Spinach Teeth & Papaya Dreams

Maya stared into her bathroom mirror, phone propped against the toothpaste holder. Her mom's health kick meant dinner had been—she shuddered—sautéed spinach and papaya smoothie. What even was papaya anyway?

She brushed her teeth for the third time, paranoid about green bits stuck in her braces. Tomorrow was The Party. Tyler's party. The party everyone would be at.

Her iPhone buzzed. Group chat blowing up.

u going? - Jaz

obviously - Maya

wear that orange top we got - Kai

Maya eyed herself in the mirror. The orange crop top. It was bright. Too bright. But Kai said it looked good on her, and Kai didn't lie about outfits.

Her phone dinged again.

tyler asked if u coming - Jaz

Maya's stomach did that thing where it forgot how to stomach. Tyler. The same Tyler she'd had a crush on since seventh grade. The same Tyler who'd accidentally brushed her arm in chem lab and made her entire nervous system reboot.

maybe she typed, then deleted it. yes, she typed instead.

She flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Last time she'd tried to impress someone, she'd worn her lucky underwear (regular, not weird) and spilled chocolate milk all over herself in front of everyone. She still couldn't wear brown without flashbacks.

Her mom knocked. "Honey, you want more papaya?"

"NO thanks!" Maya called back.

She grabbed her phone and scrolled TikTok for an hour. At midnight, she finally responded to the group chat: see u guys at 8.

Her phone lit up with a notification. Tyler had replied to the group chat.

sick. bring that orange top again

Maya stopped breathing. Then she started breathing too much. Then she grabbed her papaya smoothie from the fridge and drank the whole thing despite the weird aftertaste.

Fine. Fine. She'd wear the orange top. She'd eat whatever her mom made tomorrow. She'd go to the party and talk to Tyler like a normal person and not think about how his eyes were the exact color of—

Okay, maybe she'd overthink everything. But at least she'd be there.

And if she got spinach in her teeth again, at least this time she'd have her phone to check her reflection.

Small wins.