Green Hair Day

Maya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, running fingers through what used to be perfectly blonde highlights. Now, thanks to three weeks of varsity swim practice and that pool's suspiciously chlorinated water, her hair had evolved into a concerning shade of swamp-green.

"This can't be happening," she groaned, yanking her swim cap over the disaster. "Regional finals are tomorrow."

Her younger brother Leo popped his head in, chewing obnoxiously. "Nice look, Shrek. You know what helps with green hair?"

"Don't say it."

"Spinach." He grinned through a mouthful of the offending vegetable. "Mom read it online. Something about the chlorophyll balancing out the chlorine."

Maya rolled her eyes so hard she practically saw her brain, but later that night, there she was: standing in the kitchen, blender whirring, creating the most unhinged smoothie known to humankind. Raw spinach, banana (because Pinterest said it would help), and zero dignity.

"I hate everything," she muttered, gulping the sludge that tasted like lawn clippings and regret.

The next morning at the pool, Maya's stomach did somersaults. Not from nerves—okay, maybe partly from nerves—but mostly because spinach smoothie + nervous butterfly feeling = terrible life choices.

"You good?" asked Jordan, the cute senior whose hair somehow remained perfectly golden despite being on the same swim team. "You look kinda pale."

"Fine," Maya choked out. "Just strategizing."

Her strategy lasted exactly twenty-seven seconds into her 100-meter freestyle. At the turn, her body betrayed her. The spinach rebellion. Right there. In the pool.

She kept swimming, because what choice did she have? But from the sidelines, she heard the collective gasp, saw Jordan's eyes go wide, watched as the realization dawned on everyone's faces.

After, wrapped in a towel, mortified beyond words, Maya found Jordan standing there.

"So," he said, rubbing his neck. "That was..."

"Don't. Just don't."

"Actually impressive," he finished. "Like, you didn't even stop. Meanwhile I swallowed water during warmups and had to sit out for ten minutes."

Maya looked up. Jordan's perfect golden hair was dripping wet, and there might have been a tiny bit of spinach in his teeth—from the team snack area, obviously, but whatever.

"Thanks," she said, and for the first time all day, her smile actually reached her eyes. "Wait, you have something—"