Papaya Pyramid Scheme

Maya's older cousin Kayla had *the* idea. A total game-changer for Maya's social status going into freshman year.

"It's not a pyramid scheme," Kayla insisted, flipping her perfect beach waves as she spread out the papaya-based hair care products across Maya's bed. "It's a multi-tiered entrepreneurship opportunity. Think about it — everyone at North High would die for these vibes."

Maya stared at the papaya shampoo bottles. She'd do anything to climb out of her invisibility at school.

The first week of summer, Maya felt like a straight-up zombie. Kayla had her DM-ing everyone from their old middle school, posting cringey TikToks with the hashtag #PapayaGlowUp, and practicing her "entrepreneur pitch" in the mirror. Her hair smelled like a tropical fruit stand 24/7.

"You're not eating, you're not sleeping," her mom pointed out, sliding a plate of actual papaya across the counter. "This isn't healthy, sweetie."

"It's called the grind, Mom," Maya shot back, though she'd already crashed twice that week from exhaustion.

By August, Maya had roped in three cheerleaders and the starting quarterback's girlfriend to her "team." Kayla called it building their pyramid. Maya called it anxiety-inducing magic. For the first time, people actually noticed her at back-to-school parties. She wasn't just quiet Maya from middle school anymore.

Then came the collapse.

One of the cheerleaders' moms turned out to be a lawyer. Something about the business model not being legal for minors. Kayla's "mentor" at the company ghosted them instantly. The whole pyramid — their team, their commissions, their newfound popularity — evaporated overnight.

Maya sat on her bedroom floor, surrounded by unsold papaya products, her hair still smelling aggressively tropical.

"Worst summer ever," she texted Kayla.

Three dots appeared. Then: "wanna come over and watch zombie movies? my treat."

Maya grabbed her phone. Maybe being a zombie for a summer wasn't the worst thing. At least she had stories now.

And okay, fine. Her hair *did* look pretty good.