Zombie at the Pool Party

I stood by the snack table, clutching my red solo cup like it was a lifeline. The pool party raged around me—Taylor's backyard transformed into a chaotic splash zone with half my freshman class flailing in the water like overexcited dolphins.

"You look like a zombie," said Maya, appearing beside me with a knowing smirk. "Dude, it's a party. Not a funeral."

I shrugged. "Not really a swimming person. More of a dry-land observer."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Jordan, you've been spying on Leo from across the patio for twenty minutes. Either talk to him or accept that you're just gonna stand here looking undead."

My face burned. Was I that obvious? Leo was currently demonstrating some kind of elaborate cannonball off the diving board, surrounded by his laughing friends. He looked effortless. I felt anything but.

"I can't just—"

"The worst he can say is no," Maya cut in. "Or he can say yes, and you won't spend the rest of high school wondering what if."

She shoved me toward the pool. I stumbled, my flip-flops slapping against the concrete, and suddenly there I was—standing at the edge where wet pavement met dry land. Leo hauled himself out of the water, shaking droplets from his dark hair like some kind of mythical creature.

"Hey Jordan!" He grinned. "You gonna jump in or what?"

The moment stretched. I could retreat. Could go back to being the invisible observer, the safe distance holder, the girl who watched life happen from the sidelines.

Or I could take the plunge.

I jumped.

The shock of cold water swallowed me whole, and for a second, everything was muffled and blue and terrifyingly alive. Then I broke the surface, gasping, and Leo was laughing, reaching out a hand to pull me deeper into the chaos.

"Finally!" he said. "What took you so long?"

I wiped water from my eyes and smiled. "Guess I was just dead inside."

"Not anymore," Maya called from the sidelines. And maybe she was right.