Green Ghost

Maya practically inhaled the spinach casserole her mom insisted would 'give her glowing skin' before she bolted out the door. House party at Tyler's. Finally.

She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her hair was doing that weird flippy thing at the ends — the haircut her aunt swore was 'trendy' but mostly made her look like she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket. She'd spent forty minutes with the straightener this morning. Two hours later? Poof. Frizz city.

When she pulled up to Tyler's house, her phone died at 8%. 'You have got to be kidding me.' She pat her pockets. No cable. No portable charger. Just dead weight in a sparkly phone case that matched nothing else she owned.

The party was already in full swing. People were crowded on the back patio, red solo cups in hand. Maya spotted Chloe near the fake palm tree in the corner — plastic fronds, someone had taped a 'TROPICAL VIBES' sign to it. Chloe was with Jake.

Maya's stomach did that thing where it tried to exit her body.

'Hey!' Chloe waved her over. 'Jake's cousin does palm readings. It's so random but kinda fun?'

Jake grinned. 'Wanna try?'

Maya's heart was suddenly beating in her throat. 'Sure.' Because what else would she say?

Jake's cousin, a sophomore with glitter on her eyelids, took Maya's hand. 'Hmm. Interesting.'

The group leaned in. Even Maya found herself holding her breath.

'You're gonna have a really good night,' the cousin said solemnly. 'But first — you have something in your teeth.'

Dead silence.

Then Jake cracked up. Not mean. Just genuine laughter that made his eyes crinkle. 'I was gonna say something but I didn't wanna be that guy.'

Maya's face burned. She rushed to the bathroom, scrubbed away the spinach evidence, and seriously considered calling her mom to pick her up. This was it. This was her peak humiliation moment. The universe would never let her recover.

When she came back out, Jake was waiting.

'So,' he said, 'I was gonna ask if you wanted to share my Spotify playlist since your phone died, but I feel like you've been through enough tonight.' He held out a cable. 'I'm not using it anyway.'

Maya stared at him, then at the cable, then back at his ridiculous smile.

'You're saving that,' she said. 'In case you need to make fun of me again later.'

'Nah,' Jake said, bumping her shoulder with his. 'That's a one-time opportunity. Front row seats only.'

Maybe, Maya thought as she plugged in her phone, maybe bad hair and spinach and dead batteries weren't the point. Maybe the point was finding people who laughed with you instead of at you.

She caught Chloe's eye across the room. Chloe mouthed 'TOLD YOU' and pumped her fist.

Yeah. Maybe tonight wasn't a disaster after all.