Running from Myself at Miller's Pool

I've been **running** from myself for three months now. Literally. Cross-country practice at 6 AM, metaphorically from the truth about who I'm becoming.

The Miller's End-of-Summer Pool Party. Every freshman's make-or-break moment. I stood by the snack table, feeling like a total **spy** in my own life—watching, observing, never fully participating. Jayden and his crew were doing cannonballs off the diving board, their laughter echoing across the water. Meanwhile, half the party sat in lounge chairs, faces illuminated by phone screens, digital **zombies** scrolling through TikToks like their lives depended on it.

"You okay, Maya?"

I jumped. Riley. Of course Riley. The one person who actually noticed things.

"Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About how everyone's performing?" She raised an eyebrow. "Or about you-know-who?"

Heat flooded my cheeks. Riley knew. She'd caught me **spying** on Alex's Instagram stories at lunch yesterday. Being gay in our small town wasn't exactly a party topic, especially not when your crush was your former best friend's older brother.

"Alex is looking over here," Riley whispered.

My stomach did gymnastics. Alex—the real-life **fox** with messy dark hair and a smile that made my brain short-circuit—was indeed watching me from across the **pool**. Our eyes caught. He actually smiled. A real smile, not the polite one.

"He's not watching me," I said, but my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.

"Maya." Riley's voice softened. "You're not invisible. You never have been."

She nudged me toward the water. "Go. Be messy. Make mistakes. That's what teenagers are supposed to do."

So I did. I walked toward the **pool**, toward Alex, toward whatever terrifying, wonderful thing came next. No more spying from the sidelines. No more running.

Alex swam over as I dipped my feet in the water. "Hey, stranger. Haven't seen you since... well, you know."

"Yeah," I managed. "Hey."

"My mom said you're on cross-country? That's cool."

"It's... something."

"We should hang out," he said. Like it was nothing. Like my whole world hadn't just tilted on its axis.

"I'd like that."

And for the first time in months, I wasn't running anymore. I was just present. Just Maya. Finally.