Purple Hair and Pyramid Schemes

Maya smoothed her freshly dyed purple hair in the bathroom mirror, her hands shaking. This was it — Jordan's party, the social event of the semester, and she'd finally made a move. Well, the hair had made the move. Three hours of bleach and violet dye, all because her best friend said, "No risk, no reward, bestie."

Her mom popped her head in. "You look AMAZING, sweetie! By the way, I signed you up for my new wellness business. It's not a pyramid scheme, the lady said it's a "reverse funnel opportunity." We could totally pay for college with this!"

"Mom," Maya groaned. "That is literally a pyramid scheme."

"It's called ENTREPRENEURSHIP, Maya. Anyway, grab some samples!"

Which was how Maya ended up at Jordan's house with a tote bag full of "alkaline hydration drops" that her mom swore cured everything from acne to existential dread.

The party was already buzzing when she arrived. Jordan — actual Jordan, with the jawline and the voice that made her brain short-circuit — was by the snack table. He smiled when he saw her. Her stomach did that thing where it forgot how to be an organ.

"Hey!" he said. "Your hair... it's bold. I like it."

"Thanks!" The word came out too loud. Too fast. Desperate. Someone behind them snickered.

Then her bag slipped. The hydration drops hit the floor and exploded like a chemistry experiment. Water splashed everywhere — all over Jordan's white Vans, all over her new dress, everywhere.

"Oh my GOD," she whispered. This was it. This was how she died. Social death. They would write songs about this tragedy.

"My mom's trying to get me into her pyramid scheme too," Jordan said, grinning as he wiped off his shoes. "She keeps texting me about essential oils that allegedly fix my grades."

Maya stared at him. "Wait, seriously?"

"Dead ass." He handed her a napkin. "Hey, you doing anything next weekend? There's this spot by the water where people hang out. You should come."

Her purple hair was still dripping mystery water. Her mom's pyramid scheme samples were scattered across Jordan's floor. But somehow, she'd never felt cooler.