The Splash That Changed Everything

My mom's ancient station wagon groaned as I pulled up to Tyler's pool party. Text after text lit up my phone: feed the cat, don't forget the cat, the cat needs fresh water. Misty. My emotional support calico who hated me almost as much as she hated empty food bowls.

I stepped out in my new two-piece from PacSun, suddenly very aware it was maybe *too* new for someone who'd barely spoken to anyone since the Great Locker Room Incident of sophomore year. But here I was, taking Lila's advice: "put yourself out there, bestie."

The backyard was already popping. Kids from school everywhere, TikTok music blasting, a literal vibe. Then I saw him—Caleb. The same Caleb who'd dated Maya, then ghosted her, then tried to slide into my DMs last month like I wouldn't hear about it from approximately everyone.

"Yo, Maya's here," someone whispered, and suddenly the air shifted. The social hierarchy at work.

Caleb spotted me and started walking over. My stomach did that thing where it forgets how to be an organ. I scrambled backward, right into—

*CHRRRRRRRRT*

A screech from the bushes. A cat—a feral calico with an ear notch—exploded from the hydrangeas, claws extended, and latched onto my leg like its life depended on it.

"OW what the—" I jumped, momentum taking me straight back, and splash.

Into the pool.

Under water, everything was muffled and blue. I could hear muffled laughter, shock, someone yelling. I pushed up, gasping, soaking wet, hair plastered to my face like a drowned rat, dignity absolutely non-existent.

Caleb stood at the edge, looking. And in that moment, I realized something. He wasn't gonna help. He was just gonna stand there and watch.

So I did the only thing that made sense. I climbed out, water streaming everywhere, and said to the whole staring crowd:

"Well. That's one way to make an entrance."

Someone snorted. Then someone else laughed. Real laughter, not mean-girl laughing.

"You okay, though?" A girl from my English class asked.

"Yeah," I said, ringing out my shirt. "Just out here living my worst life on main."

"That was legendary though," said this freshman I didn't even know.

I caught Caleb's eye. He looked away first.

"Anyway," I said, "who's got a towel? And also, does anyone know whose cat that was? Because we need to talk about boundaries."