Spinach Teeth and Death Defiance

The cafeteria was chaotic as usual when Maya noticed HIM. Lucas. The same Lucas who'd sat behind her in biology since September, whose voice sounded like autumn leaves crunching. Today he was actually looking at her.

"Your skateboard trick was sick at the park yesterday," he said, sliding onto the bench across from her.

Maya's heart did that embarrassing flutter thing. "Thanks!" Then she caught her reflection in the window. Massive chunk of spinach wedged between her front teeth. From the school lunch that nobody actually ate.

She grabbed her tray. "Gotta go!"

What followed was the most awkward exit in human history. Maya tripped over her own backpack, sending grilled cheese flying across three tables. The entire junior class erupted in laughter. Including Lucas.

"I'm literally deceased," she muttered to Jordan later, hiding in the gym bleachers during free period. "This is it. This is how I go."

"Bro, you're being dramatic," Jordan said, though they were laughing. "Also, you've got ranch dressing on your forehead."

Maya's phone buzzed. Unknown number. *"This is Lucas from bio. Uh, sorry for laughing earlier. That was trash of me. Also, are you going to the fall festival tonight? Heard there's going to be actual bull riding."

Jordan read over her shoulder. "No shot. He's asking you out!"

"It's not a date!" Maya protested, but her face was on fire.

The festival was exactly the kind of basic they both usually avoided. But there she was, wearing her lucky black beanie—because obviously her hair had frizzed up in the humidity—standing near the makeshift rodeo ring while some dude on a microphone announced the next bull rider.

"Presenting the MAN, the MYTH, the LEGEND... your classmate TYLER!"

Maya's jaw dropped. Tyler, the guy who'd been bullying her since middle school, was standing in the ring, wearing cowboy boots and looking terrified.

The bull exploded out of the chute. Tyler lasted maybe 0.8 seconds before face-planting into the dirt.

The crowd went wild.

Lucas appeared beside her, wearing a snapback and smelling like cedar. "You see that?"

"Bull crap," Maya said, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

Lucas burst out laughing. "You're terrible."

"You're the one who made spinach fall out of my mouth yesterday," she shot back.

"I mean," Lucas said, turning redder than the carnival lights, "you still looked cute."

Maya's beanie suddenly felt too tight. "Oh."

They stood there while the next bull rider prepared. The night was crisp, full of popcorn and teenage awkwardness and possibility. Tyler got up from the dirt, dusted himself off, and caught Maya's eye. He gave her a tiny salute.

Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so weird after all.