Synchronized Drowning

The invitation said 'pool party' but Maya's brain heard 'social execution.' Standing at the edge of the Reynolds' backyard, clutching a lukewarm orange soda like it was a life raft, she felt exactly zero percent ready for this. Junior year. The summer where everyone supposedly found themselves, while Maya was still trying to find the courage to say more than three words to Kai without her voice cracking.

The pool glittered deceptively innocent, surrounded by people who seemed to have absorbed the manual on being normal teenagers. Maya's palm sweated against the condensation on her soda can. Why had she agreed to come? Oh right, because her best friend Priya had promised Kai would be here and had literally used the phrase 'shoot your shot,' which Maya still maintained was the most cursed expression in the English language.

"Hey, you coming in or what?"

Maya jumped, nearly dropping her orange soda. Kai stood there dripping wet, hair plastered to his forehead in a way that should've looked ridiculous but somehow didn't. A calico cat wound around his legs, demanding attention with impressive confidence.

"That's Churro," Kai said, scratching behind its ears. "She lives here. She thinks she owns the place, honestly."

"Churro," Maya repeated, because apparently that was all her brain could produce. Great start.

Kai laughed. "Yeah. Are you gonna swim, or just guard that orange soda with your life?"

"I'm thinking about it. Strategically."

"Cool, cool. Very serious pool business." Kai glanced at her, then back at the water. "I could, like, not jump in and splash you. If that helps with the strategy."

Maya's palm stopped sweating. Maybe this wouldn't be so terrible. Maybe normal teenagers were just pretending too.

"I'd appreciate that," she said. "I'm still evaluating my options."

"Take your time," Kai said, and smiled like he actually meant it.

Behind them, Churro the cat yawned, entirely unimpressed by everyone's performance. Maya set down her orange soda, kicked off her flip-flops, and decided maybe — just maybe — she could fake being normal for one afternoon.