Spinach Between Worlds

Maya adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses, the ones she'd picked specifically to look more intellectual, less invisible. Across the cafeteria, the Fox Collective sat at their table — Kohana with her silver hair and effortless cool, the twins who never spoke, and Jay, whose smile made Maya's stomach do weird gymnastics.

"You're doing it again," whispered Lena, sliding onto the bench beside her. "The spy act. It's creepy, M."

"I'm not spying," Maya lied, stabbing at her lunch tray with tragic intensity. "I'm observing. There's a difference."

"There's definitely spinach in your teeth," Lena said, grimacing. "Like, a lot of it."

Maya froze. This was it. The social execution. She'd been harboring a green fugitive in her smile for who knows how long, practically broadcasting her uncoolness to everyone. Including Jay.

She grabbed her phone and angled it toward her face like a compact mirror. Yep. A solid chunk of spinach, bold as life, parked between her front teeth. Great. Just great.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Maya hised, frantically digging it out with her fingernail.

"I thought it was a statement," Lena deadpanned. "Like, a vegetable-based resistance movement."

Maya was about to respond when she looked up and locked eyes with Jay. He was looking right at her. And smiling.

Then he did something unthinkable. He stood up, walked over to their table, and stopped in front of her.

"Hey," he said. Cool voice, warm eyes. "I saw you watching us."

Maya's face burned. "I wasn't—"

"It's cool." He grinned. "We were actually wondering if you wanted to join us. Kohana thinks you're brilliant in Bio, and we need someone who actually understands the genetics unit."

Maya stared. "Me?"

"Yeah, you." He gestured toward the Fox Collective's table. "We're not actually as cool as everyone thinks. We're just a bunch of nerds who figured out how to dress well."

"And," he added, dropping his voice, "Kohana had spinach in her teeth yesterday, so you're already fitting in."

Maya laughed, and for the first time all year, the weight in her chest lightened. She grabbed her tray.

"Well," she said, standing up. "I guess I know what to bring to the table."

"Spinach puns?" Jay raised an eyebrow. "Bold choice."

"Hey," Maya smiled, walking with him toward the table that used to feel worlds away. "Everyone's gotta have a signature move."