Operation Popular Nobody

Maya Chen felt like the world's worst spy. She'd been watching Skylar Patterson's squad from behind her AP Chemistry book for three weeks now, documenting their lunch table hierarchy like it was some kind of sacred pyramid scheme. At the top sat Skylar and her minions—perfect hair, perfect outfits, perfect lives. At the bottom: everyone else, including Maya, who was currently zero for twenty on making eye contact with Lucas, the cute swimmer who sat two tables away.

"You're being creepy again," said Jaden, sliding into the seat across from her and stealing a tater tot. "Just so you know, staring at people doesn't actually make you telepathic."

"I'm not staring," Maya protested, closing her notebook. "I'm conducting research. For science."

"Right. Because that's totally normal behavior." Jaden popped the tater tot into his mouth. "You know what else is normal? Actually talking to humans. It's revolutionary, I know."

Maya groaned. "I can't just talk to Lucas. What would I even say? 'Hey, nice swimming at yesterday's meet, I watched from behind a pillar like a creepy person'?"

"First of all, you didn't watch from behind a pillar, you watched from behind a textbook. Second, he's on the swim team, Maya. He spends half his life in chlorinated water wearing basically underwear. His coolness factor is naturally compromised." Jaden checked his phone. "Also, we need to talk about homecoming."

"What about it?"

"We're going. Both of us. I'm not spending another Friday night playing video games while my sister posts twelve thousand Instagram stories about how LIT her life is." Jaden stood up. "And you're asking Lucas to dance. No excuses."

The following week felt like Maya was moving through the school halls as a zombie—exhausted, anxious, and increasingly convinced her social life was already dead. She'd caught Lucas's eye exactly twice. One time, he'd smiled. The other time, she'd walked into a door.

By Friday night, Maya was ready to bail. But Jaden showed up at her house wearing a suit (with Converse, because some principles were non-negotiable) and refused to leave until she changed out of her sweatpants.

The gym was transformed. Lights, decorations, a suspicious amount of glitter. Maya spotted Lucas immediately, near the punch bowl, wearing a navy button-down that made his shoulders look even broader than usual. Her stomach did something concerning.

"Go," Jaden said, giving her a gentle shove. "Before you overthink it into a disaster."

Lucas turned as she approached. "Hey! You're Maya, right? From AP Chem?"

She nodded, suddenly hyperaware of her arms, her legs, her entire existence as a physical object. "Yeah. Hi."

"I was hoping you'd be here," Lucas said, and Maya's brain short-circuited for exactly three seconds. "I wanted to ask—did you understand Mr. Harrison's lecture yesterday? Because I think I lost consciousness around 'covalent bonding' and never recovered."

Maya laughed. "I took notes. Want me to send them to you?"

"That would be amazing." He grinned. "Also, I was wondering—"

A slow song started playing. Lucas looked at the dance floor, then back at her, suddenly nervous. "Do you want to—I mean, would you like to—"

"Yes," Maya said, before her brain could sabotage her.

Later that night, head on Lucas's shoulder, swaying to music she'd normally roll her eyes at, Maya thought about her notebook at home with all its detailed observations about Skylar's pyramid scheme. She'd been so focused on decoding other people's lives, she'd forgotten to actually live her own.

"You okay?" Lucas whispered.

"Yeah," she said. "Just thinking about how I'm definitely the world's worst spy."

"What?"

"Long story. I'll tell you tomorrow. If you want to get coffee and study covalent bonding?"

Lucas smiled. "I'd love that."

Behind them, across the gym, Maya could see Skylar Patterson's perfect pyramid crumbling. But she didn't care. She had better things to do than watch from the sidelines anymore.