Coffee

Pool parties are just the beginning

Danny's POV
Today is finally Sunday, and I am stressing so hard. I don't know what to wear, and I really want to impress Zahra! I don't want to dress too formal because for all I know we could just go to the park, and I couldn't dress too casual either because we could go somewhere fancy. Why couldn't she just tell me where we were going?! After calming myself down, I put on a casual outfit that consisted of jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers. I fiddle with my hair a bit, and it's back to its typical short, curly style. I sigh. I'm going to be fine.

As I walk out the bathroom,my cell phone rings. It's an unidentified number."Hello?"I answer."Hey Danny,it's Zahra. I had to do a bit of searching, but I got your number from a friend of yours since you forgot to give it to me on Friday."Zahra says. I smile at Zahra and her social ways. "Oh."I manage to croak out."Anyway,"she starts, her voice filling with joy."My cousin recently told me about a pool party she's having, so you better bring your swimsuit! Meet me at the park and I'll walk us there, okay? Bye!"she explains and hangs up before I get to reply. Great, a pool party. It's not that I don't like pools, but I'm not the best swimmer and I don't like how I look in swimsuits. Either way, I was going to hang out with Zahra no matter what.

I go in my closet and grab a bag to pack with extra clothes, a towel, and my swimsuit. Then I quickly bound down the stairs to the front door. "Where are you going?"my mom asks, flipping her dark brown hair, which is one of many features I inherited from her."Out."I say, opening the front door."Wow."she says, truly surprised at my attempt of leaving the house like a normal person my age."Well have fun and be safe!"she calls out awkwardly as I close the door and head to the park. I know she's not used to me doing 'normal' teenage things, but she doesn't need to make things so awkward.

I arrive at the park nervous still waiting for her. Is she pranking me? Is this even real? I start to question. Just as I'm about to leave, I see her walking down the hill to the bench where I sat."Hi! I'm glad you could make it!"she greets and hugs me. I can already feel my face heat up."Thanks for inviting me."I say back. I'm surprised at my seemingly nonchalant nature and we let go. She's wearing Aztec print shorts with yellow, turquoise, red, and white colors. She has a white tank top on and jewelry with sandals matching the colors of her shorts."Well let's go! We don't wanna be late!"she smiles and grabs my wrist. She starts rushing me out the park and to a bus stop.

We take a bus to the other side of town, where it's more southern-like and run-down, but still an okay neighborhood. We walk down a dirt path until we see a very small house at the end of it."That's my cousin's house!"she exclaims and drags me to the house, running. She bangs on the door loudly. The door opens to a man a couple years older than us. Twenty one or twenty two at the oldest."Joe! It's great to see you again! Where's the party at?"she asks excitedly."Woah calm down now. Everyone is out in the back,but first, who is this?"he asks,pointing to me."Oh he's just a friend of mine. Can we go out back now?"Zahra asks once again, clearly only caring about the pool party out back. Her cousin eyes me. I take a deep gulp and sweat with nervousness. "Okay, but go around the side, I'm mopping the hall inside here."he tells us. Zahra squeals and drags me out back.

We arrive to see a lot of people swimming in the pool, with music blasting, and other people talking outside the pool."Okay so I'm going to go change, I'll let you know when I'm done so you can do it after okay?"she informs me."Okay."I answer. She smiles and skips off to the bathroom leaving me by a table to stand awkwardly. All the little children around the age of five stop playing and stare at me. Their eyes follow me as I sit down on a bench.

After about five minutes of being stared down, Zahra finally walks out in a blue, orange, and white bikini. I blush really dark and my heart speeds up. Her mocha skin looks warm and soft under the sun beaming down on her wavy brown hair."Hey Dan-"she interrupts herself with a squeal as a boy around our age of runs up to her, grabs her by the waist, and jumps into the pool with her still in his arms. A few seconds later she bobs up."Riley! Stop doing that every time we have a pool party!"she hits him lightly. She swims to a ladder and climbs up. She looks even better now with her long hair wet, darker, and sticking to her mocha skin that has water dripping down it. I shift in my seat nervously.