When Papaya Met Pool Party

Maya's phone buzzed in her pocket, the screen lighting up with another Instagram notification. She gripped her iphone tighter, thumbs hovering over the keyboard as she debated posting the pool party invite screenshot. Her best friend Chloe had been droning on about it for days.

"It's gonna be lit," Chloe said, flipping her hair. "Jason's pool. His parents are out of town. We're talking epic."

Maya nodded, stomach twisting. The thought of a pool party made her want to hurl. She'd barely survived swim class freshman year without having a panic attack about changing in front of everyone. Now she was supposed to casually hang out in a bikini?

"My mom's making papaya salad," Maya blurted out, because what do you say when you're terrified of socializing? "She goes all out with the lime and chili. You should come over before instead."

Chloe wrinkled her nose. "Papaya? Seriously? That's so... random." She sighed. "Fine, but we're still going after."

The party was already in full swing when they arrived. Maya tugged self-consciously at her orange bikini top—why had she let Chloe talk her into this bright color that made her stick out like a highlighter?

Jason waved from the pool, water dripping from his perfect hair. "Maya! Finally made it!"

Everyone was looking. Maya's face burned. She dropped her towel on a lounge chair, feeling like she was wearing her entire life on her skin.

"Come in!" someone yelled.

But her phone buzzed again—another notification. Maya reached for it reflexively, only to watch in horror as it slipped from her fingers and dropped straight into the pool.

"NO!" she screamed, diving after it.

The water swallowed her iphone, her dignity, and any hope she'd had of surviving freshman year unscathed.

When she surfaced, sputtering and coughing, everyone was staring. Then someone started laughing. Not mean laughing—genuine, cracking-up laughter.

"Bro, you literally dove for your phone like it was a baby," Jason said, grinning. "That was epic."

Maya stood there dripping, phone ruined beyond repair, wearing an orange bikini that matched absolutely nothing about her personality. And for some reason, she started laughing too.

"Anyone got papaya?" she joked. "I need to wash down this L."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You're so weird, Maya."

But as Jason tossed her a towel and someone else offered her a slice of actual orange from the fruit platter, Maya realized something: maybe the awkward moments were the ones that made you real. And maybe that wasn't so terrible after all.