Green Between the Teeth

The Tyler's pool party. The social event of the season, apparently. Maya stood at the edge of the concrete, clutching her towel like a security blanket. Everyone was already in the water—Jake showing off his cannonballs, Chen and Skylar doing that couple thing where they exist in their own annoying little bubble, and even weird Lewis from English class actually looking... normal for once.

"You coming in or what?" Jake yelled, splashing water in her direction. Maya forced a smile, trying to summon the courage to just jump in already. But her feet felt glued to the pavement.

Then she spotted it. Her reflection in the sliding glass door. A massive, humiliating piece of spinach wedged between her front teeth. From lunch. Four hours ago. Her brain short-circuited. She'd been walking around with a green garden in her smile all afternoon. Talking to people. Smiling.

She had to bear it. Just bear the embarrassment and get through it. That's what her mom would say—"This too shall pass, honey." But moms don't understand that at fifteen, something like this feels basically fatal. Social suicide.

Maya ducked behind a snack table, frantically digging through her bag for her phone. No mirror. Of course. Why would she have one? She wasn't basic.

"Need a mirror?" A voice behind her made her jump. It was Tyler's older sister, Riley, who apparently had zero social anxiety ever. "I've got one. Also, you should know I've been there. Literally everyone has been there."

Riley handed over a compact. Maya wiped away the spinach evidence, feeling her face burn. "Thanks. Also, I think I might just die now."

"Nah." Riley shrugged. "Jake once had chocolate all over his face during his presentation on 'Why I'd Make a Good Class President.' He still got elected. Teenagers have the attention span of goldfish. Watch—by tomorrow, nobody will remember this except you."

"But what if they—"

"They won't." Riley pushed her toward the pool. "Now go live your life. The water's perfect."

Maya took a breath and cannonballed in. The water swallowed her embarrassment. When she surfaced, Jake was already onto something else, arguing with Chen about music. Riley caught her eye from the edge and gave a tiny thumbs up.

Maybe Riley was right. Maybe bearing the awkward moments was just part of growing up. And maybe, just maybe, nobody was watching as closely as she thought.