The Pool Party Algorithm

Maya's palm sweated against her iPhone case as she hovered at the edge of the McKinley's pool party. The screen showed twelve notifications, but her actual problem stood across the deck: Tyler Chen, effortlessly climbing out of the water like some kind of swimming god, droplets sliding down his arms.

"You coming in?" her best friend Jaya called, already waist-deep.

Maya shook her head. She'd forgotten to shave. Again.

Jaya rolled her eyes. "You've been spying on Tyler for twenty minutes. It's weird."

"I have NOT been spying," Maya lied, glancing at Tyler, who was now drying his hair with a towel that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe. "I'm... observing. For science."

"You're a creep. Get in the water."

The water sparkled with that perfect pool-party blue, the kind that looked inviting on Instagram but terrifying in real life. Maya had spent her whole life learning to swim through metaphorical waters—hallway politics, friend group shuffles, the exhausting algorithm of who sat with whom at lunch—but actual water still felt like exposing her soft underbelly to the world.

Her phone buzzed. Tyler had posted a story. A selfie from the pool, hair wet, smile accidental and devastating. Caption: "pool szn 🌊"

Maya was still typing and deleting a response when something splashed her. Jaya, grinning maniacally.

"You coming in or what?"

"My hair," Maya started, but Jaya was already splashing again, laughing like a demon.

Fine.

Maya dropped her phone on a lounge chair—courage, right?—and jumped. The water swallowed her, cool and shocking and somehow easier than standing on the edge, watching everyone else live their lives. When she surfaced, sputtering, Tyler was looking at her.

Actually looking.

"Nice form," he said, grinning.

Maya's brain offered exactly zero helpful responses. She settled for wiping water from her eyes and saying, "Thanks."

"You're Maya, right? From English?"

"Yeah."

"Cool." He paused. "Wanna play chicken?"

Her palm pruned in the water, Maya grinned. "Absolutely not. But I'll watch."