Thunderpools & Papaya Kings

The **water** in the Hendersons' pool looked like liquid diamonds—or maybe that was just my dehydration talking. I was hiding behind a half-defeated floatie shaped like a flamingo, desperately avoiding Jordan and his crew. They'd spent the entire summer making my life a living hell after that TikTok of me face-planting in gym class went viral.

"Yo, Marcus!" Jordan's voice cut through the splashing. "You gonna join us or stay benched?"

His friends laughed. That specific laugh—the one that sounds both impressed and cruel. I gripped my papaya-themed juice box like it was a weapon. My sister had packed it in my lunch. Apparently, it was exotic. Apparently, I was a loser for drinking it.

Then, out of nowhere, this **orange** blur came tearing through the backyard fence. Mrs. Gable's golden retriever, Buster. He lived for chaos. He spotted Jordan doing a backflip off the diving board and made it his life's mission to be part of the moment.

Buster launched himself into the air just as Jordan hit the **water**. Perfect synchronization. The dog landed directly on Jordan's head as he surfaced, turning his carefully styled hair into a wet, furry mess. The entire pool went silent for exactly three seconds before exploding.

"DUDE!" Jordan sputtered, clawing at his face while Buster paddled away looking ridiculously pleased with himself.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. It was the kind of laugh that starts in your toes and rockets out before you can stop it. Jordan shot me the dirtiest look in his repertoire, but something was different. Nobody else was laughing with him anymore. They were too busy dying at the situation.

"That was actually legendary," said Chloe, the girl I'd been crushing on since seventh grade. She swam over to my floatie. "Nice juice, by the way. Papaya's low-key fire."

My brain short-circuited. Did she just—?

Then the sky opened up. Actual **lightning** flashed across the horizon, followed by thunder that rattled my chest. The party scattered toward the house, everyone screaming and laughing like this was the best moment of their lives.

"Come on!" Chloe grabbed my arm. "We're getting snacks before the storm hits. You coming?"

I looked at my papaya juice, then at the rain now sheeting down on the pool, turning everything into this wild, beautiful blur. Being benched wasn't so bad when you had the best view of the chaos.

"Yeah," I said, finally letting go of the floatie. "I'm coming."

Buster shook out his fur next to us, spraying **water** everywhere. We ran through the downpour toward the house, and for the first time all summer, I didn't care who was watching.