The Human Pyramid Incident

The pool party was supposed to be casual. That's what Jenna had said when she'd texted Maya an hour ago. Just some people hanging out, nothing major. But as Maya stood at the gate to the Hendersons' backyard, her heart hammered like she'd just finished a 5K instead of simply walking three blocks from her house.

She adjusted the straps of her swimsuit for the tenth time. Why had she agreed to this? She barely knew anyone besides Jenna, and Jenna had already disappeared into the crowd of tanned teenagers clustered around the massive **water**-filled pool.

"Maya! You made it!" Jenna materialized at her side, grabbing her wrist. "Come meet everyone. We're doing a human **pyramid** in the shallow end."

A human pyramid. Of course. Because nothing says low-key gathering like coordinated acrobatics in front of thirty people you don't know.

"I think I'll just—" Maya started, but Jenna was already towing her toward the pool.

"No way, you're not bailing. Besides, Tyler's base and he needs a partner."

Tyler. The Tyler. The one Maya had been crushing on since seventh period algebra when he'd let her copy the homework because she'd been recovering from having her wisdom teeth out. Her stomach did this flippy thing that had nothing to do with her skipped lunch.

The pyramid was already forming—three people on the bottom, two in the middle, one on top. Tyler caught her eye from the base, his **orange** swim trunks bright against the blue water. He smiled, and Maya's brain short-circuited.

"You're with me," he said, holding out his hand.

His palm was warm against hers, and somehow they were part of this ridiculous structure, knees bent, shoulders locked together, trying not to laugh as someone from the middle kept slipping. They held it for three seconds before collapsing in a splash of chlorine and shrieks.

Afterward, they sat on the pool edge, feet dangling in the water. Maya's hair dripped down her back. A **palm** tree swayed above them, casting crisscross patterns on the concrete.

"So," Tyler said, "what's your deal?"

"My deal?"

"Yeah. Like, what are you into? Besides algebra homework."

Maya laughed. "How do you know about that?"

"I saw you copy it. Every single Monday."

"Oh my god, I thought I was being sneaky."

"You were not," he said, grinning. "But I never ratted you out."

A slow warmth spread through Maya's chest. She'd felt like a **zombie** all semester—just going through the motions of high school, counting days until something actually happened. But here, with chlorine in her hair and Tyler's knee pressing against hers, something finally felt real.

"So what ARE you into?" he asked again.

Maya considered lying. Saying something normal. But instead she heard herself say, "I make mixed tapes. Like, actually on cassettes. And I write stuff. Stories mostly."

"That's actually sick," he said. "Like, really sick."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to learn guitar but I'm terrible at it. Maybe you could make me a tape sometime?"

"Maybe," Maya said, and for the first time all year, she didn't feel like pretending anymore.

The sun began to set behind the palm trees, painting everything in gold and rust. Someone suggested forming another pyramid. Maya didn't even hesitate before sliding back into the water.