Operation Splash

Maya had been watching him for three weeks now. Ethan from AP Bio, with his stupid-perfect messy curls and those vintage band tees that looked soft enough to sleep on. She was convinced: Ethan was definitely a spy.

The evidence was stacking up. He always sat by the window in third period (strategic positioning). He never posted his location on social media (cover maintenance). And last Tuesday, she'd seen him slip a folded note to that sophomore with the blue hair during lunch (dead drop).

"You're doing it again," Jada said, snapping her fingers in Maya's face. They were at Maya's house, supposedly studying for finals but actually watching Ethan's Instagram live story. "You're literally lurking. It's giving obsessed."

"I'm gathering intel," Maya said, not looking away from her phone. "There's a difference."

"The only thing you're gathering is a restraining order." Jada rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful. "Just talk to him already. Or, I don't know, focus on literally anything else?"

Then everything went sideways on Friday.

Maya was sitting on her back porch, spy notebook in hand, when her neighbor's cat, Barnaby, decided to stage a prison break. The fluffy orange demon darted through the fence slats and headed straight for the creek behind their houses.

Maya scrambled after him, vaulting over the fence and straight into the freezing water. She came up sputtering, hair plastered to her face, dignity completely gone.

"You okay?" a voice called from above.

Ethan. Standing on the other side of the creek, holding Barnaby like the cat hadn't just committed attempted murder via drowning.

Maya's face burned hotter than the embarrassment could possibly justify. "Yeah. Great. Just living my best life."

Ethan's lips twitched. "I figured. I mean, the creek isn't exactly peak vibing spot." He set Barnaby down carefully. "Also, I've seen you watching me in AP Bio. Your spying game needs work."

Maya's heart stopped. Literally stopped.

"You're not a spy?" she blurted.

Ethan laughed, and it was this actual, genuine sound that made her chest feel weird. "No. I'm just awkward and don't post much because my mom follows me." He paused. "But you're pretty observant. That's... kinda cool, actually."

"Cool?" Maya echoed from the water, shivering now.

"Yeah." Ethan looked away, suddenly interested in a tree branch. "You notice things. Most people don't."

Barnaby chose that moment to knock a dead leaf into the water, splashing them both. They started laughing, and something in Maya's chest unfurled like the first warm day after winter.

She climbed out of the creek, dripping and shivering, and Ethan handed her his flannel.

"For the record," he said, not looking at her, "I was gonna talk to you Monday anyway."

Maya wrapped the flannel around herself, catching the faint scent of cedar and something that smelled exactly like how happiness should smell. "Oh yeah? What's your strategy?"

"Wasn't sure yet," Ethan admitted. "But I think it involved asking if you wanted to get boba after school."

Maya grinned. "I'd say that's a solid mission plan."

And just like that, Operation Splash had a way better objective than she'd ever planned.