That Orange One-Piece

Maya stood at the edge of the **pool**, clutching her towel like a lifeline. Her older sister's neon **orange** one-piece swimsuit glowed against her brown skin, the color so bright it felt like a dare. She'd spent forty-five minutes trying to tame her natural **hair** into something manageable, but the humidity had already other plans.

"Yo, you gonna stand there all day or actually swim?" Jay called from the water, doing that thing where he splashed everyone nearby. Why did she agree to come to this party again?

Then she saw him—the **bull** of the sophomore class, Bryce, strutting around with his shirt already off, flexing for anyone who might accidentally look his way. Everyone called him "the bull" behind his back because he charged through conversations like he owned them, loud and unapologetic. He was currently holding court near the snacks, practically demanding attention.

Maya's best friend Priya floated over to the pool edge. "Just get in already. Nobody's looking at your hair."

"Easy for you to say. Your hair actually listens when you tell it what to do."

"Girl, my hair has a PhD in disobedience. I just don't care anymore." Priya flipped water at her. "Your sister's swimsuit is giving main character energy, by the way."

Maya looked down at the orange fabric. It was ridiculous. It was bold. It was absolutely not something she would've picked for herself.

Bryce suddenly appeared, water dripping from his stupid perfect hair. "Nice swimsuit. Very... vibrant."

For a second, Maya almost shrunk away. Then something in her snapped. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was Priya's eye-roll, or maybe she was just done letting someone else dictate how she felt about her own skin—literally.

"Thanks!" she said, matching his volume. "My sister's actually. She has way better taste than I do."

Bryce blinked, surprised. "Oh. Cool."

Then Maya did it. She dropped the towel and cannonballed into the pool, creating a splash so massive it absolutely drenched Bryce. When she surfaced, gasping and laughing, the orange swimsuit felt less like a dare and more like armor.

"You're welcome for the baptism," she told Bryce, who was wiping water from his face.

By the time she climbed out, hair completely wrecked and chlorine-stinging eyes, the bull had moved on to easier targets. Maya wrapped herself in her towel, grinning at Priya.

"Next time?" Priya asked.

"Next time I'm bringing a swimsuit that's actually mine," Maya said. "But the orange? It grew on me."