Spinach In Your Teeth

I'd been **running** circles around my anxiety all summer—literally, since joining the cross country team to escape my thoughts—but nothing could've prepared me for Jessica's pool party.

"Try this!" Marcus shoving **papaya** chunks at me during truth or dare felt like the universe testing my composure. I'd never even seen papaya outside of fancy smoothie places, and now I had to eat it while Jessica—the most gorgeous human to ever exist in a bikini—watched. My face heated up, but I choked it down.

"Your turn," Jessica said, grinning. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Because of course I had to act hard.

"I dare you to jump in the **pool**. With all your clothes on."

I froze. My phone was in my pocket. My brand-new limited edition Converse. But Marcus was already filming, and everyone was waiting, and—

—so I ran and leaped, water exploding everywhere as I submerged.

When I surfaced, everyone was losing it. Even Jessica. I actually felt cool for like three seconds.

Then I pulled myself out, dripping wet, and caught my reflection in the patio glass door. Massive, undeniable green **spinach** wedged between my two front teeth. From lunch. I'd been walking around with spinach in my teeth for four hours.

The whole party went silent. Then someone started laughing, and then everyone lost it.

I thought I'd die of humiliation right there. But then Jessica swam over to the edge where I sat, trying to disappear into myself.

"Hey," she said, dripping water on the concrete. "Last week? I walked around with chocolate on my forehead all day. No one told me until seventh period."

She tossed me a towel.

"You're actually pretty brave. Most people wouldn't have done the dare."

And just like that, the most embarrassing moment of my life turned into the first time Jessica Martinez really noticed me. Sometimes your worst disasters are just plot twists waiting to happen.