Papaya Summer Secrets

I felt like a total spy whenever I came over to Maya's house, carefully cataloging every detail to text my best friend later. Maya Nguyen had the kind of life that looked perfect on Instagram — her mom was an artist, their kitchen always smelled like something amazing, and she had actual house plants that weren't dead.

"Want some?" Maya asked, holding out a slice of papaya. "My mom got it from the specialty market."

I stared at it. Growing up, my family's idea of exotic fruit was strawberries. But I didn't want to look uncool.

"Yeah, sure," I said, trying to sound casual. "I love papaya."

First bite: I almost gagged. It tasted like someone had mixed melon with old gym socks. But Maya was watching me with those expectant eyes, so I swallowed and nodded. "So good."

"Right?" Her face lit up. "I used to hate it when I was little, but now it's, like, my comfort food. My grandma makes it with lime and chili flakes."

I nodded like I understood what comfort food meant. Like I had traditions.

Then her phone buzzed. Someone named Jordan was texting her. I watched her face light up in a way it never did when I talked to her, and suddenly I felt like the world's worst friend. Here I was, pretending to be someone I wasn't, secretly documenting her life for my friends, while she was just being herself.

"Hey," Maya said, noticing my expression. "You okay?"

I looked at her papaya bowl, at the goldfish poster on her wall (she actually liked goldfish — like, really liked them, had three aquariums), and realized I didn't know her at all. I'd been so busy performing coolness that I'd forgotten to actually be her friend.

"Actually," I said, setting down the papaya slice. "This tastes kind of like gym socks."

Maya stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing. "Oh my god, I KNOW! I was waiting to see if you'd actually say it or just fake it."

We sat there laughing until my sides hurt, and for the first time all summer, I didn't feel like a spy in someone else's life. I was just a girl who didn't like papaya, hanging out with her new friend who secretly thought it was gross too but ate it because it reminded her of her grandma.

Some secrets aren't worth keeping. Sometimes the real ones are way better than whatever story you're telling yourself.