Courtside Confidence

Maya's vintage dad hat wasn't just hiding her third-day hair—it was basically a security blanket against the terrifying reality of freshman year at Oak Ridge Academy. When Chloe, the reigning padel queen of the sophomore class, invited her to hit the courts after school, Maya nearly threw up in her mouth.

"Don't overthink it, just vibe," she whispered to herself, staring at her phone screen where her pet goldfish, Gerald (RIP, lasted exactly two weeks), had been her wallpaper since seventh grade. That fish had understood her. Chloe? Chloe was a completely different species.

The padel courts looked different than the tennis courts she was used to—smaller, surrounded by glass walls that reflected her own awkward anticipation back at her. Chloe was already there, effortless in her matching set, hair in a perfect slicked-back bun.

"You play?" Chloe asked, spinning her racket.

"Uh, mostly tennis," Maya said, clutching her borrowed racket like a bear about to maul someone. This was it. The moment she'd either solidify her spot in Chloe's orbit or fade into background-character status for the rest of high school.

They started hitting. Maya missed everything. Her serves went into the net. Her forehands hit the glass wall with a sad *thwack*.

"Your form's actually not trash," Chloe said casually between points. "You're gripping it too tight though. Like you're afraid it's gonna bite."

Maya laughed, surprising herself. "Maybe I am."

"Here." Chloe tossed her a green smoothie from her bag. "Pre-workout fuel. Don't worry, it doesn't taste like straight spinach."

It didn't. It actually tasted like mango and something weirdly expensive. They sat on the bench as the sun started dipping behind the gym, and somehow they were talking about everything—Chloe's pressure to maintain her starter status on varsity, Maya's fear of being "that quiet girl" forever, how fake everyone's Instagram aesthetic was compared to their actual lives.

"Wanna hit again tomorrow?" Chloe asked as they packed up.

Maya's heart did this full-cartwheel thing. She adjusted her hat, suddenly aware she hadn't touched it once in the last hour. "Yeah. Yeah, definitely."