Green at the Pool Party

Maya stared into the bathroom mirror, running gel through her newly chopped hair. The pixie cut was supposed to be bold, confident, a fresh start for sophomore year. Instead, she looked like a startled hedgehog. She grabbed her favorite beanie, yanking it down over her ears. At least her hat game was strong.

"You going to AJ's pool party or what?" her little brother called from outside.

"Yeah, yeah." Maya grabbed her backpack and headed out.

Their cat, Pancake, streaked across her path, and she nearly tripped. "Pancake, you little—"

She arrived at AJ's to find half the sophomore class already there. The pool water sparkled deceptively inviting. Maya clutched her towel like a shield. She hadn't brought a swimsuit. Not with this haircut.

"Maya! You're actually here!" It was Riley, bouncing over with water dripping from her perfectly-beach-waved hair. "We were about to play chicken fights. You in?"

"Oh, uh, I forgot my suit," Maya lied. "Just came to hang."

"Bummer." Riley shrugged and turned back to the pool.

Maya found herself near the snack table, loading up on chips and spinach dip like she was carb-loading for a marathon. She caught Jordan—AJ's ridiculously cute cousin—watching her and felt her face burn.

"Nice hat," he said, sliding over.

"Thanks." Maya pulled the beanie lower.

"It's like ninety degrees out."

"I run cold." Why was she like this?

Jordan laughed, and something in Maya's chest did a little flip. Then he frowned. "You got a little…"

He gestured to his teeth.

Oh god. The spinach dip. Maya's stomach dropped. She spun toward the bathroom, but her brother's cat chose that exact moment to streak through the sliding door, pancake-flat and determined. Someone screamed. Chaos erupted.

And Maya's hat chose its moment to betray her.

It slipped off as she dodged the cat, exposing her prickly hedgehog hair to everyone. Jordan stared. Riley stared. The entire party stared.

Then Jordan started laughing. Not mean laughing—real laughing.

"Dude," he said, still chuckling. "You have spinach in your teeth AND your hair looks awesome. Like, actually awesome. I wish I had the guts to do something that different."

Maya blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah. My mom would kill me if I came home with a pixie cut." He reached out, awkwardly high-fived her shoulder. "Wanna get in the pool? Hat optional."

Maya's hand went to her bare head, then dropped to her side. She smiled, spinach and all.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I do."