Zombie at the Deep End

I looked like a literal zombie. Three days of finals, zero sleep, and somehow Maya convinced me that a pool party was exactly what I needed. Yeah, right.

The backyard was already packed — seniors being loud, sophomores trying too hard, music bumping from somewhere I couldn't see. I hovered near the snack table, clutching a warm soda like it was a life preserver. My palms were sweating. Like, actually sweaty. I wiped them on my shorts for the third time.

"You coming in or what?"

I turned. Maya. Of course. She was already waist-deep in the water, hair slicked back, grinning like this wasn't literally the most terrifying social situation I'd faced since Jeremy Garcia asked me to homecoming and I said "uh" for thirty seconds.

"Maybe later," I called back. My voice cracked. Cool.

"Maya's friend over here thinks he's too good for the pool!" someone shouted. A ripple of laughter.

I felt my face burn. This was it. This was how I died. Social death, actual death, whatever — the zombie state I'd been existing in all week would finally become permanent.

Then something splashed me. Ice-cold water dripped down my nose.

"Who — " I wiped my face, blinking.

Maya stood there, grinning, holding an empty cup. "Oops."

"You did not just — "

"Come get me, then!" She splashed again.

Something snapped. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation talking. Maybe I was just done. Done overthinking everything, done worrying about looking stupid, done standing at the edge of every moment watching everyone else live.

I jumped in.

The water hit me like a shock, cold and sudden and everywhere. When I came up sputtering, Maya was laughing. Not mocking — just... laughing. Like we were in on something together.

"Took you long enough, zombie," she said.

"Shut up," I said, but I was smiling. My chest felt lighter than it had in weeks. The water was cool, the music was thumping, and for the first time all night, I wasn't running through every possible way this could go wrong.

Sometimes you just have to jump in. Even if you look stupid. Especially if you look stupid.

I splashed her back. She squealed.

Yeah, I could get used to this.