Green Tooth at the Party

Maya's palms were sweating as she stood outside Jake's house, the bass from inside vibrating against her chest. This was it — the first real party of freshman year, and she'd spent two hours straightening her hair only for the humidity to make it frizz anyway.

"You got this," Chloe whispered, linking arms with her. "Just act natural."

Natural. Right. Because nothing said natural like fifteen-year-olds pretending they weren't terrified of each other.

Inside, the kitchen smelled like tropical punch and something尖锐. Maya grabbed a red cup, taking a sip that was way too sweet. Someone had arranged snacks in this elaborate pyramid of solo cups — honestly, who had time for crafts at a party?

Then she saw him. Jake. Actually laughing at something. And okay, maybe she'd been practicing what to say to him for three weeks, but now her brain was completely blank. Just blank.

"Hey!" Jake appeared beside her, and wow, he was even cuter up close. "I'm Jake, obviously. You're Maya, right? From bio?"

She nodded, trying to look cool and not like she was about to throw up from nerves. "Yeah! That's me. Bio. Where we dissect stuff. Cool."

What was WRONG with her?

"So," Jake said, leaning against the counter, "saw you at the pool last weekend. You're actually really fast."

Lightning crashed through her veins. He'd NOTICED her? At swim practice?

"Oh my god, were you watching?" she blurted, then immediately wanted to die. "I mean — that's not weird, you're weird — why would you —"

Jake laughed, and it was this warm, real sound. "Relax, my sister's on the team too. You're like, actually good though."

They talked for twenty minutes. Twenty! About everything — how much they both hated the new lunch schedule, why the school's vending machine always stole your money, whether pineapple belonged on pizza. Maya felt like she was glowing.

"I should probably get back," Jake said finally, but he didn't move away. "But hey, we should hang out sometime. Outside of bio."

"Yeah!" Maya said, maybe too loud. "I mean, sure, that would be —"

"Perfect," he smiled. "See you Monday, Maya."

He walked away, and she let out this breath she'd been holding forever. Chloe appeared at her elbow, eyes huge.

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"

"I think I just made a friend," Maya said, grinning so hard her face hurt. "Maybe more than a friend."

"Um, congratulations on your whole situation," Chloe said, "but you should know that you have a giant piece of spinach stuck in your teeth."

Maya froze. "What?"

"Like, a LOT. And you've been talking to Jake for twenty minutes with spinach in your teeth."

Maya ran to the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. There it was. A massive, embarrassing green chunk,front and center, mocking her entire existence.

But then she started laughing. Because Jake had noticed. And he'd still talked to her. And he'd asked to hang out.

Somehow, impossibly, she'd gotten the guy AND the most embarrassing story of her life, all in one night.

"Worth it," she told her reflection, and went back to find Chloe.