Greenscreen Knight

Marcus adjusted the fedora for the forty-seventh time, checking his reflection in the cafeteria window. It was his armor, his disguise, the thing that made him look like he had his life figured out instead of like some kid who spent Saturday nights watching anime until 3 AM.

"You look ridiculous," said Zara, sliding onto the bench across from him. She was the kind of effortlessly cool that Marcus had been trying to hack since seventh grade.

"It's called fashion," Marcus shot back, though his voice cracked halfway through. Smooth.

She eyed his tray. "What's with the spinach?"

Marcus looked down at his lunch. The green stuff sat there accusingly. "My mom says I need more iron. Something about growth spurts ending five years ago."

"My holistic aunt swears by liquid vitamin D shots," Zara said, stealing a piece of his spinach. "She says modern teenagers are basically walking shadows."

"Well, some of us are trying to be less shadow-y." Marcus gestured at his hat. "Character development, you know?"

Zara laughed, and Marcus felt something shift in his chest. Not a crush — he wasn't that basic. But like, maybe she was actually a person instead of this untouchable social monument.

"You've got spinach in your teeth," she said.

Marcus froze. "How long?"

"Since you sat down. I was waiting to see if you'd notice."

"And you didn't think to mention it?"

"It was kind of endearing." Zara smiled. "Like, everyone here is trying so hard to be perfect, and there you were just existing with green stuff in your teeth like it was nbd."

Marcus took off the hat. His hair was flat from where it had been smashed down all day.

"You know," Zara said, "I liked you better last year. When you wore those terrible video game shirts and didn't care what anyone thought."

"Yeah, well, last year I had zero social capital."

"And this year?" She raised an eyebrow. "How's the hat working out?"

Marcus looked at the fedora, then at Zara, who was still grinning with that tiny bit of spinach caught in her own braces.

"Honestly?" He tossed the hat onto the empty chair beside him. "I think I'm over it."