Orange Courage

Maya stood by the snack table at Jordan's basement party, clutching her red solo cup like it was a lifeline. Everyone else seemed to know exactly what they were doing. She didn't.

Her thrifted orange button-up—the one she'd felt so confident in at Goodwill—now screamed **LOOK AT ME, I'M TRYING TOO HARD** in neon letters across her chest. She'd almost changed it three times before leaving the house.

"Try this." Someone pressed a chunk of fruit into her hand. "It's papaya."

Maya stared at it. She'd never had papaya before. Too exotic, too expensive, too everything. But everyone was watching, so she took a bite.

Weird. Sweet and musky and nothing like the artificial fruit snacks she lived on. Not bad, just... unexpected. Like this whole night.

Across the room, Sophie held court on the couch like she was some kind of high school sphinx, dispensing relationship wisdom with that half-smile that said she knew something nobody else did. Freshmen hung on her every word like she was speaking ancient truths instead of just gossip about who liked who.

Sophie caught Maya's eye and mouthed, *Nice shirt.*

Maya felt herself actually smile. Maybe the orange wasn't so terrible.

"Hey, orange shirt." Jake appeared beside her, all lanky limbs and easy grin. "You're in my English class, right? We're doing that group project Monday."

"Yeah. The presentation on Greek mythology?"

"Exactly. I saw your notes—you went full scholar mode." He laughed. "I mean that as a compliment, by the way."

They talked about nothing and everything for ten minutes. Maya forgot to be nervous. Forgot to overthink every word.

Then lightning cracked through the basement windows—actual storm outside, flash floods in the weather forecast—and suddenly they were all squeezed together watching the rain hammer against the glass, someone's phone playlist cutting out, nobody caring.

"This is actually kinda perfect," Jake said, and Maya felt it too—that weird electric moment when you realize you're exactly where you're supposed to be, orange shirt and all.

She took another bite of papaya. Sweet and strange and not so scary after all.