Palm Sweat & Promises

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually dripping. She wiped them on her denim shorts for the third time, staring at the folded slip of paper in her hand.

"You're actually gonna do it?" Chloe asked, eyes wide. "That's actually brave."

"No," Maya lied. "I was just—" She glanced at Tyler across the quad, laughing with his friends. The sunlight caught his messy dark hair. "Just admiring the view."

"Mhm. Sure." Chloe smirked. "Just like you were 'admiring the view' when you stared at him through third period? For, like, the entire hour?"

"Okay, shut up." Maya's face burned. She couldn't help it—Tyler was cute. The kind of cute that made your brain turn to static and your palms start sweating again.

The annual Spring Fair was happening on the football field. Maya had been crushing on Tyler since September, and tonight was finally gonna be the night she made her move. No more watching from across the cafeteria, no more pretending she was just stretching when he walked by.

She had a plan. A solid plan. Chloe called it a "bull in a china shop" situation, but Maya preferred "bold and direct."

The problem: she also had to ride the mechanical bull at 7 PM. Because Jayden had dared her. Because Maya had accepted dares when she was trying to impress Tyler last week. Because apparently she had no self-preservation instincts.

"You're gonna fall off in like, three seconds," Chloe said.

"I lasted six seconds last time," Maya protested.

"Last time you weren't trying to ask your crush to prom WHILE ALSO not humiliating yourself in front of the entire school."

Fair point.

7 PM came way too fast. A crowd had gathered around the mechanical bull. Jayden was there, grinning like he'd already won. Tyler was there too, because the universe hated her.

Maya climbed onto the bull, her heart hammering. The operator started it slow, then faster. She gripped with her thighs, squeezed with everything she had. The bull lurched left, then right, then spun. Maya's hair whipped across her face. The crowd roared.

She lasted EIGHT seconds before flying off and landing on the inflatable mat.

"Holy SHIT," Jayden yelled. "Maya for president."

She was still catching her breath when Tyler walked over, extending a hand to help her up.

"That was," he said, "actually kind of badass."

Maya's palm was still sweating when she took his hand. "Thanks."

"So," Tyler said, not letting go. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to prom with me, but after that? I feel like I should be asking if you'd be okay with ME going with YOU."

Maya blinked. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah." His ears turned pink. "If you want. I mean, I know you probably have other—"

"Yes," she said. "I mean—yeah. I'd like that."

Chloe was filming the whole thing. Maya was gonna have to bear the embarrassment of that video circulating forever, but honestly? She didn't even care.