Green Smoothie Disaster

Maya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her curly hair frizzing despite three products. The pool party was in full swing outside, and Tyler—the guy she'd been crushing on since September—was definitely out there. She'd spent twenty minutes perfecting her hair, and now the humidity was destroying it.

Her palm was sweating against her phone as she reread Jordan's text: "You coming?? Everyone's asking about you."

Maya grabbed her green smoothie from the counter. Her mom had started making them with spinach, kale, and some vitamin supplement that supposedly helped with "teen stress." Maya had chugged half of it before leaving, desperate for any help with the anxiety twisting her stomach.

She stepped outside. The pool glittered blue and inviting, surrounded by people who looked effortless and confident. Tyler was sitting on the edge with his feet in the water, laughing at something Sarah said. Sarah, whose hair always fell perfectly, whose palms probably never sweat, who definitely didn't have green smoothie mustache situations.

Wait.

Maya froze. She raised her hand to her upper lip.

Green. Everywhere.

Spinach. In her teeth. On her lip. Possibly on her chin.

She turned around so fast she almost tripped over her own flip-flops.

"Maya!"

It was Tyler. Behind her. Seeing her back.

She couldn't turn around. Not like this. Not with green smoothie all over her face.

"Hey, Tyler!" she called out, still facing away from him. "Just—getting something from inside!"

"Jordan said you brought those green smoothies," he said. "Your mom gave my family the recipe. They're actually good."

Maya's heart pounded. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, spinning around slowly. Tyler was smiling, not laughing. His dark hair was wet from the pool.

"Yeah," she said. "Except when you wear them."

He laughed. "I have spinach in my teeth right now, don't I?"

"Maybe."

"Good." He stood up, water dripping from his shorts. "Now I don't have to feel so nervous about talking to you."

Maya's palm was still sweating, but suddenly she didn't mind. "You were nervous?"

"Have you seen you?" He gestured at her hair, which was definitely still frizzy. "You're the girl who makes the green smoothies. You're, like, put together."

Maya laughed, and this time it was real. "Tyler, I have green smoothie on my face. My hair is a disaster. I've been hiding in the bathroom for ten minutes."

"So?" He shrugged. "Jordan said you're funny. That's better than perfect."

The pool splashed behind them. Someone called Tyler's name, but he didn't move. "Want to jump in?" he asked. "Wash off the smoothie situation?"

Maya grinned. "Only if you promise not to look."

"Deal." He grinned back. "But Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time, save me some of that smoothie."

She watched him dive into the pool, and for the first time all night, her palm wasn't sweating anymore.