Poolside Zombies and Orange Skies

The chlorine hit Maya's nose before she even saw the water. Jessica's annual pool party — the social event of the summer, or at least that's how Jess hyped it. Maya adjusted her orange bikini, the color bright against her skin, feeling like she'd either blend in perfectly or stick out like a sore thumb. Probably the latter.

"You look amazing, stop worrying," said Chloe, her best friend since seventh grade. Chloe in her strapless black one-piece looked effortless, whereas Maya felt like she was trying too hard just by existing.

They'd spent the previous night binge-watching zombie movies until they both looked like the undead. Hence the circles under Maya's eyes that concealer couldn't quite fix. Nothing like feeling gross and exhausted before walking into a social minefield.

The crowd around the pool had already formed its usual clusters. The popular kids near the shallow end, the athletes dominating the diving board, the awkward freshmen clinging to the snack table. Maya spotted Tyler — her crush since freshman orientation — talking to some girl she didn't recognize. Her stomach did that awful flip thing it did whenever he was within fifty feet.

"Hey, zombie," Chloe whispered, nudging her. "Earth to Maya. You good?"

"Yeah. Just... socially anxious brain doing its thing."

Chloe linked arms with her. "We survived freshman year. We can survive a pool party. Anyway, Connor's here, so I'm gonna need you to be my emotional support human."

Connor, the guy who'd ghosted Chloe after two dates last month, was currently cannonballing into the deep end with zero shame. Some people had no dignity.

Then she saw him: Jason Miller, the absolute bull of Northwood High, currently holding court by the refreshments. The guy who lived to make others feel small. Last year he'd made fun of Maya's outfit during spirit week so ruthlessly she'd changed clothes in the bathroom and called her mom to pick her up early.

He was laughing too loudly at something, his eyes scanning the crowd like he was hunting for his next victim. They landed on Maya, and she instinctively stepped behind Chloe.

"Ignore him," Chloe said firmly. "He's not worth it. Besides, we're seniors this year. We're literally almost done with him forever."

Almost. The word hung there, full of possibility. Next year they'd be gone, scattered across different colleges and cities. This time next summer, the bull of Northwood High would be just another terrible memory.

Tyler caught her eye from across the pool and actually smiled. A real smile, not the polite kind. Maya's heart did something genuinely dangerous.

"He's looking at you," Chloe murmured. "Go say hi. I'll handle Jason if he tries anything."

"What if I say something stupid?"

"Then you say something stupid and move on with your life. We've literally watched twelve zombie movies in the past month. We know how to handle impossible situations — you either fight or you find the people worth fighting for."

The orange sunset painted the sky in impossible colors as Maya stepped away from her best friend and toward the deep end, toward Tyler and a future she couldn't quite see yet but was ready to dive into anyway.