Operation: Casual Glance

Maya's palms were sweating. Again. She wiped them on her jeans—third time in five minutes—as she leaned against the lockers, trying to look like she wasn't definitely waiting.

"You look like you're posing for a dental hygienist school brochure," said JJ, appearing beside her with a smoothie. "Also, your hair is doing that thing where it forgets what shape it's supposed to be."

Maya shoved her hair back. It had been doing its own thing since seventh grade, and today was no exception. "I'm not posing. I'm strategically positioned."

"For what? Operation: Make Eye Contact with Jordan and Then Panic?" JJ sipped his smoothie loudly. "Been there. Failed that."

Maya adjusted her bucket hat—necessary because her hair was absolutely not cooperating—and checked her phone. No notifications. Jordan was supposed to walk by any second. This was it. This was the day she'd finally say something normal to them. Something cool. Something that didn't sound like it was written by a sixth-grader hopped up on grape soda.

"You're being a spy," JJ continued. "This is weird behavior. Can you just, like, exist near them without the whole surveillance routine?"

"That's rich coming from someone who spent all of last semester stalking Sarah's Instagram to figure out her coffee order so you could 'accidentally' bring her one."

JJ gasped, clutching his chest. "I don't know who you think I am, but that sounds like the actions of a deranged person, and I am merely a guy who appreciates thoroughness."

The bell rang, and suddenly there they were—Jordan, walking down the hallway with their friends, laughing at something Maya couldn't hear. Her stomach did that thing it always did, like it was trying to become a pretzel. She had approximately four seconds to say something.

Her palms were sweating again. Her hair was definitely frizzy under the hat. And Jordan was getting closer.

"Hey," she said, as they passed.

Jordan stopped. "Hey!"

Maya's brain short-circuited. "I like your... shoes. They're very... shoe-ish."

JJ made a sound like a dying duck behind his smoothie.

Jordan laughed. "Thanks? I'll take that." They kept walking, but they glanced back, still smiling.

"Shoe-ish?" JJ hissed, once Jordan was out of earshot. "Really? That was your opening line?"

Maya slumped against the lockers, heart pounding, grinning like an idiot. "They smiled at me."

"Yeah, because you were ridiculous."

"Ridiculous but noticed."

"Fair." JJ checked his phone. "Same time tomorrow?"

Maya touched the brim of her hat, still smiling. "Same time tomorrow."