Midnight Court Secrets

Maya felt like a zombie, dragging herself through the hallway at 6:45 AM. Three weeks of staying up until 2 AM watching padel tutorials on repeat will do that to you. Her eyes burned, and her brain felt like it had been replaced by fog.

"You look rough," Zara said, slamming her locker shut. "Big history test today?"

"Worse," Maya mumbled. "Padel tryouts."

Zara raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you play padel? I thought you were all about—"

"I'm trying something new." Maya cut her off, not ready to explain the real reason. The reason she'd become a total spy, watching every Instagram story Leo Chen posted about his padel practices, dissecting his technique frame by frame. The same Leo Chen who'd barely acknowledged her existence since seventh grade.

The tryouts were brutal. Maya's hands shook as she gripped the racket. Her arms felt like lead. But when Leo stepped onto the court opposite her, something clicked. All those hours of secretly studying his serve, the way he positioned his feet, his follow-through—she'd absorbed it all.

Her first serve smashed into the glass wall with perfect spin. Leo's eyes widened.

"Whoa," he said. "You've been practicing?"

"Something like that," Maya said, feeling suddenly awake. Alive.

They played. And she held her own. Not because she was naturally gifted, but because she'd cared enough to learn. When Leo finally smiled at her across the net—really noticed her—Maya realized something important: she hadn't just been spying on him. She'd been discovering a part of herself she didn't know existed.

"Not bad for a beginner," Leo said afterward, walking over. His smile was genuine. "You want to practice together sometime?"

Maya grinned, the zombie haze finally lifting. "Definitely."

And maybe, just maybe, she'd finally get some sleep.