Summer of Fake Glow

Maya's transformation was supposed to start with the gummy **vitamin** supplements her favorite influencer swore by—"Hair, Skin, Nails, everything glowing," she'd promised in a TikTok that got three million views. But two weeks in, Maya's skin was breaking out and the only thing glowing was her embarrassment.

At least she could escape her room, where her little brother Jordan was permanently attached to the TV, screaming at his video game characters through a headset connected to the HDMI **cable** like it was a lifeline.

"You're spending all summer on the couch," Maya snapped, grabbing her branded **water** bottle—the one with crystals inside that was supposed to "infuse good vibes" but mostly just looked pretty.

"At least I'm not trying to buy a personality off Amazon," Jordan shot back.

The words stung because they were true. Maya had spent $47 on that water bottle. $32 on the vitamins. Another $89 on skincare that sat unopened under her bed. All because she wanted to fit in when school started again in September.

"You going to Taylor's party tonight?" her best friend Priya texted. "Rumor says Ben from sophomore algebra is going."

Maya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The glowing transformation she'd been promised felt like a lie. But Priya was waiting. And maybe Ben would be there.

At the party, someone's mom had set up a backyard pool, and teenagers were diving in fully clothed, screaming and laughing. Maya found herself standing near the edge, watching.

"Water you waiting for?" someone said.

She turned. It was Ben. He was wearing a shirt that said "I'm just here for the snacks."

"I don't have a swimsuit," she admitted.

"Nobody here does." He grinned. "Want to just... jump in?"

Maya looked at her phone, sitting on a table nearby. Her good-vibes water bottle. Her hair-skin-nails vitamins sitting in her bag at home.

She kicked off her sandals.

"Absolutely."

The water was shocking and perfect. Her mascara ran down her face and she didn't care. For the first time all summer, Maya actually felt like glowing—and she hadn't spent a single dollar to get there.