Undercurrent

Maya pulled her beanie lower, the brim shadowing her eyes like a security blanket. At fifteen, hiding felt easier than being seen. The pool party hummed with laughter and splashing around her, but she stood at the edge, clutching her iPhone like a lifeline.

Her phone buzzed. Jordan—the boy she'd been lowkey spying on via Instagram Stories for three weeks—had finally noticed her existence. His DM lit her screen: 'u look like ur plotting something'

Maya's heart did that stupid flutter thing. She typed and deleted four responses before settling on: 'maybe i am'

A flash of lightning split the sky, purple veins spidering through the twilight. Someone screamed playfully. The pool churned with bodies, slick with sunscreen and teenage hormones. Maya watched Jordan dive underwater, breaking the surface with water droplet crown jewels in his hair.

He waved at her.

Her phone slipped from her sweaty palm. Time slowed as it arched toward the deep end.

Without thinking, Maya jumped.

The shock of cold water swallowed her whole. Swimming through the blur, fingers grazing concrete, she snatched her phone from the bottom. When she broke the surface, gasping, Jordan was right there.

'You didn't,' he laughed, reaching for her hand.

'I absolutely did,' she said, water dripping from her chin, suddenly not caring that her makeup was running or her carefully curated aesthetic was ruined. 'My phone survived. That's what matters.'

Jordan pulled her up the pool stairs, both of them dripping wet. 'You know,' he said, 'you're way more interesting than your Instagram makes you seem.'

Maya smiled, really smiled, and pushed her soaked hat back. 'Yeah. I'm working on that.'

Outside, thunder rumbled like applause.