Fish Out of Water

Maya dragged her feet through the Padel Club entrance, feeling like a total zombie after pulling an all-nighter to finish her bio project. The place reeked of expensive cologne and desperation.

"You made it!" Chloe shouted, practically vibrating with energy. She pointed at the court. "We're up next."

Maya's phone battery was at 4%. "Wait, my charger cable's dead. I can't even order an Uber home."

"Ugh, you're being so dramatic," Chloe rolled her eyes, but rummaged through her designer backpack and produced a tangled mess of charging cord. "Here. Now come ON, Tyler's watching."

Tyler. The guy Maya had been lowkey obsessed with since September. He was currently leaning against the glass wall, looking annoyingly perfect in his navy Padel outfit.

Maya stepped onto the court, her heart doing that embarrassing flutter thing. She'd never played Padel before—like, ever—but she wasn't about to admit that to Tyler or his equally intimidating friends who'd gathered to watch.

"You got this!" Chloe squeaked from the sidelines, holding—wait, was that a DOG on a sparkly pink leash?

"Is that... a Goldendoodle?" Maya asked, distracted.

"His name is Goldfish," Chloe said proudly. "Don't ask."

Goldfish chose that exact moment to wriggle free and bolt onto the court, barking at the ball machine like a maniac. The machine fired. Goldfish yelped and scrambled sideways, crashing directly into Maya's legs at full speed.

Maya went down HARD. Her phone slid across the court. Tyler and his friends burst out laughing.

But then—Tyler was actually helping her up. "You okay?" His eyes were genuinely concerned. "That was... pretty hardcore."

Maya's face burned. "I'm fine. Just

mortified forever, no big deal."

"Nah, it was epic," Tyler grinned. "Hey, you want to get boba after this? My treat. For emotional damages."

As Maya walked out of the Padel Club forty minutes later, boba in hand and Tyler's number in her phone, she caught sight of her reflection in the glass door. Hair a mess, knee scraped, one sock sliding down.

She smiled. Maybe being a fish out of water wasn't so bad after all.