Washed Clean

Maya stood at the edge of the pool clutching her iphone like a lifeline. Chloe's End-of-Summer Blowout was already in full swing—laughter echoing off the backyard fence, bass thumping from waterproof speakers, and a dozen gorgeous people splashing around in the expensive blue water. Meanwhile, Maya had spent forty-five minutes flat-ironing her hair this morning, and now she was terrified to mess it up.

"Come on in!" Chloe called from the middle of the pool, looking effortless with her perfect waves floating around her shoulders. "The water's amazing!"

Maya forced a smile and nodded, scrolling through Instagram for the hundredth time. She'd been working up the nerve to talk to Jayden all week, and now he was here, looking unfairly good in swim trunks, surrounded by friends. Her thumbs flew across the screen, typing and deleting a text to her best friend: *I can't do this.*

"Hey Maya." Jayden was suddenly beside her, dripping wet and smiling that crooked smile that made her stomach do actual gymnastics. "You gonna stand there all day, or are you joining us?"

"I'm good," she said too quickly. "Just, you know, checking something. Important."

Her iphone buzzed in her hand—sudden, startling—and it slipped. Time seemed to slow down as the phone arced through the air, reflecting sunlight like some terrible glittery star, before

splash

It sank into the pool, and Maya didn't think. She just lunged after it, fully dressed, plunging into the water with her phone still clutched in one hand and her dignity following close behind.

Underwater, everything went muffled and blue. Her perfectly straight hair billowed around her face like dark seaweed. She grabbed her phone and pushed upward, breaking the surface into a burst of laughter.

Not mean laughter. Real laughter.

"DID YOU JUST FULLY CLOTHED DIVE FOR YOUR PHONE?!" Jayden was cracking up, and for a second, Maya felt tears prick her eyes. But then he said, "That was honestly legendary."

She surfaced, sputtering, hair plastered to her face, makeup probably streaking, dress heavy and ruined. But Jayden was there, offering a hand, grinning like she'd just done something cool instead of something humiliating.

"My life is over," she muttered, climbing out.

"Nah," he said, handing her a towel. "Your life just got interesting. Plus, your phone'll be fine. And Maya?" He nodded at her hair, now a wild frizzy halo around her face. "I like it better that way. Looks more like you."

Later, she'd find out her iphone was waterlogged and her straightener was officially the enemy. But right now, waist-deep in the pool with Jayden and her frizzy hair and zero fucks left to give, Maya finally felt like she could breathe.