The Night We Didn't Die

The pool party was supposed to be the night everything changed. Instead, it became the night we almost died and I finally figured out who I actually was.

"You're not seriously doing that," Maya said, rolling her eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck.

"Watch me." I climbed onto the diving board, my heart pounding like I'd just chugged three Red Bulls. The backyard was packed — seniors, juniors, the popular kids who normally wouldn't look twice at me. And then there was Maya, my best friend since kindergarten, looking at me like I'd lost my mind.

The Canning family's above-ground **pool** glittered under the string lights, and somewhere inside, someone's dog — a golden retriever — barked at nothing.

I held up my phone, queued up the TikTok sound. "It's called living, Maya. Try it sometime."

"It's called being a **zombie** for clout," she shot back, but she was already grinning.

I'd spent fifteen years trying to be the person everyone wanted. Quiet, dutiful Emma who got good grades and never made waves. But sophomore year had cracked something open. I didn't want to be safe anymore. I wanted to be the kind of person who did things.

"Hey!" Someone yelled from the patio. "Food fight!"

Chaos erupted. Tortilla chips flew. Soda exploded like a geyser. And in the middle of it all, I saw Jordan Chen — track star, homecoming court, my crush since September — standing under the inflatable **pyramid** decoration, laughing as someone dumped guacamole on his jersey.

**Lightning** cracked across the sky.

"Everybody inside!" Mrs. Canning screamed.

The crowd stampeded toward the house. I stood frozen on the diving board, rain starting to fall, and for the first time in my life, I didn't move toward safety. I jumped.

The shock of cold water knocked everything out of me — the fear, the pretending, the constant second-guessing. When I surfaced, sputtering and alive, Maya was standing at the pool edge, not rolling her eyes anymore. She was holding out a towel.

"You're insane," she said, but she was smiling. "Also, Jordan was watching you the whole time."

I wrapped the towel around myself, shivering and electric. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Also?" She sat down beside me. "I'm glad you finally showed up."