The Chlorine Truth

Maya stood at the edge of the pool party, clutching her towel like a security blanket. The Friday night lights from Jake's backyard made the water sparkle, but her stomach was doing somersaults that had nothing to do with excitement.

"You coming in or what?" Jake called out, splashing water in her direction. His golden retriever, Buster, bounded around the pool edge, barking at anyone who moved too fast.

"Maybe later," Maya lied. She'd been saying it for two hours. The truth? She'd dyed her hair bright blue two days ago, and the first time it got wet—shower incident, level ten disaster—the blue had run down her face like teal tears. Her mom said it would wash out eventually, but eventually wasn't tonight. Eventually wasn't when Jake, the cute junior who'd finally noticed her, was literally waiting for her to jump in.

Her best friend Kasia floated over to the edge, water dripping from her dark curls. "Girl, you're overthinking this again. I can practically see the gears turning from here."

"It's not—" Maya started, then dropped her voice. "My hair. It's going to look like a smurf exploded on my head. I can't."

Kasia cracked up. "First of all, smurfs are iconic. Second, Jake literally has blue highlights right now. Third—" she splashed water at Maya—"everyone's already seen your hair dry. It's fire. If it runs, who cares? You'll be like, making a statement. Avant-garde."

Buster chose that moment to shake himself off right next to Maya, spraying chlorinated water all over her white t-shirt and freshly straightened blue hair.

Maya froze. Slowly, she pulled her phone from her pocket and checked her reflection. Blue streaks ran down her face like warrior paint. Her once-perfect hair now looked like she'd emerged from some mythical underwater battle.

"Oh my GOD," Kasia shrieked. "You look like a mermaid queen who just conquered Atlantis. Get in this pool RIGHT NOW."

Jake swam over. "Yeah, Maya, seriously. That's actually sick."

Maya looked at her phone again. She looked ridiculous. She looked amazing. She looked like someone who didn't care what anyone thought—because apparently she didn't anymore. The secret was out, literally written all over her face.

She dropped her towel on the lounge chair. "Fine. But if I look like a blueberry tomorrow, you're all buying me breakfast."

Buster barked his approval as she dove into the pool, chlorine and blue hair dye swirling together in the water behind her like something magical. Something real.

For the first time all night, she wasn't worried about how she looked. She was just swimming.