The Summer We Almost Drowned

The heat wave that July was absolutely unhinged — like, the kind of hot that makes your brain feel like it's melting inside your skull. Maya and I spent every afternoon at the community pool, doing our best to look casual while secretly watching the baseball team practice in the adjacent field. Water splashed everywhere as we pretended we weren't totally obsessing over Ryan, who had this smile that could literally end civilizations.

"You're being creepy," Maya whispered, sliding her sunglasses down her nose. "Again."

"I'm observing. There's a difference."

"Bro, you've been 'observing' since summer camp started. Either talk to him or move on."

The real problem wasn't Ryan, though. It was the Sphinx project looming over our summer. Our English teacher had assigned us to write about something mysterious — something that couldn't be easily explained. The riddle of why Ryan never seemed to notice me seemed like a pretty solid candidate.

My bedroom had become command central. I'd camp out on my floor with my laptop, frantically typing and deleting, while my little brother messed with the cable box in the hallway. The internet would cut out at the worst moments, usually right when I'd worked up the courage to DM Ryan something borderline flirty.

"Hey!" I'd yell through the door. "Stop touching the cables!"

"It's buffering!" he'd yell back, like that was some kind of excuse.

The breakthrough happened during a storm. Power was out everywhere, no internet, no cable TV, just me staring out my window watching rain turn the street into a river. Water pooled in the gutters, reflecting streetlights that flickered and died. That's when it hit me — the Sphinx wasn't about having all the answers. It was about being okay with not knowing.

The next day at the pool, I didn't watch Ryan through my sunglasses. I didn't pretend to be casual while freaking out internally. I just walked up to the fence during their water break.

"Hey," I said. "I'm Leo."

He wiped water from his face with the bottom of his jersey and smiled. "Finally. I was wondering when you'd say hi."