Social Pyramid Blues

The spinach stuck between my front teeth was basically a metaphor for my entire existence at Northwood High: visible, embarrassing, and impossible to fix without making it worse.

"You got something there, Maya," said Leo, barely looking up from his phone. His cat, Mochi, chose that exact moment to jump onto the cafeteria table and stare directly into my soul with those judgmental yellow eyes.

I grabbed my phone and used the reflection to confirm the worst. A giant green fleck, right there for everyone to see. Including Ethan, who was currently laughing at something Jessica said at their table. The popular table. The table that sat, like, higher than everyone else's. The literal pyramid of Northwood's social hierarchy.

"I'm gonna die," I whispered.

"Dramatic," Leo said, finally looking up. "It's just spinach."

"Just spinach? Leo, I've been low-key spying on Ethan from across this cafeteria for three weeks, and today—TODAY—of all days, I decide to go full spinach smile before first period even started."

Mochi knocked over Leo's chocolate milk in solidarity.

"Okay, first," Leo said, "that's weird. Second, why are you spying? Just talk to him."

"Talk to him? He's at the pyramid, Leo. THE pyramid. I'm down here in the basement with you and Mochi."

Leo shrugged. "You know that pyramid thing? It's all in your head. Jessica's actually pretty cool. We have bio together."

I stared at him. "You have bio with Jessica Temple? And you never told me?"

"You never asked. You were too busy playing spy instead of just existing."

Something clicked. Or maybe it was just that I'd finally picked the spinach out of my teeth. Either way, I stood up, Mochi still judging me from the table.

"Where are you going?" Leo called.

"To talk to Jessica," I said. "And to get more chocolate milk. Since your cat hates you."

The pyramid wasn't going to dismantle itself. But maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to stay in the basement forever. Even if my cat had other ideas.