Green in the Teeth

The **pool** party at Jessica's house was supposed to be my social redemption arc. Freshman year had been a disaster of questionable haircuts and braces, but now? Now I had clear skin, contacts, and confidence. I was ready to graduate from benchwarmer to main character.

Until the **spinach** incident.

I'd been vibing with Tyler—the Tyler who'd actually noticed my new Instagram aesthetic—when I felt that something was wrong. That terrifying sensation where your smile feels slightly off. I excused myself to the bathroom and there it was: a massive, fluorescent piece of spinach wedged between my front teeth, mocking my entire existence.

How long had it been there? During our conversation about music festivals? When I'd laughed at his joke? The humiliation washed over me like a wave of chlorine. I considered **running** out the back gate and never showing my face at school again. Maybe I could transfer. Maybe I could move to a different country.

Then Maya walked in.

Maya, who I'd been kinda ghosting since I got invited to the popular table. Maya, who I'd deemed "not cool enough" back in September.

"You've got spinach in your teeth," she said, not making it weird. Just matter-of-fact, like she was telling me I had a tag sticking out of my shirt.

She handed me a floss pick from her purse like she'd been preparing for this exact moment.

"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling like the world's biggest fraud.

"No problem." She leaned against the counter. "Tyler's been asking where you went, by the way."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah." Maya shrugged. "But honestly? That boy has spinach in his teeth too, and nobody's told him yet."

We both started laughing, and suddenly the bathroom mirror reflected something different—not just a girl fixing her smile, but two **friend**s, maybe. Real ones.

I didn't transfer schools. I didn't run away. And I realized that the coolest table isn't the one with the most Instagram followers—it's the one with people who'll hand you floss when you need it most.