Orange Hoodie Confidential

Leo adjusted his orange hoodie, the one his older sister said made him look like a traffic cone, and ducked behind the vending machine. Being five-foot-nothing at Wilson High had its perks — mainly that nobody noticed you unless you wanted them to.

He was on a mission, and yeah, okay, maybe calling himself a "spy" was a stretch. But his best friend Sam had dared him to find out where Chloe was having her party this weekend, and Leo's pride was on the line. Again.

The social pyramid at Wilson High was basic math: Chloe and her friends at the apex, the rest of them somewhere in the middle, and guys like Leo? They were the foundation — essential, sure, but definitely underground.

His phone buzzed. 'Any intel yet, 007?' Sam had texted.

Leo rolled his eyes. 'Working on it,' he typed back, watching Chloe and her group navigate the cafeteria like they owned the place. They all had that look — expensive clothes, effortless hair, the kind of confidence Leo could only dream about.

Then he saw it. A bright orange flyer sticking out of Chloe's bag. An escape room party? For real?

He was so focused on his "spying" that he didn't notice the actual obstacle until it was too late.

"Watch it, orange kid," someone said, and Leo found himself face-to-face with Marcus from the varsity basketball team. Upper pyramid. The kind of guy who usually didn't even know Leo existed.

"Sorry," Leo started, but Marcus just grinned.

"Nice hoodie," Marcus said, and then, louder: "Hey! This kid's got the right idea for tonight!"

Chloe looked over. Her eyes landed on Leo's hoodie, and she actually smiled.

"Oh my god, YES!" she practically squealed. "You're coming, right? The escape room gave us a group discount if we all wear their colors!"

The social pyramid suddenly felt a lot less stable.

"I... what?" Leo managed.

"The party," Chloe said, like he was crazy. "Friday night. You're in our grade, right? We need more people anyway."

"Text you the details," Marcus added, already walking away.

Leo stood there, orange hoodie and all, as Sam's text came through: '??????'

"I think I just accidentally got invited," Leo typed back, feeling something strange bubbling in his chest. Not panic. Something better.

His phone buzzed again. 'Bro. You're literally the best spy ever.'

Maybe. Or maybe Leo had just learned something better — that sometimes, the pyramid wasn't a trap. Sometimes, it was just a matter of finding the right way in.

And sometimes, all it took was looking like a traffic cone.