Neon Orange Friday

The orange neon sign buzzed above the bodega doorway, its flickering light painting everything in this weird electric glow. Maya stood outside, clutching a bag of chips like it was a lifeline, which honestly, it kind of was.

"You're not actually gonna go in there, right?" Zara snorted, adjusting her denim jacket like a nervous habit. "That dog has been barking at literally everyone who walks past."

Maya's heart hammered against her ribs. This was it — the moment she'd been overthinking for three solid days. The boy inside. The one with the messy dark hair and that laugh that sounded like sunshine and trouble mixed together.

"I'm gonna do it," Maya said, sounding way more confident than she felt. "I'm gonna go in there, buy a soda, and if he happens to be there, I'll casually say hey. Like a normal person. Not like someone who has had a crush on him since seventh period English started three weeks ago."

Zara raised an eyebrow. "You? Normal? Bold of you to assume."

Maya flipped her off without breaking eye contact with the bodega door. They'd been best friend duo since the Incident with the stolen mascot head last year, and Maya wouldn't trade her for anything, even if Zara did call her out on her BS constantly.

The bell above the door jingled as Maya stepped inside. The air smelled like old coffee, cinnamon, and something sweet she couldn't place. And there he was.

Danny.

He was crouched by the counter, hand extended toward the massive German Shepherd that had been terrorizing the neighborhood all week. The dog's ears were perked up, tail doing this careful little wag.

"Hey there, big guy," Danny murmured, voice low and gentle. "You're not so tough, huh? Just scared like the rest of us."

The dog licked his hand. Maya's stomach did this thing where it forgot how to function.

Then Danny looked up and saw her. His face did this thing where it kind of lit up, like he was actually happy she'd walked in.

"Hey!" He stood up, brushing dog hair off his jeans. "You're in my English class, right? We're doing that project on Hamlet next week."

"Yeah," Maya managed, her brain short-circuiting. "That's me. Hamlet. Big fan of the existential dread."

Danny laughed — that laugh, the one she'd been thinking about way too much. "Totally. Shakespeare's basically the original emo teenager."

The orange neon light through the window made everything feel cinematic, like a scene from a movie where this would be the moment something shifted. And maybe it was.

"I'm Danny, by the way."

"Maya."

"Cool." He grinned, all awkward and genuine and everything she hadn't let herself imagine he'd be. "You wanna help me figure out if this dog is friendly enough to pet? His name's Buster, apparently."

"Yeah," Maya said, something warm and hopeful spreading through her chest. "Yeah, I'd like that."