Ace in the Hat

"Yo, I'm not trying to steal your luck—"

"Just wear it, Jordan," Mateo laughed. "Besides, it matches your fit."

Jordan adjusted the hat, feeling ridiculous but also... different? Bolder? Like maybe she could actually hit the ball without embarrassing herself.

"Alright, bet," she said, surprising herself. "Let's do this."

The first serve was tragic — straight into the net. But the second one? PURE FIRE. The ball sailed perfectly into the corner, and Mateo couldn't even return it. Sierra lost her mind on the sidelines, jumping up like Jordan had just won Wimbledon.

"WHAT was THAT?!" Mateo screamed. "Since when do you ball like that?"

Jordan served again. Another ace. And another. Something about wearing someone else's hat, playing this random sport she'd never tried before, knowing her mom was probably typing another paragraph-length text about responsibility — it all just clicked. The hat was like a permission slip to be someone else for a minute. Someone who didn't overthink everything.

By the time the bell rang, Jordan had won her first padel match ever, Mateo was calling her "Padel Queen," and Sierra was already planning their doubles tournament domination.

"Keep the hat," Mateo said as they walked to chemistry. "It likes you better anyway."

Jordan checked her phone. Her mom had sent one final text: *Proud of you for trying new things. Call when you can.*

The hat stayed on all day. Jordan wasn't sure if it was actually magical or if sometimes you just need to borrow a little courage from a friend to remember you had it in you all along. Either way, she was keeping it.