Green in the Teeth

Maya's phone buzzed against her thigh, another Instagram notification lighting up her iPhone screen. Three more people had posted photos from Jake's party last night—photos she definitely wasn't in. Not that she'd been invited or anything.

"You coming?" Chloe called from the pool edge.

The school swim team was doing their annual "bring a friend" practice, and somehow Chloe had convinced her to join. Maya hated swimming. Hated putting her face in the water, hated how her makeup would run, hated how everyone looked like a graceful dolphin while she looked like a drowning squirrel.

"Just fixing my hair," Maya lied, staring at her reflection in her phone. That's when she saw it—a bright green chunk of spinach wedged between her front teeth.

"You've got to be kidding me." She'd had a smoothie for breakfast. Where did spinach even come FROM?

"Maya! Coach says we're doing laps!"

She scrubbed furiously with her tongue. Nothing. The spinach remained, stubborn and undeniable, like her crush on Tyler since seventh grade. Speaking of Tyler—there he was, swimming toward the wall with that effortless grace that made her stomach do flip-flops.

"Hey Maya!" He waved, water droplets flying from his perfect hair. "You joining or what?"

"Yeah, just..."

"What's that in your teeth?" Chloe stage-whispered. "Looks like spinach."

Maya wanted to dissolve. Actually dissolve. Like, molecularly disintegrate right there on the pool deck.

"You're such a bull, Chloe," Tyler laughed, shaking his head. "Don't listen to her."

He hadn't even noticed. Or maybe he had and was being nice? Which was almost worse?

"Whatever." Maya jumped in, phone clutched in one hand above the water because she was NOT about to let it get wet and lose her only connection to dignity.

The water hit her face and she went under, spinach and all. Somewhere between holding her breath and pretending she knew how to do a proper freestyle, Maya realized something.

Nobody actually cared. Not really. Tyler was doing his own thing, Chloe was busy flirting with the captain, and the spinach was probably gone now anyway. She surfaced, splashing water everywhere, and found herself actually laughing.

"What?" Tyler asked, grinning.

"Nothing." She swiped wet hair from her eyes. "Just living the dream."

Her phone buzzed again on the pool deck. Another notification. Whatever. It could wait.