The Pool Party Confession

Maya's palms were sweating. Again. She wiped them on her shorts for the third time, watching Jordan across the pool, laughing with his friends like he didn't have a care in the world. This was it — tonight was the night she'd finally tell him how she felt. Or at least that's what she'd been telling herself since June.

"You're literally staring again," whispered Chloe, plopping down beside her with two sodas. "You've been doing the low-key spy thing all summer. It's starting to get creepy."

Maya's face burned. "I'm not spying! I'm... observing. Strategically."

"Uh-huh. Just like how you 'strategically' ended up at every single one of his basketball games?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. "You're about as subtle as a bear in a ballet studio, Maya."

Maya groaned. "Thanks for that. Really. Super helpful."

A splash interrupted them. Jordan had just done a cannonball off the diving board, soaking everyone within a ten-foot radius. He came up grinning, water dripping from his hair, and somehow looked even more annoyingly perfect.

Then he caught Maya's eye and actually started walking over.

"I'm gonna "go check the snacks,"" Chloe said, abandoning her instantly. "Good luck, you'll need it."

Jordan sat on the edge of the pool beside her, his feet still in the water. "Hey."

"Hey."

"So," he said, and suddenly her palms were sweating again. "I noticed something."

Maya's heart hammered against her ribs. This was it. He knew. He was about to let her down easy, tell her he only saw her as a friend, and she'd have to transfer schools out of pure embarrassment.

"I noticed you're always at my games," Jordan continued. "And at that party last week. And now here. You're like... everywhere I am."

"I'm just really supportive of basketball?" Maya heard herself say.

Jordan laughed — actually laughed. "You're such a bad liar, it's kind of impressive." He paused. "I was waiting for you to say something."

Maya's brain short-circuited. "What?"

"I've been dropping hints all summer, Maya. You really think I coincidentally ended up at your coffee shop shift? Twice?" He shook his head. "You're clever about everything else, but somehow completely fox -d when it comes to this."

"You were... dropping hints?"

"I was trying to flirt with you, but you kept looking at me like I was about to accuse you of a crime." He bumped her shoulder with his. "So I decided to just say it. I like you, okay? I've liked you since last semester."

Maya stared at him. "Wait. So I've been spending three months overthinking everything and you were just... waiting for me to catch on?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow." She covered her face with her hands. "I'm an idiot."

"Yeah, but you're a cute idiot." Jordan stood up and held out his hand. "You want to get out of here? There's this ice cream place..."

Maya looked at his hand, then at the pool, then back at him. She smiled, finally letting herself believe this was real.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'd like that."