The Fox Who Couldn't Dog Paddle

Summer at Lake Meredith was supposed to be epic. Instead, I was hiding in the bathroom while my friends—okay, my friend,singular—were outside living their best lives.

"You coming out or what?" Jake's voice carried through the door. "Everyone's at the dock. The new girl's here."

The new girl. Fox. That's what everyone called her because of her copper-red hair and the way she moved—quick, observant, like she was always watching everything without trying to look like she was watching anything. She'd moved here in June and somehow already owned the social landscape of our tiny town.

"I'm good," I lied.

"Bro, you can't hide in bathroom all summer. Just come swimming."

Swimming. The word made my chest tight. Everyone else acted like it was nothing—just jump in, splash around, whatever. But for me, it meant exposing everything I'd been trying to hide since sixth grade, when I realized some guys just develop differently and the locker room becomes a minefield.

The door creaked open. Jake stood there looking all earnest and annoyingly supportive.

"Fox was asking about you."

My heart did something embarrassing. "What did she say?"

"She wanted to know why the guy with the vintage band tees never comes to the lake. Said she saw your Dog Is Dead shirt and thought that was honestly kind of sick." He paused. "She also said her dog's having puppies and you can visit if you want."

I stared at him. "What?"

"Her dog. She's got this pregnant husky and—"

"No, I mean...she noticed me?"

"Dude, everyone notices you. You're the only person at Lake Meredith who wears combat boots to the beach. You're practically a local legend." He grinned. "So are we doing this or what?"

Something shifted. The bathroom walls felt too close all of a sudden.

I grabbed my towel.

Fox was sitting on the end of the dock, her legs dangling in the water. When she saw me, she smiled—not the fake polite smile I'd been practicing, but something real.

"Finally decided to join us?"

I didn't know how to dog paddle. I didn't know how to talk to girls who looked like they belonged in movies about summer adventures. But I did know that some things you can't learn by watching from the bathroom window.

"Yeah," I said, stepping toward the water. "I think I'm ready."