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Michelle Wheeler hated changing rooms.
The smell of chlorine clung to everything, the floors were always wet no matter how many signs told people not to splash, and there was nowhere to stand that didn't feel awkward. Worst of all, there was the fact that eventually she had to stop hiding behind a locker and actually walk outside wearing a swimsuit.
She stared at herself in the mirror.
The dark blue two piece wasn't bad. She knew that logically. Max had spent nearly twenty minutes convincing her to buy it, insisting she needed to stop dressing like she was preparing for a camping trip every time summer arrived. Cargo shorts and a baggy T-shirt.
"It's cute," Max had said.
"You always say that."
"Because it's true."
Now Michelle was beginning to suspect Max had lied.
Not because the swimsuit looked bad.
Because Michelle looked bad.
Too skinny.
Too tall.
Too awkward.
Her arms looked too long. Her legs looked too long. Everything about her felt unfinished somehow.
A knock came from outside the changing stall.
"You alive in there?" Max called.
"Maybe."
"Michelle."
"I'm thinking."
"That's the problem."
Michelle rolled her eyes and stepped out.
Max immediately pointed at her.
"See? You look fine."
"Fine is not exactly inspiring."
"You look good."
El nodded from beside her girlfriend.
"Very good."
Michelle groaned.
"Please stop."
Neither of them did.
Unfortunately.
A moment later another changing room door opened.
Michelle looked over.
And instantly forgot every thought she'd ever had.
Willow stepped outside.
The yellow swimsuit her mum had bought her for her birthday looked ridiculously pretty. The halter top tied around her neck with a bow at the front, and the matching bottoms had little bows on each side. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and she looked nervous enough that Michelle almost missed just how beautiful she looked.
Almost.
Willow shifted awkwardly.
Michelle stared.
Willow adjusted her ponytail.
Michelle stared.
Willow glanced around the room.
Michelle stared.
Then Max smacked Michelle's arm.
Hard.
"Ouch!"
"You were staring."
"I was not."
"You absolutely were, you look like you just saw Jesus or something.”
Michelle immediately looked anywhere except Willow.
The ceiling suddenly became fascinating.
Unfortunately, Willow had heard.
Her cheeks turned pink.
Michelle wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
"Can we go now?" Willow asked quickly.
"Please," Michelle agreed.
The others looked suspicious.
Nobody said anything.
For now.
The wave pool was absolute chaos.
Within thirty seconds Dustin had gotten knocked over by a wave, swallowed half the pool, and accused the water of targeting him personally.
Lucas laughed so hard he nearly fell over himself.
Max and El spent most of their time holding onto each other whenever larger waves rolled through, which prompted Dustin to repeatedly make gagging noises.
Everything felt normal.
Comfortable.
At least until Michelle accidentally looked over and saw Willow laughing, her tanned skin glistening and wet.. holy shit, Michelle thought as she looked down at Willow’s chest, she never noticed how nice her boobs we’re…
Michelle stopped staring before Willow noticed. She didn’t mean to stare, of course, she’s not a pervert.
That should not have been enough to completely derail her train of thought.
And yet.
There she was.
Laughing at something Lucas had said.
The sunlight reflected off the water around her. The yellow swimsuit somehow made her look even brighter.
Michelle looked.
Then looked again.
Then accidentally kept looking.
It wasn't intentional.
It just happened.
Willow noticed.
Their eyes met.
Michelle immediately whipped her head away so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.
Smooth.
Very smooth.
A few minutes later everyone moved toward the lazy river.
The group split naturally into pairs and shared tubes. Dustin and Lucas immediately started trying to splash each other. Max and El drifted ahead together.
Which left Michelle and Willow sharing a tube.
Neither seemed sure what to say at first.
The river carried them beneath a bridge.
The sounds of the park faded slightly.
Willow looked down at the water.
"I almost didn't wear this."
Michelle blinked.
"Wear what?"
"The swimsuit."
Michelle frowned.
"Why?"
Willow shrugged.
"I don't know."
The answer clearly wasn't true.
Michelle waited.
Eventually Willow sighed.
"I just feel weird in it."
Michelle looked confused.
"It looks nice."
"Thanks."
Another pause.
Then Willow quietly said, "I've always been kinda insecure about my hips."
Michelle stared.
"What?"
Willow looked embarrassed.
"My hips."
"What about them?"
Willow laughed nervously.
"I have hip dips."
Michelle waited.
"...Okay?"
That earned an actual laugh.
"You don't get it."
"No, I really don't."
Willow looked down again.
"A lot of girls don't like them."
Michelle immediately frowned.
"That's stupid."
Willow looked surprised.
Michelle continued before she could overthink it.
"There's literally nothing wrong with them."
"Michelle."
"I'm serious."
Willow studied her face.
Michelle felt heat creeping into her cheeks.
Unfortunately honesty won.
"I think they look nice."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
Michelle wanted to throw herself into the river.
Willow's face turned bright red.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Oh."
Neither knew what else to say.
Across the river, Dustin accidentally collided with Lucas and nearly flipped their tube.
The moment broke.
Thankfully.
Or maybe unfortunately.
Michelle wasn't entirely sure.
Later they climbed the giant staircase leading toward the tallest water slides.
By the time they reached the top, everyone was already complaining.
"I'm dying," Dustin announced.
"You walked up stairs," Lucas replied.
"Exactly."
"You are so dramatic."
"I am suffering."
Max looked at El.
"Can we leave them here?"
"Please."
The first slide launched them into a giant splash pool below.
Dustin screamed the entire way down.
Lucas screamed too, though he'd never admit it.
The second slide was even faster.
Willow ended up next to Michelle in line.
The wait wasn't long.
Unfortunately it was long enough for Michelle to become painfully aware of how close they were standing.
Willow looked nervous.
"You okay?"
"I hate heights."
Michelle blinked.
"Then why are you up here?"
"Peer pressure."
"Valid."
Willow laughed.
The nervousness eased slightly.
Then it was their turn.
By the time they hit the water below, both of them were laughing.
The afternoon passed quickly after that.
Slides.
Pools.
Splash zones.
More slides.
An argument between Dustin and Lucas over who won a race neither of them had actually timed.
The usual.
At some point Willow wandered off to buy a frozen lemonade.
Nobody thought much of it.
Until Michelle looked over and noticed she hadn't come back.
At first she wasn't worried.
Then she spotted her.
And immediately felt her stomach sink.
A group of older boys stood near one of the snack stands.
Three of them.
Maybe sixteen or seventeen.
One was talking to Willow.
Another was laughing.
The third kept nudging his friend.
Even from across the walkway, Michelle could tell Willow looked uncomfortable.
Not scared.
Just trapped.
Too polite to leave.
Too awkward to tell them to go away.
Michelle stood before she consciously decided to.
"Where are you going?" Lucas asked.
"Nowhere."
"That looks like somewhere."
Michelle ignored him.
The closer she got, the more obvious it became.
Willow was smiling politely.
The same uncomfortable smile she always used when she didn't know what else to do.
One of the boys said something.
Willow laughed weakly.
Michelle immediately stepped forward.
"There you are."
Willow looked up.
Confusion crossed her face.
Then understanding.
Michelle grabbed her hand without thinking.
"We've been looking for you."
"We have?" Willow asked.
"Yeah."
Michelle nodded firmly.
"It was kind of an emergency."
The boys looked confused.
"What emergency?" one asked.
Michelle's brain completely failed.
"The wave pool thing."
"The wave pool thing?" Willow repeated.
"Exactly."
Willow bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing.
"Oh. Right."
Michelle immediately started guiding her away.
The boys didn't follow.
Thankfully.
By the time they reached the other side of the park, both girls were trying not to laugh.
Then Michelle realized she was still holding Willow's hand.
She let go immediately.
Sorry."
Willow looked down briefly before smiling.
"You rescued me."
Michelle rubbed the back of her neck.
"I just figured you looked uncomfortable."
"I was."
The smile softened.
"Thank you."
Something warm settled inside Michelle's chest.
Then Willow added quietly, "I was kinda hoping you'd come over."
Michelle nearly walked directly into a trash can.
The rest of the afternoon felt different after that.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
The space between them seemed smaller somehow.
The conversations easier.
The smiles lasting longer.
Eventually they found themselves sitting together near the edge of a quieter pool while everyone else argued about what attraction to visit next.
Willow sat with her knees pulled up slightly.
Michelle glanced over.
Then looked away.
Then looked back.
Then looked away again.
Willow noticed.
"You're doing it again."
Michelle froze.
"Doing what?"
"Staring."
"I wasn't staring."
"You were."
Michelle groaned.
Willow laughed.
The sound made something flutter unpleasantly inside Michelle's chest.
Or pleasantly.
She wasn't sure.
"You know," Willow said after a moment, "sometimes I wish I looked more like you."
Michelle blinked.
"What?"
Willow shrugged.
"You're skinny."
Michelle snorted.
"That's not always a good thing."
"It is."
"No."
She looked down at her arms.
"People constantly ask if I eat enough."
Willow frowned.
"That's rude."
"Yeah."
Michelle shrugged.
"I always feel like everyone else looks older than me."
Willow looked thoughtful.
Then she smiled.
"I think you look nice."
Michelle stared.
The sincerity in Willow's voice made her chest tighten.
"You do?"
"Yeah."
A small smile appeared.
"I always have."
Neither girl looked away.
Not immediately.
Not this time.
The moment stretched.
Longer.
Longer.
Michelle's heart hammered against her ribs.
Willow's cheeks slowly turned pink.
For one terrifying second, Michelle thought she might actually say it.
Might actually tell Willow.
How pretty she looked.
How she always looked for her in every room.
How she'd spent the entire day trying not to stare.
How impossible that task had been.
Instead Dustin's voice echoed across the park.
"IF YOU TWO ARE DONE BEING WEIRD, WE'RE GETTING FOOD."
The moment shattered instantly.
Willow burst out laughing.
Michelle buried her face in her hands.
And just like that, the confession remained safely trapped behind both of their smiles.
At least for now.