Saltwater Baptism

Maya's ponytail had been tight enough to give her a headache for three straight years. Seventh grade to sophomore year, the same sleek wrap that said I'm serious, I'm focused, I'm not like my mother with her wild halo of frizz.

The bonfire party was supposed to be casual, but nothing about high school was ever casual. Especially not when Jayden would be there.

She'd spent forty-five minutes on her hair that evening, smoothing, gelling, praying the humidity wouldn't undo her.

"Truth or dare?" someone called, and the bottle pointed at her.

"Dare," she said, because truth was worse.

"Skinny-dip," said Chloe, who'd been waiting for this moment since sixth grade when Maya had accidentally called her "Chole" in front of everyone. "Right now. In the ocean. And toss your iPhone to me first—no cheating with photos."

The group went quiet. Maya's hand went to her ponytail like it was a lifeline.

"I... I don't have a suit," she stammered.

"Exactly the point," Chloe grinned.

Something cracked open in Maya's chest. Maybe it was the summer air, maybe it was the way Jayden was actually watching her for once, maybe it was just exhaustion from being someone she wasn't.

She pulled the band from her hair. It exploded into springs and coils, twice the volume she'd been hiding. Chloe's mouth actually fell open.

"You been shrinking yourself this whole time?" someone whispered.

Maya handed over her iPhone like it was a weapon she'd been carrying too long. She walked toward the black water, shucking clothes on the way, letting each garment feel like another layer of pretense falling away.

The ocean hit her like cold electricity. Salt burned her eyes but she kept them open, treading water, hair spreading around her like ink in milk. Someone else joined her. Then another. Soon half the group was in the waves, screaming and splashing, while Chloe sat on the sand with Maya's iPhone, suddenly not sure she'd won anything at all.

When Maya emerged, dripping and grinning, Jayden was waiting with a towel. "Your hair," he said, "it's kind of amazing."

"Yeah," she said, squeezing saltwater from a coil that had never seen gel. "I guess it is."