The Cat in the Pool Hat

Maya stood at the edge of the pool, clutching her dad's oversized trucker **hat** like it was a lifeline. The neon green brim shadowed her face—which was exactly the point. Freshman year swim tryouts, and she'd never felt more exposed in a bikini.

"You're blocking the lane," said a voice dripping with that special brand of teenage disdain. Maya looked up to see Jordan, the senior captain, treading water with the effortless confidence of someone who'd been **swimming** before they could walk. Jordan's **cat**, a sleek black shadow, sat poolside watching with what Maya swore was judgmental eyes.

"Sorry." Maya scrambled backward, almost tripping over her own flip-flops.

"Whatever. Just don't—" Jordan's warning came too late. Maya's foot caught on the wet deck, and she faceplanted into the water with all the grace of a dying fish. The hat floated away like a sad green boat.

When she surfaced, gasping and wiping chlorine from her eyes, Jordan was actually laughing. Not mean laughing—real laughing, shoulders shaking, head thrown back. Even the cat seemed amused.

"That was terrible," Jordan said, paddling over. "Like, impressively terrible."

Maya treaded water, humiliation burning hotter than the afternoon sun. "Yeah, well, at least I didn't almost drown in the shallow end last year, like SOMEONE."

Jordan's eyebrows shot up. "You heard about that?"

"Everyone heard about it. My brother's on the team."

"Fair." Jordan considered her for a moment. "You gonna get your hat or let it float to freedom?"

Maya snatched the dripping hat from the water's surface and jammed it back on her head. "Not leaving without it. This hat has seen me through worse."

"Like what?"

"Like the time I tried to cook **spinach** for my vegan phase and set off the fire alarm."

Jordan snorted. "You tried to go vegan?"

"For two days. Then I discovered bacon exists."

"Okay, same though." Jordan grinned, and something shifted. The terrifying senior captain suddenly looked like another tired teenager just trying to survive high school. "Hey, you want some actual tips before tryouts? Because that entrance? Not gonna cut it."

"Is that your way of saying I suck?"

"It's my way of saying you could use some help." Jordan splashed water at her. "And maybe lose the hat. It's doing you no favors."

Maya hesitated, then pulled off the hat, shaking out her wet hair. For the first time all afternoon, she didn't feel like hiding.

"Fine," she said. "But you're buying me food after. Bacon cheeseburger. Hold the spinach."