Spinach-Stained Debut

The spinach incident started it all.

First period lunch, and I'd managed to wedge a massive green chunk between my front teeth while trying to impress Kayla with my refined palate. Spoiler: I don't have one. I'd never even eaten spinach before today.

"You got a little..." Marcus pointed at his own teeth, barely suppressing laughter.

I excused myself to the bathroom, my face burning. That's when I heard them: the older kids talking about the new kid—the one who'd transferred in three days ago like he owned the place. Word was, he'd already pissed off half the football team by calling their mascot tradition "basically propaganda."

Our mascot? A sphinx. Because apparently wisdom and mystery were what fourteen-year-olds in Ohio embodied.

But this new kid, Leo, had compared it to cultural appropriation in front of the entire cafeteria. Bold move. Stupid, but bold.

Third period gym, Coach Miller announced we'd be doing the "bull run"—this sadistic obstacle course he swore built character. More like built hatred for cardio.

"Last one buys Gatorades for the team," someone yelled.

Great. My wallet was already crying.

I was struggling through the rope climb when I saw him—Leo, just watching from the sidelines, cable-knit sweater looking impossibly soft against the scratchy gym mats.

"You gonna join or just critique the aesthetic?" I called down, arms already shaking.

He shrugged. "Running around in circles isn't really my vibe."

"Not running is literally not passing."

"Some questions are worth failing."

I didn't know whether to be annoyed or impressed. But when Coach blew the whistle and started yelling at Leo to participate, something in me snapped.

"Leave him alone," I found myself saying. The gym went dead silent. "Maybe he's got asthma or something."

Coach Miller blinked. "You defending the new kid?"

"I'm defending basic human decency."

Later, as I sat on the curb waiting for my mom, Leo appeared. He had spinach in his teeth too.

"You know," he said, "there's this trick where you drink water through a straw..."

"Where were you an hour ago?"

"Busy plotting my rebellion against institutionalized conformity."

I laughed. "How's that working out?"

"Managed to avoid the bull run. That's something."

He sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders brushed. For the first time all day, I didn't feel like the person with spinach in her teeth. I felt like someone who maybe, just maybe, was starting to figure out who she actually was—and it wasn't the person everyone expected.

"Tomorrow," I said, "we're taking down that sphinx mascot together."

Leo grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that."