Papaya Dreams at Sunset

Maya pressed her back against the rough **palm** tree, heart hammering like she'd just finished a track meet. Behind her, Kai let out the loudest fake cough in existence.

"Dude, you're literally the worst **spy** ever," she whispered, dragging him down.

They were supposed to be studying. Instead, they were hiding in Maya's backyard, watching her older sister's party through the sliding glass door. Maya's crush, Ryan, was somewhere in there. Probably eating the boring **orange** slices their mom had cut up because she was extra like that.

"I'm observing," Kai corrected, adjusting his glasses. "There's a difference. Oh snap, look who just showed up."

Maya peeked around the tree trunk. Ryan. In a button-down shirt. Holding a plate of tropical fruit that definitely included **papaya** because her sister was going through a "Hawaiian aesthetic" phase.

"Oh my god, he's wearing cologne," Maya groaned, covering her face. "I'm not ready for this level of establishedness."

"Establishness isn't a word, but same." Kai grinned. "So are we going in or what?"

Before Maya could answer, something brushed against her ankle. She jumped—and nearly face-planted into the grass.

Barnaby, their fat orange tabby **cat**, sat there looking unimpressed. He let out a judgmental meow like the party crasher he was.

"Great," Maya whispered. "Now the cat's here to witness my failure."

"You're being dramatic," Kai said, but he was already scooping up Barnaby. "Okay, new plan. We go in, grab some of that papaya, and you accidentally-on-purpose bump into Ryan. Classic rom-com move."

Maya's stomach did that thing where it felt like butterflies were throwing a rave. She looked at the party again—Ryan laughing at something, the fairy lights twinkling, her sister looking actually happy for once.

She thought about staying hidden. Safe. Just Maya-with-a-crush, forever.

Then she stood up, brushing grass from her shorts. "Actually? Let's just go eat some papaya and see what happens."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you chill?"

"Since I realized hiding behind a tree is literally the most freshman energy thing ever." Maya grabbed Barnaby from Kai's arms. "Let's go be awkward in public instead."

The night air smelled like coconut sunscreen and possibility. Maya took a breath, held it, then let it out slow.

She wasn't ready. But maybe that was the point.