Swimming in the Shallow End

Maya stood at the edge of the pool party, clutching her dad's oversized bucket hat like a lifeline. The way it swallowed her face was embarrassing, sure, but less embarrassing than everyone seeing the panic attack she'd been fighting since she got that text from Jake.

Her iPhone buzzed again. Another notification. Probably another meme thread in the group chat she'd been too quiet in lately. She shoved it deeper in her pocket.

"You okay?"

Maya jumped. Riley stood there dripping wet, bikini exactly the kind of confidence Maya wished she could pull off. Riley was the friend who actually noticed stuff, which was sometimes worse than being invisible.

"Yeah," Maya lied. "Just. You know."

Riley nodded like that made sense. "My goldfish died yesterday."

Random. But then Riley got like this when things got heavy—deflecting with weird facts. "Bubbles? The one from the carnival?"

"He lived a good life," Riley said solemnly, and Maya almost laughed. "Anyway, want to get in the water? It's not that deep."

The water glimmered beyond them, rippling with bodies and laughter. Maya imagined jumping in. imagined sinking beneath the surface where her phone wouldn't buzz and Jake's text wouldn't exist and she could just breathe.

"I," Maya started, then stopped. Her hand went to the hat brim.

Riley waited, which was maybe the most annoying thing about her. The patience. The way she made space instead of filling it.

"Jake broke up with me," Maya finally said. "Twenty minutes ago. By text."

Riley's expression didn't change much, but her hand found Maya's. "Fuck him."

Maya laughed, surprised by the relief in it. "Yeah."

"Fish boy was never good enough for you anyway," Riley said. "Now come on." She tugged Maya toward the water. "Leave the hat. Leave the phone. Just... come in."

Maya hesitated, then let go. The hat tumbled to the grass. Her iPhone stayed in her pocket, dark and ignored. The water was cold, shocking, but Riley's hand was warm. And for the first time all night, Maya didn't feel like drowning. She felt like she could finally swim.