Electric Fruit

Maya's hair was supposed to be beach waves, but somehow she'd woken up with what could only be described as electrocuted poodle. She'd spent forty-five minutes with a straightening iron, but the humidity had other plans.

"You look fine," her friend Zoey said, popping a piece of papaya into her mouth. They were at Tyler's pool party — the party of the summer, apparently. Everyone who was anyone was here. Including Gavin, who Maya had been lowkey obsessing over since spring semester.

"I look like a frizz monster," Maya muttered, adjusting her oversized t-shirt to cover more of her legs. "Maybe I should just go home."

"No way. We've been planning this for weeks." Zoey nudged her. "Besides, Gavin keeps looking over here."

Maya's stomach did that thing where it felt like someone was squeezing it and also like tiny lightning bolts were jumping around inside her. She glanced toward the pool deck where Gavin stood with his friends, all golden and perfect in that effortless way some guys just had.

"He's probably wondering why my hair looks like it survived a natural disaster."

"Or he thinks you're cute," Zoey said. "You know how some people are into that whole messy- curls vibe?"

"Nobody is into THIS."

Then the unthinkable happened. Maya's little brother's favorite stuffed bear — the one he'd made her promise to keep safe because he was too old to bring it to a middle schooler's party — fell out of her bag when she moved it. Soft, brown, undeniably a child's toy, right there on the concrete for everyone to see.

Gavin saw it first.

Maya's face burned. She grabbed it, shoving it back into her bag, but the damage was done. This was it. Social suicide. She'd have to change schools. Maybe move to another country.

"Is that Paddington?" Gavin asked, suddenly right beside her, dripping pool water onto her flip-flops. "My sister has the same one. She literally cannot sleep without it."

Maya stared at him. "You... you don't think it's weird?"

"Dude, it's a bear," Gavin said, shrugging. "What's weird is that my sister takes hers to college now. She's nineteen and still sleeps with it. That's commitment."

He laughed, and Maya realized she was laughing too. The lightning in her stomach had settled into something warmer, something like relief.

"Your hair is actually kind of awesome," he added, before splashing back into the water. "It's got personality."

Zoey raised her eyebrows. "Told you."

Maya touched her hair. It was still frizzy, still wild, still completely not what she'd planned. But somehow, that didn't feel like the most important thing anymore.

"Want some papaya?" Zoey offered. "It's actually pretty good once you get past the weird texture."

Maya took a piece. "Fine. But if I hate it, you're owing me."

"Deal."