Spinach Smoothies and Padel Courts

Maya dragged herself into the kitchen like a **zombie** from one of those cheesy Netflix apocalypses—except instead of brains, she was hunting for iced coffee. Final exams had turned her into a creature of pure exhaustion, surviving on three hours of sleep and academic anxiety.

"Morning, sunshine!" Her mom beamed, sliding a glass across the counter. It was a disturbing shade of swamp green.

"What is this?" Maya poked at the mysterious sludge.

"Spinach, kale, some protein powder... and this amazing **vitamin** D supplement I found. It's supposed to help with focus and energy!"

Maya made a face. "Mom, I need coffee. Not lawn clippings in a cup."

"You're playing **padel** with Jake today, remember? You need actual nutrition, not caffeine jitters." Her mom raised an eyebrow knowingly.

Right. Padel. With Jake. The guy she'd been lowkey crushing on since September, who'd finally invited her to hang out. Suddenly the spinach smoothie seemed less like torture and more like survival fuel.

"Fine," Maya sighed, chugging the green disaster in one go. It tasted like grass and despair.

Two hours later, she stood on the padel court at the country club where Jake's family were members. The sun beat down as Jake tossed her a racquet.

"Ready to get destroyed?" He grinned, all perfect teeth and easy confidence.

"In your dreams," Maya shot back, though her palms were sweating. She'd watched exactly two YouTube tutorials on the way over.

The game was chaos. Maya missed easy shots, tripped over her own feet, and at one point, the ball ricocheted off the wall and hit her in the shoulder. But Jake was patient, laughing with her instead of at her, showing her how to position herself, how to read the angles.

"You're actually getting pretty good," he said after she managed a solid return. His smile did something complicated to her stomach.

"Thanks," Maya said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Though I think your mom's spinach smoothies deserve some credit."

Jake laughed. "Wait, your mom makes you drink those too? Mine's been trying to get me to eat more **spinach** since forever. Something about 'growing boy needs nutrients.'"

Maya felt something warm and unspool in her chest. They had spinach smoothies in common. They were both navigating parental health craziness together. It was stupidly small, but it mattered.

"Hey," Jake said, bouncing the ball on his racquet. "Same time next week?"

"Only if you bring extra spinach," Maya replied, and this time when she smiled, it wasn't just because her energy drink was finally kicking in.

Maybe she wasn't such a zombie after all.