The Last Summer Before Everything Changed

The orange glow of sunset reflected off the pool's surface as Maya stood at the edge, clutching her towel like a shield. This was it—the last pool party of freshman year, and she still didn't know how to be the person everyone expected her to be.

"Maya! Finally!" Jenna waved from the deep end, her perfect hair somehow immune to chlorine. "Get in here!"

But Maya couldn't move. Not when Alex was leaning against the fence, looking unfairly cute in his cutoff shirt. Not when she was still the same girl who'd accidentally worn zombie makeup to school on Halloween instead of actual costume makeup because she'd mixed up her sister's face paint containers. The nickname "Zombie Girl" had followed her for weeks.

"You okay?" Alex appeared beside her, smelling like coconut sunscreen and something distinctly Alex-ish.

"Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About how you're literally the only person not in the pool?" He grinned. "Come on. I won't let you drown."

Maya's stomach did that annoying fluttery thing. "I'm just not really feeling it tonight."

"Then let's not do the pool thing." Alex nodded toward the pool house. "My cousin left his giant bear costume in there. We could put it on and freak everyone out."

"You're serious?"

"Dead serious." His eyes crinkled. "Unless you're scared?"

Maya found herself smiling. "Try me."

Ten minutes later, they stumbled out in the most ridiculous brown bear costume, too small for both of them but perfect for causing chaos. The pool party stopped cold. Then someone screamed—Jenna, of all people—and everyone was laughing, including Maya, really laughing, for what felt like the first time all year.

Later, as orange twilight deepened into purple, Alex sat beside her on the pool edge, feet in the water. "You know," he said, "you're different when you think no one's watching."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It's good." He bumped her shoulder. "Really good."

Maya watched the pool lights flicker on, thinking maybe next year wouldn't be so terrifying after all. Maybe she'd finally figure out who she actually was—zombie makeup fails and all.