Spinach Teeth Summer

The pool water shimmered like liquid blue Jell-O, and somewhere in the backyard, Maya's crush Liam was definitely NOT looking at her. Probably. Maya adjusted her bikini strap for the seventeenth time, heart racing like she'd drunk five energy shots instead of one.

"Yo Maya! Your grandma's here!" Jordan hollered from the patio, because subtlety was not his vibe. Her grandma had brought spinach salad. Again. Because nothing says 'cool pool party' like leafy greens that taste like disappointment.

Maya plastered on a smile that felt about as genuine as her algebra grade. "Thanks, Grandma!" She grabbed a handful, shoved it in her mouth, and immediately regretted everything. The spinach was stubborn like that one kid in group projects who never does anything but still gets credit.

Then she saw Liam. Walking toward her. Smiling. Maya panicked, swallowed half-chewed spinach, and—

A cat darted across her feet, spooking her into a spectacular stumble. She crashed straight into Liam, spinach breath and all.

"Whoa, you good?" he laughed, steadying her.

"Yeah, totally," she managed. "Just... bear with me here."

The cat turned out to be Jordan's cousin's new kitten, and apparently it was obsessed with Maya's discarded sandals. Meanwhile, Maya's grandma was loudly describing her famous spinach recipe to anyone within earshot, because why.

Liam's friend Tyler sauntered over, talking loudly about his "sick" summer at bull riding camp. Maya caught Liam's eye-roll and felt weirdly validated.

"That's straight-up bull," Liam muttered under his breath.

Maya almost choked on her own spit trying not to laugh. Liam knew Tyler was lying. He wasn't just some popular guy—he got it.

"Wanna get away from..." Liam gestured vaguely at the chaos. Grandma's spinach lecture, Tyler's fake stories, Jordan's cousin chasing the cat around the pool.

"Please."

They ended up on the back porch, sharing stolen sodas and real conversation. Maya forgot about the spinach in her teeth. She forgot about the cat still disrupting the party. She just talked with Liam about music, about how much they both hated fake people, about how eighth grade was actually kind of awful but ninth grade might be better.

Later, Grandma cornered her with more spinach. "Did you make friends, sweetie?"

Maya glanced at Liam, who winked from across the pool.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I think I did."