Operation Goldfish

Maya's curls refused to cooperate that morning. After twenty minutes with the flat iron, her hair still looked like she'd stuck her finger in an electrical socket. Typical.

"You look fine," her little brother called from the living room. "Stop fixing your hair. You're gonna be late."

Maya groaned. Levi had no idea what was at stake today. First day back from winter break, and she'd finally work up the nerve to actually talk to Jason—not just stare at him across the cafeteria like a total creep.

Which brought her to current mission: Operation Don't Be Weird.

At lunch, Maya positioned herself strategically. Not stalking. Just... strategic seating arrangements. Basic spy tactics. She was practically a secret agent of subtlety.

Then came the spinach incident.

She'd forgotten she'd ordered the side salad at lunch. They were serving those stupid wilted spinach leaves that everyone pretended to like because eating it made you feel healthy and mature. And there, stuck to her front teeth like a green flag of social suicide, was an entire spinach leaf.

"Maya, you got a little—" Jason pointed at his own teeth.

"Oh my GOD." Maya slapped her hand over her mouth. She could feel her face burning. "Thanks."

"No worries. Happens to everyone." Jason grinned, and oh no, he was doing that thing where his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Hey, did you see Mr. Henderson's goldfish died over break?"

Maya blinked. "What?"

"The classroom goldfish. Bubbles. He was ancient, but still. It's weird without him."

"Oh." Maya thought about it. "Yeah. That's... actually really sad."

"We're doing a memorial Friday," Jason said. "You should come. We're releasing, like, biodegradable flowers in the pond or something. It's going to be super extra but also kind of nice?"

Maya stared at him. This was happening. Jason—who she'd been lowkey spying on all semester—was inviting her to a goldfish memorial. And she had spinach in her teeth.

"I'd love to," she said, and actually smiled for real this time. "My hair is a mess and I'm currently wearing salad, but yes. Count me in."

Jason laughed. It was the best sound she'd heard all year.

"Perfect," he said. "Friday then. Don't worry about the hair. It looks good."

Maya walked home feeling like she'd just won the lottery. Sure, her hair was still a disaster. Sure, she'd had spinach in her teeth. But sometimes the universe has a weird way of working itself out.

Operation Don't Be Weird: partial failure. Operation Talk to Jason: complete success.

She could work with that.