Operation Orange Crush

Maya's orange hair wasn't a choice—it was a failed DIY experiment that somehow became her signature look. Now, as she hovered outside the cafeteria, clutching her phone like it was a classified document, she felt like a total spy. Not the cool, action-movie kind. More like the awkward kind who pretends to check nonexistent notifications while actually eavesdropping.

Inside, Jordan—the cute senior with the perfect smile and better style than anyone had a right to—was laughing at something Alex said. Maya's heart did that stupid fluttery thing it always did when he was within a fifty-foot radius. She'd been crushing on him for three months, ever since he'd complimented her orange hair in homeroom. "Bold," he'd called it. She'd been thinking about it ever since.

"Hey, you coming in?"

Maya jumped. Kailey, her best friend since forever, appeared beside her with a knowing smirk. "Or are you too busy conducting surveillance on your future husband?"

"Shut up," Maya muttered, though her face was definitely not normal-colored anymore. "I'm not spying. I'm... observing."

"Mhm. You've been 'observing' Jordan since October." Kailey handed her something small and colorful. "Here. Mom packed me these gummy vitamin things, but they taste like disappointment. You want them?"

Maya squinted at the bottle. "Why does your mom think you need vitamins?"

"She thinks I'm 'developing' and need 'nutritional support.'" Kailey made air quotes. "Whatever that means."

Just then, Jordan walked out of the cafeteria, spotted them, and headed over. Maya's brain short-circuited.

"Hey," he said, flashing that smile. "Are you Maya? The one with the orange hair?"

She managed something between a nod and a seizure. "That's me. The orange hair. It's... orange."

"Cool." He shifted his backpack, revealing a small teddy bear keychain dangling from the zipper. A fuzzy, ridiculously adorable bear with a tiny orange bow. "Anyway, I heard you're into photography? The school newspaper needs someone. Interested?"

Maya's stomach did about seventeen flips. Jordan had noticed her. Jordan was talking to her. Jordan had a bear keychain that was somehow the most endearing thing she'd ever seen.

"Yeah," she said, finding her voice. "I'd love to."

"Awesome. Bring your portfolio tomorrow?" He gestured to his phone. "Also, are you on Instagram? You're kinda hard to find."

Kailey burst out laughing beside them. "She's been stalking your posts for months, Jordan. You should feel honored."

Jordan's eyes widened, then he grinned. "Really? That's... actually kind of flattering."

Maya glared at her traitorous best friend. "I wasn't stalking. I was... conducting background research."

"Right. Because that's totally normal." Kailey popped two gummy vitamins into her mouth. "Well, at least you don't have to spy anymore. The truth is out."

Jordan pulled out his phone. "Add me. And maybe I'll spy back. Fair's fair."

As Maya typed her username with trembling fingers, she caught Kailey's knowing look. Sometimes the most embarrassing moments turned into the best ones. And maybe, just maybe, having orange hair and being a little weird wasn't the worst thing in the world.

The bear keychain bounced as Jordan walked away. Maya's phone buzzed: new follower request.

Operation: accomplished.