Mechanical Heart

The spring carnival vibrated with bass-heavy music and the scent of fried everything. Maya stood before the mechanical **bull**, its fake hide gleaming under the string lights. Her best friend Jace had already ridden it twice, each time lasting longer than the last, while Maya's palms stayed stubbornly dry—even though her heart was doing somersaults.

"You're up, Maya!" Jace called, high-fiving some sophomore guys who acted like he was a legend. "Unless you're scared?"

Maya shoved her hands into the pockets of her denim cutoffs. Her **hair** was freshly braided in cornrows she'd spent two hours on last night, hoping Rio—the cute junior from her biology class—would notice. Instead, Rio was currently watching some cheerleader attempt the bull, looking entirely too impressed.

"I'm not scared," Maya said, though her voice came out smaller than she liked. "I'm just... strategically conserving energy."

"Strategic, huh?" Jace smirked. "That's what people say when they're about to bail."

Maya's mom had started her on those gummy **vitamin** D supplements last month, claiming they'd help with "mood and energy." So far, the only thing they'd helped with was giving Maya something to chew on when she was nervous. She popped one now, forest-orange flavor flooding her mouth as she watched the operator strap a helmet onto the current rider.

The cheerleader lasted seven seconds before flying off into the inflatable padding. Everyone cheered anyway.

"Your turn!" Jace pushed her forward.

Maya climbed onto the bull, the operator securing her harness with rough efficiency. Her heart pounded against her ribs as she gripped the handle with both hands. This was it—the moment to prove she wasn't just the quiet girl who sat in the back of honors classes.

The bull started gentle, rocking side to side. Maya breathed through it, finding a rhythm. Then it bucked hard, and she barely held on. Her body responded instinctively, years of dance class kicking in as she moved with the machine instead of fighting it.

She glimpsed Rio watching. Actually watching.

The bull spun beneath her, and Maya shifted her weight, her **palm** sweating against the grip now. She was flying—this was what everyone felt like, this dizzying freedom, this proving-ground moment where you either fell or flew.

She lasted twelve seconds. When she finally tumbled off, landing on the inflatable with a soft whump, the applause felt genuine.

"Maya!" Jace helped her up, grinning. "That was legit!"

"Twelve seconds," said a voice behind her. Rio stood there, smiling. "That's longer than most people."

Maya's breath caught. "Yeah? Well, I'm full of surprises."

"Clearly," Rio said. "Want to get funnel cake with us?"

As Maya walked away with Rio and Jace, her hands stopped shaking. Sometimes the scariest rides were the ones that changed everything.