Courtside Confidential

Maya's neon **orange** padel racket rested against the chain-link fence, a beacon of hope in her worst-case-scenario outfit. She'd borrowed her sister's crop top and spandex shorts, and honestly? She felt like a radioactive traffic cone trying to pass as athletic.

"You ready for this?" Chloe asked, flipping her perfectly straightened hair. Maya's crush since seventh grade was now her mixed doubles partner. No pressure or anything.

"Born ready," Maya lied, her stomach doing backflips.

The **water** fountain near court three had become their designated meet-up spot all semester. Maya had spent more time pretending to hydrate while secretly watching Chloe practice than actually, you know, playing. Her friends called her their resident **spy**, but honestly? She was just soft.

"Nice form, Miller." Some sophomore dudebro catcalled from the fence.

Chloe flipped him off without breaking eye contact with Maya. "Ignore him. Let's crush this."

The first game was a disaster. Maya missed every ball. Her coordination had apparently taken a permanent vacation. But Chloe didn't get mad—she just laughed, this genuine sound that made Maya's chest feel weirdly tight.

"Here." Chloe handed her her own **orange** Gatorade after their defeat. "You're not terrible, you're just new. There's a difference."

Their fingers brushed. Maya's brain short-circuited.

"Hey," Chloe said, suddenly serious. "I know you've been coming to my practices for weeks."

Maya's face burned. "I—"

"I'm not complaining." Chloe's dimples appeared. "Actually, I was waiting for you to actually, like, talk to me?"

The world tilted on its axis. All that time Maya had spent thinking she was being subtle, Chloe had known the whole time. Some **spy** she turned out to be.

"So," Chloe bit her lip, looking suddenly nervous. "Same time next week? Just us?"

Maya's grin answered before she could. "Absolutely."