Green Around the Gills

Maya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, smoothie mustache coating her upper lip. The papaya-spinach concoction tasted like grass clippings blended with despair, but according to TikTok, it was supposed to give her "that glow" before Jake's pool party today.

"You look like you're about to hurl," her little brother commented from the doorway.

"It's called skincare from within, Kevin."

"It's called being weird."

Maya rolled her eyes and checked her phone. Three texts from her best friend Chloe already:

⚠️emergency⚠️ Jake just asked if you're coming

⚠️emergency⚠️ I said yes

⚠️emergency⚠️ what are you wearing???

The pressure was real. This wasn't just any party—it was THE party. Freshman year was almost over, and Maya had spent months in what Chloe called "the Jake Zone"—that terrifying state where you like someone but haven't made a single move. Today would change everything. Or ruin everything. Probably both.

She grabbed her tote bag and headed out, papaya-spinach sloshing in her stomach. Why did she think drinking a literal salad would help her social anxiety?

Jake's house was exactly what Maya expected—massive, with an inground pool that already had about twenty people splashing around. The moment she stepped onto the patio, she spotted him. Jake. Towel-dried hair, looking effortlessly good in swim trunks, laughing at something his friend said.

"MAYA!" Chloe materialized beside her, grinning wildly. "Finally. Jake's been asking about you."

"He has?"

"Well, I asked if he wanted you to come and he said 'sure.' That's basically the same thing."

"Chloe, you're the worst."

But then Jake was walking over, and Maya's stomach did that awful flip-flop thing. "Hey! You made it."

"Yeah! Sorry I'm late." PLEASE don't look at my teeth. Is there spinach in my teeth?

"Wanna swim?"

"Definitely."

She dropped her bag, kicked off her sandals, and—this was the moment her brain chose to remind her about the two large papaya-spinach smoothies she'd consumed. Something felt... off. But she ignored it, because Jake Thompson was smiling at her and waiting for her to get in the pool.

They spent the next hour floating around, talking about absolutely nothing and everything at once. Jake was funny, actually funny, not just cute-guy funny. When their shoulders brushed underwater, Maya felt sparks that had nothing to do with the summer heat.

This was it. This was the moment. Maya moved closer, ready to finally make her move, when her stomach chose that exact second to stage a violent protest against the papaya-spinach experiment.

She bolted from the pool, green around the gills in the most literal way possible, and barely made it to Jake's bathroom before disaster struck.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged to find Chloe waiting.

"So... that happened."

"I'm never eating papaya again," Maya groaned.

"Jake thinks you have food poisoning. He's actually really worried."

"Perfect. That's exactly the impression I wanted to make."

But then Jake appeared in the doorway, concern genuine on his face. "Hey, you okay? That looked rough."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. My sister tried that same detox last month. It's basically a biological weapon." He grinned. "Besides, my mom makes the best toast if you're hungry."

And somehow, two hours later, Maya found herself sitting on Jake's couch, eating buttered toast and watching bad movies while the party wound down outside. Not exactly how she'd imagined it going, but somehow—better.

"Next time," Jake said, "maybe skip the smoothie?"

"Next time?"

"Yeah. You know, if you want to hang out again. Without the papaya."

Maya smiled, her face finally returning to its normal color. "I think that can be arranged."