Wild Before the Wake

Chloe's mom had dropped the biggest bomb ever at dinner: they were moving from Portland to some town in Oregon where the biggest event was the annual County Fair. "It'll be charming," she'd said, with that tight smile that meant don't argue.

Two weeks in, and Chloe was stilladjusting to the culture shock. The new school was small—everyone knew everyone, and apparently, everyone knew she was "that city girl." Which was how she found herself at Skylar's house, supposedly for a study date but actually being interrogated about her life.

"So, like, do you guys have actual bulls?" Skylar asked, sprawled across her bed while Chloe tried to focus on biology flashcards. "Or is that just what people think?"

"We don't ride bulls to school, if that's what you're asking," Chloe said, and Skylar laughed so hard she snorted.

Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad.

Then Skylar's cat, a massive orange tabby named Cheeto (disappointingly not fast at all), jumped onto Chloe's lap and immediately started purring like a motorboat. "He likes you," Skylar said. "He usually hates everyone."

"I'm basically a cat whisperer," Chloe said, scratching behind Cheeto's ears. "Back in Portland, I had this cat named Mango who would literally scream if I didn't pay attention to him. My neighbors probably thought I was torturing something."

"Let's go to the creek," Skylar said suddenly, grabbing her keys. "There's this spot where the water's deep enough to swim."

Chloe hesitated. She'd never mentioned how she'd almost drowned at summer camp when she was twelve, how water still made her chest tight. "Sure," she said, because that's what you did when you were trying to make friends in a place where everyone already had十年 of history.

The creek was beautiful, sunlight filtering through trees, water that looked deceptively peaceful. Skylar stripped down to her swimsuit and dove in without hesitation. "Your turn! Don't be a wimp!"

Chloe stood at the edge, toes curling into the mud. The water looked darker than it had from the bank. She could feel the panic rising, that same squeezing in her chest.

"You okay?" Skylar called from the middle of the creek. "You look like you're about to throw up or something."

"I'm good," Chloe lied. "Just cold."

"Bull," Skylar said, swimming closer. "What's actually going on?"

Something about the way Skylar said it—soft, not mocking—made the truth spill out. Everything. About the camp, the near-drowning, how she hadn't been in deep water since.

Skylar listened, treading water. "That's valid," she said finally. "Like, actually terrifying. But this spot? I've literally been coming here since I was five. I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Chloe stepped in. The water was cold, shocking against her skin. She waded deeper, knee-deep, then waist-deep, Skylar watching her the whole time. When she was finally in deep enough to float, she let herself relax, let the water hold her up.

"See?" Skylar said. "You're literally floating."

"I am literally floating," Chloe agreed, and they both laughed until Cheeto, who'd apparently followed them, yowled from the bank like they were being ridiculous.

"He's judging us," Chloe said.

"Hard core," Skylar agreed. "Hey, you want to come back tomorrow? We could bring actual food this time."

"Yeah," Chloe said, floating on her back, looking up at the sky through the leaves. "Yeah, I'd like that."