Neon Roots

Maya's hands were sweating. Literally dripping. She kept wiping her palms on her denim shorts, but it didn't help. The beach bonfire was crackling twenty feet away, and everyone from junior year was there. Everyone except her, technically—she was standing at the edge of the parking lot, clutching a warm orange cream soda like it was a lifeline.

"You gonna stand there all night or what?" Riya appeared beside her, dancing to the muffled bass thumping from portable speakers. "Leo's literally been asking where you are."

"No he hasn't," Maya said, but her stomach did that stupid flip thing. "And you know I can't go over there."

Riya rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. "Your hair looks fine, Maya. Nobody cares that the box said 'sunset copper' and you got 'traffic cone.' It's giving edgy. It's giving main character energy."

Maya touched her hair self-consciously. The orange was... a lot. Especially under the fluorescent parking lot lights.

A cat appeared from nowhere—a scrawny, determined tabby with one ear that flopped when it moved. It weaved through Maya's legs and plopped down, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, nice," Riya said. "Now you've been chosen. You have to go talk to people. Cat's orders."

"That's not how this works—"

"Maya?"

Her heart stopped. Leo. Standing there in his white button-down with the sleeves rolled up, looking unfairly good under the string lights zigzagging between palm trees. The beach was technically closed after dark, but nobody ever cared.

"Hey," she squeaked.

"Your hair," he said, and she started mentally planning her move to a different country. "It's different. I like it. It's... bright."

"Thanks," Maya managed. "It was supposed to be subtle."

"Subtle's overrated." Leo shrugged. "You hungry? Sarah's dad ordered like five pizzas. They're getting cold."

The orange cream soda was warm now. Maya looked at the cat, which had started cleaning its paw with absolute confidence. Like it belonged here, like the whole world was its living room.

"Yeah," Maya said, wiping her palms one last time. "Yeah, I'm starving."

She walked toward the fire with Leo, her orange hair catching the light, and for the first time all night, her hands were dry.