Green Teeth & Papara Dreams

Maya's first shift at the Pine Ridge Pool concession stand was not going according to plan. The papaya she'd enthusiastically added to the smoothie menu was turning everything an unfortunate shade of beige, and now Tyler—gorgeous, popular Tyler, who'd somehow graduated from being her lab partner to being the entire reason she'd taken this stupid minimum-wage job—was standing at the counter, staring at the menu like it was written in ancient Sumerian.

"What's the tropical sunset smoothie?" Tyler asked, and Maya's brain short-circuited.

"It's... papaya and..." She froze. The other ingredient. The one her mom had made her promise to sneak into "healthy" options. "Spinach."

The word hung in the humid air between them like a fart in an elevator. Behind her, Sarah snorted. Sarah, her coworker who'd been working here all summer and definitely knew Maya was one accidental smoothie spill away from a meltdown.

"Spinach?" Tyler's eyebrows shot up. "In a smoothie?"

"It's actually good," Maya said, her voice cracking slightly. "I promise. You can't even taste it."

"I'll try it," said Jessica, who'd appeared behind Tyler like she'd materialized from the chlorine-scented ether. "If you're gonna drink leaves, at least make them exotic leaves."

So Maya made the smoothie. Her hands shook as she scooped the papaya, dumped in the spinach, added ice and mango juice. Blended it. Poured it into a cup. Handed it across the counter to Jessica, who was now watching her with something like fascination.

Jessica took a sip. Maya held her breath. The whole pool seemed to go quiet. Even the little kids doing cannonballs off the diving board paused, like they could sense the social life-or-death moment happening at the concession stand.

"Holy crap," Jessica said. "This is actually fire."

Tyler tried it next. "No way. It's good." He looked at Maya differently—not like lab partner Maya, not like concession stand girl Maya, but like someone who'd created something unexpectedly cool. "You made this?"

"Yeah," Maya said, feeling something warm spread through her chest that had nothing to do with the summer heat. "My mom's a nutritionist. I've been experimenting."

"Make me one," Tyler said. And then, like he couldn't help himself: "Hey, are you coming to Jake's party tonight? The pool's staying open late."

Maya's pulse did something illegal. "I'm working till close."

"Perfect," Tyler said, grinning. "I'll come by. Get another one of these... what'd you call it?"

"Tropical sunset," Maya said, and she didn't even care that Sarah was making exaggerated heart hands behind Tyler's back. Sometimes the most embarrassing things turned out to be exactly what you needed.