Spinach Smile & Padel Court

Jordan's mom insisted on the green smoothie. "It's just spinach and banana, honey. You'll thank me when you're older."

"I'm fifteen now, that's basically older," Jordan grumbled, chugging the sludge anyway because arguing took more energy than drinking.

Now, standing at the country club pool where the popular kids hung out, Jordan regretted everything. The chlorine smell mixed with expensive perfume. Boys with abs that looked like they were carved from marble tossed a football. Girls in perfectly coordinated bikinis posed with their iPhones, capturing aesthetic candids that definitely weren't candid.

Jordan spotted Casey — the same Casey from fourth period who always let people copy homework and never got caught — lounging on a chaise with a group that seemed to radiate an exclusive kind of sunlight.

"Hey!" Casey waved. "You coming to the padel lesson?"

Jordan's heart did that stupid fluttery thing. "Padel?"

"Yeah, my dad's teaching beginners. It's like tennis but easier and cooler." Casey's smile was genuinely nice. Not mean-girl nice. Just nice.

Jordan nodded, trying to look casual while internally screaming. Padel with Casey. This was fine. This was normal.

The lesson went okay. Jordan missed more balls than hit, but Casey didn't seem to care. They laughed about Jordan's serve that almost nailed a pigeon. It was almost fun, except Jordan felt hyper-aware of every movement, every hair out of place, every too-loud laugh.

Afterward, sitting at the snack bar, Casey said, "You have something in your teeth."

The blood drained from Jordan's face.

"Since when?"

Casey shrugged. "I don't know. Since the pool? Maybe longer."

Jordan bolted to the bathroom, locked the door, and stared into the mirror. A massive piece of spinach, bright and defiant, wedged between two front teeth. How long? During the padel lesson? While talking to Casey?

The worst part wasn't even the spinach. It was the iPhone notification that popped up: Casey had tagged Jordan in a pool party photo. Jordan zoomed in. There it was. The spinach. Captured forever. Posted for everyone to see.

Jordan considered faking a sudden move to Antarctica. But then Casey texted: lol we all have spinach teeth days. u coming back?

And somehow, that was worse than the spinach — the kindness, the lack of mockery. Jordan stared in the mirror and started laughing. Really laughing. It was mortifying and hilarious and real.

Casey was right. Everyone had spinach teeth days. Might as well own them.

Jordan texted back: be there in 5, washed the evidence.