Green Between My Teeth

The bathroom mirror at Maya's house showed exactly what I dreaded: a tiny, defiant piece of **spinach** wedged between my front teeth. I'd been talking to Lucas for twenty minutes. Twenty whole minutes with green debris like a neon sign advertising my social awkwardness.

"You good in there?" My best friend Kai called through the door. "Lucas is literally asking where you went."

I scrubbed my teeth with my finger, heart hammering. This was my first real house party since transferring to Northwood, and obviously I was ruining it in the most spectacular way possible. The spinach was from the stupid spinach artichoke dip my mom insisted I eat before leaving because "you need actual food, not just party snacks." Thanks, Mom.

"Coming," I choked out.

When I returned to the backyard, Lucas sat by the pool where someone had set up this weird statue thing — a **sphinx** prop from the drama department's last production. Its painted face caught the string lights, looking oddly judgmental.

"There you are." Lucas's smile did that fluttery thing to my stomach. "We were just talking about the English project. You know, the riddle assignment?"

"Yeah." I shifted, still self-conscious, still feeling like that spinach was there even though it wasn't. "What's the plan?"

He handed me a cup. "**Orange** soda. Unless you want something else?"

"No, this is perfect." Our fingers brushed and I nearly died.

Someone's mom came out with a platter of fruit, going on about how everyone needed their **vitamin** C because flu season was coming. Kai rolled his eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck.

"My dad says the same thing," Lucas laughed, and the sound was warm and real. "He's all about immunity boosting."

We ended up sitting by that ridiculous sphinx statue for two hours, talking about everything and nothing. Lucas liked old movies and had a dog named after a Neil Gaiman character. He'd had spinach in his teeth at freshman orientation. He once dyed his hair orange and regretted it immediately.

By midnight, my phone buzzed — mom asking where I was. But for the first time since moving here, I didn't feel like the new kid anymore. I felt like someone who might belong.

"Hey," Lucas said as I stood to leave. "Can I get your number? For the project?"

"Yeah," I said, and this time when I smiled, I didn't worry about what was between my teeth at all.