Orange Hair, Orange Life

Maya stared at the mirror, her normally brown hair now a shockingly bright orange. First day of sophomore year, first impressions, first mistake. The box promised "sunset copper," but this was more like "traffic cone on fire." She reached for a hat, but her phone buzzed. Jake. The Jake. Hey, can we sit together at lunch? Her heart did cartwheels. She'd been crushing on him since last spring's science fair, where they'd bonded over the baking soda volcano explosion.

She almost replied yes, then remembered: her mom's new business venture. The one with the **pyramid** scheme structure that everyone in the family pretended wasn't a pyramid scheme. "You'll make SO much money, Maya! Just sell these premium essential oil diffusers to your friends!" Maya had already awkwardly pitched them to three people who now avoided her in the hallways. If Jake sat with her, would she accidentally pitch him a $120 lavender diffuser?

Her little brother Leo burst in, carrying a bowl of **spinach** leaves like they were potato chips. "Mom says you have to drive me to soccer practice. Also, your hair looks like a pumpkin threw up on it."

"Shut up, Leo." Maya groaned. She couldn't wear a hat—school dress code. couldn't dye it back—no time. She grabbed her backpack, knocking over the tangled mess of charging **cables** on her desk. Her phone slid across the floor, screen cracking. Perfect. Just perfect.

She spent the entire morning dodging questions about her hair. "Did you lose a bet?" "Are you rebelling?" "Is this for a cause?" Maya forced smiles, secretly thrilled when Jake barely glanced up from his phone at lunch. The universe was giving her mixed signals.

By seventh period, she'd resigned herself to being "that orange-haired girl" forever. But then Jake caught up to her at her locker. "Hey, I like your hair. It's... brave." He smiled, all cute and awkward. "Also, my little sister needs tutoring in math. Think you could help? For money?"

Maya's orange hair suddenly felt like armor, not a mistake. She could do this. She could be brave. "Yeah," she said, grinning. "I could definitely do that." The orange hair wasn't going anywhere. And neither was Maya.