Orange Pyramid Summer

The air conditioning in Maya's bedroom hummed against the oppressive July heat. On her bed, Riley lay face-down, thumbing through her iPhone with practiced boredom while Maya tried to summon the courage to say what needed saying.

"You're going to Jenna's party tonight, right?" Maya asked, her voice cracking mid-sentence.

Riley groaned into the duvet. "Duh. Everyone's going. Why wouldn't I?" She didn't look up from her screen, where some influencer's perfect life scrolled by in endless succession.

Maya twisted her friendship bracelet around her wrist until the hemp dug into her skin. "Because last time, you spent three hours in the bathroom. And the time before that, you 'forgot' your phone charger so we had to leave early."

Riley finally rolled over, eyes wide. "Okay, first of all, rude. Second, it's not my fault social hierarchies are exhausting. Have you seen their pyramid scheme of who's allowed near the snacks?"

Maya laughed despite herself. "It's literally a pyramid of solo cups, Ri. Not that deep."

"IT'S DEEP FOR ME." Riley sat up, her phone forgotten. "Look, you don't get it. You're orange Maya. You're bright and people actually like you. I'm like... beige. Beige doesn't get to hang out with the pyramid people."

"Orange?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean! Vibrant. Confident. Meanwhile I'm over here calculating how long I can avoid eye contact with Tyler before it gets weird."

Maya softened. She moved to sit beside her friend on the bed. "Tyler's just some guy who thinks he's better than everyone because his older brother can buy alcohol. His pyramid is made of ego, and trust me, it's crumbling."

Riley snorted. "Nice metaphor, Shakespeare."

"I'm serious. Remember sophomore year? When you fell in that fountain?"

"Please don't."

"You stood up soaking wet, hair plastered to your face, and made a joke about 'testing the waters.' Everyone laughed. Not at you—with you. That's when I knew you were the realest person I'd ever met."

Riley's phone buzzed on the duvet. Some group chat notification. She ignored it.

"You're not beige, Ri," Maya said quietly. "You're just selective. There's a difference."

Riley considered this, her thumbnail finding a loose thread on the pillowcase. "So you think I should go?"

"I think you should go if you want. But not because of some pyramid, and definitely not because your phone says you have to. Go because you're Riley, and she's worth knowing."

The room was quiet for a moment, save for the still-humming AC. Then Riley grabbed her iPhone and typed something rapid.

"What are you doing?" Maya asked.

"Telling Jenna we're coming." Riley looked up, something like defiance sparking in her eyes. "But we're bringing our own snacks. Screw their pyramid."

Maya grinned. "Now that's the orange energy I'm talking about."