Page 95 of Salto

MIA: How was the Elite Qualifier?

LANEY: I’M DYING TO KNOW. PLEASE TELL US.

I chuckled.

ME: I qualified.

I got a response only seconds later.

LANEY: AHHHHHHH

MIA: I knew you could do it.

I clicked out of the group chat to check the other messages I’d missed. They were from an unknown group chat. None of the numbers were saved in my phone except for Eva and Sloane.

UNKNOWN: Don't forget the team pool party tonight at Vanta’s!

UNKNOWN: Anyone bringing a volleyball?

EVA: What time are people heading over?

UNKNOWN: It’s at 7.

SLOANE: Anyone wanna drive together?

Wait, what?

It took me a few seconds to put two and two together and realize this was a Vanta team group chat.

I felt panic settle over me.

Pool party at Vanta’s?

I scrolled through more messages, feeling extremely out of the loop.

This was the first moment I was hearing about it.

I stared at the group chat for a second longer.

I could send a text and ask them to clarify…

My thumb hovered over the keyboard before I sighed and chickened out. I barely knew anyone in the chat, and I wasn't about to introduce myself by admitting I had no idea what was going on.

Instead, I tapped Rove's contact and pressed the call button.

He picked up on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“What’s this about a pool party?”

He chuckled. “No one told you?”

"I’ve been a little busy focusing on other things. And my roster of friends at the gym is practically non-existent, so I don’t know how I would've heard about it."

“Every year, Vanta throws a barbecue at his place. The whole team goes. Parents are invited, and all the coaches attend. We swim and play games and stuff.”

“Am I... supposed to come?”