When the Water Didn't Wash It Away

The summer before junior year, Marco learned that sometimes you have to become a little dead inside to survive.

The Friday night pool party at Jessica's house was supposed to be legendary. Everyone who was anyone would be there, including Chloe, the girl Marco had been lowkey crushing on since algebra. But standing at the edge of the pool in his too-short swim trunks, Marco felt less like a potential boyfriend and more like a **zombie** shuffling through someone else's life.

"Hey, Marco!" Jake shouted from the **water**, splashing everywhere. "Get in here, bro! The water's perfect!"

Marco hesitated. The pool lights made ripples of blue and green dance across the surface, looking like some kind of alien landscape. In that moment, he realized something profound: he'd been moving through the last few months like a zombie, going through the motions at school, at practice, even with his friends. Numb. Distant.

His mom had started cutting up fresh fruit that morning, arranging **papaya** and pineapple in a bowl like she was trying to compensate for something. Like fruit could fix the fact that his dad had moved out three months ago and Marco still hadn't really talked about it.

Chloe emerged from the pool house, wearing this bright **orange** swimsuit that made her look like sunshine incarnate. She squeezed water from her hair and smiled at someone Marco didn't recognize. Some guy from the soccer team. Someone confident. Someone alive.

"You coming in or what?" Chloe called, catching Marco's eye.

And just like that, the zombie fog lifted. Not completely—his dad was still gone, everything wasn't suddenly fixed—but he took a breath and stepped toward the pool. Maybe you couldn't wash away the hard stuff, but you could still dive into the deep end anyway.

"Yeah," Marco said, finally. "I'm coming."

The water was cold, shocking him awake. Jake splashed him again, and Chloe laughed from across the pool. Marco kicked toward the surface, feeling lighter than he had in months.

Some things you had to feel to heal. And this was just the beginning.