Chlorine Dreams and Serves

Maya's mom stood at the counter, holding out the green smoothie like it was a peace offering. "It's got spinach and every vitamin you need for practice."

"Ugh, pass." Maya grabbed her gym bag and bolted out the door before her mom could start in on antioxidants again. The smoothie was probably fine, but Maya had bigger problems — like the fact that she'd lied to Jess about knowing how to play padel.

"You coming?" Jess called from her driveway, already decked out in her cute matching skirt and sweatband combo. Jess made everything look effortless. Maya, currently wearing her brother's old basketball shorts and a shirt that said DRAMA CLUB (she wasn't in drama club), felt like a fraud.

"Yeah! Just... warming up!" Maya started doing these weird jumping jacks in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Her neighbor's dog stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

The padel courts at the community center were packed. That's when she saw him — Ryan from her history class, currently emerging from the pool area with wet hair and a towel around his neck. Maya had spent three months working up the courage to sit next to him, and now here she was, about to make a complete fool of herself in front of him.

"You play?" Jess asked, handing her a racket.

"Oh yeah, totally. All the time." Maya swung the racket through the air and nearly clipped some poor guy walking to his car.

Ryan waved. Nice. Now she was going to die.

The first ten minutes were a disaster. Maya kept missing the ball, serving directly into the net, and tripping over her own feet. Every time she messed up, she caught herself glancing at Ryan, who was now watching from the pool fence with this little half-smile.

Then it happened — Maya connected with the ball perfectly. It sailed over the net, landing right in the corner. Jess screamed. Ryan actually clapped. Maya's face burned, but not from embarrassment this time.

"Okay, not bad for a beginner," Jess said later, as they collapsed on a bench, sweaty and exhausted. "Wait, you said you played all the time?"

Maya laughed so hard she choked on her water. "I panicked. You're just so... put together, and I'm out here trying to remember which hand holds the racket."

"Dude." Jess bumped her shoulder. "I fell off my bike twice last week because I was checking my reflection in parked cars. Nobody's got it figured out."

They were still laughing when Ryan walked over. "Hey, um, I'm having some people over to swim tomorrow. You guys should come."

Maya's stomach did this weird flip thing. "Yeah. Definitely."

Walking home, Maya actually drank the smoothie her mom had left in the fridge. It wasn't terrible. Maybe tomorrow she'd even ask for the recipe.