Green Between Your Teeth

The **pool** glittered like spilled diamonds in Maya's backyard, but Jay stood at the edge fully clothed, gripping his phone until his knuckles turned white. No signal. The **cable** from the router lay severed across the patio—someone had tripped over it during the chaos of arrival, and now the Wi-Fi was dead, along with his chances of posting anything from this party.

"You coming in or what?" Chelsea called from the water, slicking back wet **hair** that looked unfairly perfect even when soaked. She was the kind of girl who could pull off a neon green bikini like she'd been born in it. Jay, conversely, had spent forty minutes styling his curls into something that said effortlessly cool, not desperately trying.

He opened his mouth to say something smooth, something that might finally get Chelsea to notice he existed beyond being the guy who copied her chem homework. But then he caught his reflection in the sliding glass door and froze.

A massive piece of **spinach** was wedged between his front teeth. From the spinach dip his mom had forced him to eat before he left, claiming he'd be starving otherwise. Great. He'd been walking around with green death in his smile for approximately forty-five minutes.

"That's **bull**," Marcus muttered beside him, following Jay's gaze. Marcus, who'd somehow already known about the spinach. Who'd let Jay walk up to Chelsea like that.

"You knew?" Jay hissed.

Marcus shrugged, half-grinning. "I thought you were going for the whole salad aesthetic. Very earthy."

Jay shoved him, but he was already smiling despite himself. Because that's the thing about Marcus—he'd roast you, sure, but he'd also hand you a paper towel with his eyes saying 'go fix it, you absolute disaster of a human being.'

Chelsea paddled to the pool's edge, chin resting on folded arms. "Everything cool over here?"

Jay looked at Marcus, who gave him the tiniest nod. Then Jay looked at Chelsea, really looked at her, and realized she was waiting. Not waiting for him to be smooth. Just waiting.

He jumped in.