drowning. Even when your palms are sweating and your hair's a mess and you're pretty sure everyone else knows some secret you don't.

I kicked off the side, ready to play. Zombie mode: deactivated.