The Cable Guy's Pool Rules

Maya's first week as a lifeguard at the Ridgemont Community Pool was not going according to plan. For starters, her crushJake was literally everywhere, emerging from the water like some Atlantean god every time she tried to look casual. And her best friend Kai had started an unauthorized betting pool on when Maya would finally talk to him.

'Current odds are 3:1 she chickens out again,' Kai whispered from the snack bar, where he was supposed to be working.

Maya rolled her eyes. 'First of all, I don't chicken out. I strategize.' She adjusted her whistle, trying to look authoritative instead of like someone whose heart was doing jumping jacks.

The real problem wasn't Jake, though. It was the cable.

Someone—suspected to be Kai—had spliced into the pool's security camera feed and was streaming it to the rec room TV. The cable ran conspicuously along the fence, and Maya had spent three days pretending not to notice while teenagers gathered inside to watch 'The Maya & Jake Show' like it was the hottest new reality program.

'This is so cringe,' she muttered to herself, watching a group of freshmen giggle at the screen where she was visible adjusting her ponytail for the fourteenth time.

Jake climbed out of the water, droplets running down his stupidly perfect arms, and walked toward her. Maya's brain short-circuited. Was this it? The moment the betting pool had been waiting for?

'Hey,' he said. 'So, um, my cousins are having a party tonight. And I was wondering if you'd want to come?' He held up a cable-knitted bracelet. 'My little sister made this. She thinks you're really cool.'

Maya blinked. 'Your sister watches the security feed too?'

Jake's face turned approximately the same shade as the nearby fire alarm. 'Wait, you know about the cable?'

'The whole pool knows about the cable, Jake.'

He groaned, covering his face with both hands. 'Kai said you wouldn't mind!'

'Maya!' Kai yelled from the snack bar. 'I believe in you! The betting pool closes in five minutes!'

Jake pulled his hands down, eyes wide. 'There's a BETTING POOL?'

'Multiple,' Maya admitted. 'One on whether we talk, one on whether I go to this party, and one on whether you'll ever realize the cable is completely obvious.'

Jake started laughing. He had a nice laugh. Like, annoyingly nice. 'So... about that party?'

'Text me the details,' she said, trying to play it cool even though she was pretty sure she was glowing.

From the rec room, a cheer erupted. Kai appeared in the window, pumping both fists in the air. Behind him, the cable TV showed nothing but static.

'Someone tripped over the cable!' someone yelled.

Maya and Jake looked at each other. 'Worth it,' he said.

'Totally,' she agreed. And when she finally got back to the chair, she made a mental note: tomorrow, she'd definitely deal with the cable. But right now, she had a party to plan.