Spinach Between Innings

Marcus pulled his fitted snapback lower, hoping the brim would somehow make him invisible. The hat was his armor—worn backward like the cool kids did, even though his mom kept saying it made him look like he was trying too hard.

"You coming to Jake's party tonight?" Chloe asked, sliding onto the bleacher beside him. Her presence made his stomach do that weird flip-flop thing.

"Maybe," Marcus managed, though they both knew he wouldn't. Jake's parties were for the popular crowd—the ones who actually belonged at baseball games, who knew when to cheer and what to yell. Marcus was just here because his dad had dropped him off while running errands.

Chloe's gaze dropped to his lunch. "You got something in your teeth."

Marcus froze. His tongue swept across his front teeth—and there it was. A massive piece of spinach from his pathetic attempt at eating healthy earlier. He'd spent twenty minutes trying to look cool, but really he'd been walking around with spinach stuck in his smile like a total dork.

His face burned. "How long?"

"Since you sat down," Chloe said, then laughed. Not mean-girl laughed. Actually laughed. "I was waiting to see how long it would take you to notice."

Down on the field, the baseball game continued. Someone hit a home run and the crowd roared, but Marcus couldn't care less about the score anymore.

"I was trying to impress you," he admitted, the words tumbling out before he could overthink them. "Clearly nailed it."

Chloe's smile softened. "Marcus, you don't need the hat or the fake cool act. The spinach? Kind of adorable, actually."

"Adorable? That's worse, Chloe. Way worse."

"You know what I mean." She bumped his shoulder with hers. "Real is better than perfect. Besides, I'd rather hang out with someone who has spinach in his teeth than someone who's too afraid to eat anything in front of people."

Marcus adjusted his hat, then pulled it off completely. His hair was messed up from wearing it all day, but for the first time in forever, he didn't care.

"So about Jake's party..."

"Yeah?"

"Want to go together?"

Chloe grinned. "Only if you promise to eat something."

"Deal."

The baseball game ended in a tie, but Marcus walked home feeling like he'd won something way better.