The Pool Party Pyramid Scheme

Maya stood at the edge of the **pool**, clutching her **orange** soda like it was a lifeline. The backyard was packed—basically everyone from sophomore year was at Jessica's end-of-summer bash. The water sparkled with those floating disco lights Jessica's older brother probably rigged up, because of course he did.

"You gonna stand there all night or actually jump in?"

Maya jumped. It was Liam, the guy she'd been lowkey obsessed with since biology last year. He was shirtless, droplets of water running down his chest, and Maya's brain short-circuited.

"I'm, uh, observing," she managed. Smooth. Real smooth.

"Observing what? The social **pyramid**?" Liam nodded toward the center of the pool where Jessica and her squad sat on inflatable flamingos like they ruled the school. Which, technically, they did. "Come on."

He held out his hand.

Maya's heart did that thing where it forgot how to rhythm. This was it—the moment she'd been daydreaming about for literal months. But then she saw it. Over by the snack table, that freshman kid—the one everyone called "Grandpa" because he wore vintage cardigans unironically—was getting roasted by some juniors. They'd knocked over his pyramid of red solo cups he'd spent twenty minutes stacking. His face was bright red, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Maya looked at Liam's hand. Then at the freshman.

"Actually," she said, setting down her orange soda, "catch you later."

She marched over to the snack table. "Yo, leave him alone."

The juniors looked at her like she grew three heads. "Who's gonna make us?"

Maya stood her ground even though her legs were shaking. "Me. And him." She gestured to Liam, who'd followed her and was now standing beside her, arms crossed. Behind him, like half the party had wandered over.

The juniors muttered something and took off.

"Thanks," said Grandpa, adjusting his glasses. "I was trying to beat my record."

Maya helped him restack the cups into a perfect pyramid. When she turned around, Liam was grinning at her like she'd just hung the moon.

"You're kind of awesome, you know that?"

Maya shrugged, trying to play it cool even though she was freaking out inside. "Just keeping the balance, you know?"

"Yeah," Liam said. "Hey, you wanna help me flip the canoe? We're gonna try to get Jessica off her flamingo."

Maya laughed. "Absolutely."

And just like that, she wasn't standing on the edge anymore. She was in the pool, right where she belonged.