Green Between the Teeth

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually sweating — she kept wiping them on her new denim shorts, but it wasn't helping. The Back to School bash was in full swing, Jake from AP Chem was standing five feet away, and she had just spent the last twenty minutes pretending to laugh at Kevin's terrible jokes while nervously picking at the cafeteria's allegedly 'gourmet' spinach dip.

"Hey Maya," said Brianna, suddenly appearing beside her with that terrifyingly perfect smile. "You got a little..." She gestured vaguely at her own teeth.

Maya's heart dropped. She sprinted to the bathroom, pressing her palm against the door so hard it almost bounced back. And yup. There it was. A generous, fluorescent green wedge of spinach wedged between her front teeth, broadcasting itself like a neon sign that said SOCIAL SUICIDE in all caps.

She'd been talking to Jake. With spinach in her teeth. For twenty minutes.

Maya turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face, trying not to hyperventilate. This was it. Her legacy. Spinach Girl. They'd tell stories about her at graduation.

The bathroom door creaked open. Maya braced herself for Brianna or one of her friends, ready to deliver the final blow.

Instead, Jake walked in.

He stopped. They both froze.

"Uh," he said. "This is the girls' bathroom."

"I'm aware," Maya said, her voice cracking.

"Right. Okay. Cool." He leaned against the door frame, actually kind of smiling. "So, Kevin told me about the spinach situation. And I just wanted to say... I had a piece of cilantro in my teeth for literally all of first period yesterday. Nobody told me until lunch. I looked like I'd been chewing on a small shrub."

Maya blinked. "Seriously?"

"Bro, it was tragic." He shrugged. "Anyway, I was gonna ask if you wanted to get boba later, but if you're too busy having a personal crisis in here, I totally get it."

Maya looked at her reflection — flushed cheeks, wet hair, zero dignity left. Then she looked at Jake, who was still standing there like he had nowhere better to be.

"I'm never living this down, am I?"

"Nope," he said. "But boba?"

She dried her hands on her shorts. Palm sweat didn't matter anymore. "Boba."