Court Side Secrets

Maya pulled the brim of her bucket hat lower, grateful for the shadow it cast over her face. At fifteen, being seen was terrifying. Being unseen was safer.

From her spot behind the chain-link fence, she'd become a professional at watching — basically a spy, except instead of stealing secrets, she was stealing glimpses of Jordan laughing with his friends at the padel court. The glass-walled courts hummed with the rhythmic thwack of balls and teenage voices blending into summer afternoon static.

"You gonna stand there all day or actually play?"

Maya jumped. Jordan stood on the other side of the fence, sweat-dampened hair falling into his eyes, padel racket resting against his shoulder.

"I — I don't know how," she stammered, fighting the urge to pull her hat even lower.

"So? Neither did I when I started." He grinned. "We need a fourth. Cole had to bail. Come on."

Her heart did that embarrassing flutter thing. "I couldn't. I don't even have a — "

"Use mine. I've got extras." He pushed the gate open with his foot. "Unless you're secretly a spy and you're here to steal our padel techniques for your school team?"

Maya laughed despite herself. "Totally busted. That's exactly my mission."

"Cool. We'll teach you everything." His expression softened. "But seriously — you can leave the hat on if you want. Nobody cares."

Nobody cared. The words landed somewhere between her ribs.

She stepped onto the court, still wearing the hat, still terrified. The first serve whizzed past her. The second one she actually hit. The third one — a perfect shot that clipped the corner and had Jordan's friends erupting into cheers — she crushed.

"What?!" Maya shouted, grinning so hard her face hurt. "Did you see that?!"

"You've been holding out on us," Jordan called from the other side, laughing. "I knew you were a spy."

The sun was setting behind the courts, golden light cutting through the glass walls. Maya adjusted her hat, then — for the first time in three years — pushed it back completely.

Her hair was messy. Her face was flushed. She was covered in sweat and she'd never felt more like herself.

"Same time tomorrow?" Jordan asked as they gathered their things.

"Definitely," Maya said. And meant it.