Splash Zone

Maya stood at the edge of the pool, clutching her iPhone like a lifeline. The house party raged behind her—music thumping, people dancing, the whole vibe screaming "you don't belong here." She'd only come because Chloe said Tyler would be here, and three weeks of crushing demanded an appearance.

"Hey, Maya!" someone called. "Come in!"

"Maybe later!" she lied, thumbing through Instagram to look busy. The screen reflected her anxious expression.

Then disaster struck. Someone's elbow caught her arm. The phone slipped from her fingers, arcing through the air in slow motion, and hit the water with a tiny splash.

Maya stared at the water. Her iPhone. Her everything. Gone.

"You going in?" a voice asked. Tyler.

Maya's face burned. "I... my phone..."

"Oh, that sucks." He actually sounded sincere. "My sister's cat, Nacho, does that all the time. Knocks stuff in the pool like it's his job."

Maya finally looked at him. He was wearing a dinosaur floatie around his waist.

"Your sister's cat has a name?" she asked.

"Nacho. He's an orange tabby, total menace. Last week he knocked my phone off the deck." Tyler kicked off his slides. "Anyway, let me help you get it."

Together, they waded in. The water cooled Maya's burning cheeks. Tyler's hand brushed hers as they reached for the phone. Their eyes met, and suddenly Maya forgot about the device, the party, everything except how Tyler's freckles scattered across his nose like constellations.

"Got it," he said, pulling her iPhone from the shallow end. It was dead, but somehow, that didn't matter.

"Thank you," Maya whispered.

"Anytime." He grinned. "Hey, you want to meet Nacho? My sister's housesitting next door, and he's probably plotting something evil right now."

Maya laughed—for real this time. "I'd love to."

Her iPhone was ruined. Her hair was a disaster. And she was about to hang out with a cat named Nacho. But for the first time all night, Maya didn't feel like she was drowning.