Chloride and Courage

Maya stood at the edge of the **pool**, her heart racing like she'd just chugged three energy shots. The sophomore class summer party. Everyone who mattered would be here, and she was psyching herself out. Again.

"You coming in or what?" called Jake, the guy she'd been lowkey crushing on since bio lab. He was treading **water**, his wet hair plastered to his forehead in a way that shouldn't be as hot as it was.

"Yeah, just... just getting there," Maya stammered, smoothing down her frizzy **hair** for the millionth time. She'd spent two hours trying to curl it that morning, and now the humidity was having other ideas.

Before she could make her move, Lena—aka the girl who had everything under control—sashayed over, phone in hand. "OMG, Maya, I need a favor. Can you take a pic for my story?" She flashed what should've been a confident smile, except—

Yikes. A full piece of **spinach** was wedged between her front teeth like a tiny green flag of surrender.

Maya's brain short-circuited. Do I tell her? Do I let her post it and look clueless? Social dynamics were exhausting.

"Actually, Lena," she said, voice barely steady, "you've got a little something..."

Lena's eyes went wide. She covered her mouth with her **palm**, cheeks flaming. "Oh my god, why didn't anyone tell me? I was literally talking to Marcus for twenty minutes!"

"Better now than later?" Maya offered weakly.

Lena groaned but laughed. "You're a lifesaver, seriously. Now get in the pool, you're missing everything."

And just like that, Maya wasn't nervous anymore. Sometimes everyone's just pretending to have it together.