Bruised Plum Summer

Alex stared in the mirror. The blue hair dye was supposed to be midnight navy, not whatever purple disaster this was.

Her phone buzzed. Jordan, her best friend since seventh grade, was already at the mall. "On my way," Alex typed back, shoving the failed hair experiment into a beanie.

Her sister Skyler burst in. "You have to join my team! The pyramid structure means everyone wins!"

Alex grabbed the brochure. Essential oils and wellness supplements. "Pass."

At the mall, Jordan was talking to Marcus — transfer student, three weeks at their school, somehow already had perfect hair and Jordan's full attention.

"Alex! This is Marcus. He was just telling me about this party Saturday."

The air felt thick. Alex stood there in her beanie, clutching a pyramid scheme brochure she'd stupidly brought, while her best friend made heart eyes at Transfer Boy with Perfect Hair.

"I hate spinach," Marcus announced suddenly. "My dad's always going on about superfoods. Spinach smoothies, kale chips. It's like, can I just eat a regular burger?"

The unexpected lightning strike of connection — this random detail about spinach — made Alex realize Marcus wasn't some alien invader stealing her friend. Just a guy who also hated being forced to eat health food.

"My mom's the same way," Alex found herself saying. "Wheatgrass shots. I threw up in the sink."

Marcus cracked up. Jordan's expression softened. "You should come Saturday. His brother is DJing."

Alex pulled off her beanie. "So I tried to dye my hair navy and it's purple. I look like a bruised plum."

"Kind of sick, honestly," Marcus said.

"Totally sick," Jordan agreed. "Let me fix the spots you missed."

They walked toward the food court together. Outside, summer lightning flickered across the sky. Alex's phone buzzed — Skyler again about the pyramid meeting.

She deleted the message.

The hair was still a disaster. Jordan and Marcus would probably date.

But Jordan was walking beside her, and Saturday might not be so bad after all.