Zombies by the Deep End

The mid-July heat wave had turned Maya's backyard into what felt like the surface of the sun, which was exactly why she'd agreed to host the first official pool party of sophomore summer. Now, as she watched her classmates cannonball into the crystal-blue water, she calculated exactly how many times she could pretend to check her phone before someone noticed she hadn't actually swum in her own pool yet.

"Yo Maya!" Jake called from the deep end, droplets flying from his soaked hair. "Get in here! The water's actually sick today!"

Maya forced what she hoped looked like a genuine smile. "Yeah, just gotta—"

"Do the human pyramid!" Chloe screeched, already corralling people toward the shallow end. "Someone livestream this, my mom needs to see I actually have friends."

The pyramid attempt lasted exactly seventeen seconds before collapsing in a spectacular splash that sent three people flying into the rose bushes. Maya couldn't help it—she laughed until her stomach hurt, watching everyone's zombie makeup from the horror movie marathon last night streak down their faces. The chlorine and sunscreen smell mixed with the artificial watermelon of the goldfish crackers someone had spilled all over the patio furniture.

Her golden retriever, Buster, chose that exact moment to escape through the back gate, chasing a squirrel straight into the chaos. He bounded through the scattered snack bags, sending goldfish crackers flying everywhere like ridiculous orange confetti.

"Buster!" Maya sprinted after him, not caring about anything except her terrified rescue-dog-turned-escape-artist.

She found him cowering behind the garage, shivering despite the heat. The adrenaline faded as she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around his wet, fur-covered frame.

"Hey, you good?" Jake appeared behind her, out of breath. His zombie eye makeup was halfway down his face. "We were—like, worried."

Maya looked at her classmates standing there: Chloe still in her pineapple bikini, Justin with goldfish crackers stuck to his chest, everyone dripping wet and ridiculous and real.

"Yeah," Maya said, surprising herself. "Actually, I think I am."

The zombie apocalypse could wait. She had a dog to comfort and a pool full of people who, against all odds, actually seemed to give a damn.