Spinach Teeth Summer

Maya smoothed her dress for the third time, checking her reflection in the darkened iPhone screen. The pool party was in full swing, bass thumping from somewhere near the deep end, and she was currently hiding behind a hedge.

"You good?" Jenna asked, appearing with two sodas. "Or are you still obsessing over Lucas?"

"I'm not obsessing," Maya lied. Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe a little. But he's literally a fox, Jen. Like, actually hot. And he's been looking at me all night."

"He's been looking at everyone who walks past the nacho table," Jenna deadpanned. "Come on."

They moved toward the crowd. Maya's stomach did that horrible twisting thing it always did at parties. She'd been homeschooled until freshman year, and sometimes she still felt like she was missing some secret manual everyone else had gotten.

Lucas was indeed by the nacho table, laughing with his friends. He looked up and waved. Maya's heart did a little flip-flop thing that was genuinely embarrassing.

"Hey!" He grinned, all easy confidence. "Glad you came."

"Me too," she managed, trying to sound normal and not like someone who had practiced this conversation in her mirror approximately forty times.

They talked. Like, actually talked. About music and classes and how weird it was that summer was almost over. He was funny and thoughtful and kept looking at her like she was interesting, which was not something she experienced regularly.

"So," Lucas said, leaning against the pool gate. "There's this bonfire thing next weekend. You should come."

"Yes," Maya said immediately, then tried to backpedal. "I mean, probably. I'll check my schedule."

"Cool," he laughed. "I'll text you."

They said goodbye and Maya floated back to Jenna, feeling like she might levitate away entirely.

"Well?" Jenna demanded. "Did you get his number? Did you make plans? Are you getting married?"

"He invited me to a bonfire," Maya said, grinning so hard her face hurt. "And he's going to text me."

"Maya," someone said from behind them. It was Hannah, one of Lucas's friends. She looked sympathetic, which was immediately concerning. "You have spinach. In your teeth."

Maya froze. The entire conversation replayed in her mind—every smile, every laugh, every moment she'd thought was going so well. All while she'd had spinach stuck in her teeth like some kind of ridiculous cartoon character.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

"It's fine," Hannah said. "Honestly, he didn't even notice. He's terrible at that stuff."

But Maya's moment was ruined. The shine came off. She spent the rest of the party hiding in the bathroom, trying to convince herself that her entire social life wasn't over.

The family's old dog, Buster, was waiting by the door when she got home. He thumped his tail against the floor like it was the best moment of his entire day, just because she'd walked into the room.

"At least someone doesn't care about my teeth," she told him, sinking to the floor to bury her face in his fur. Her iPhone buzzed.

Hey, bonfire Saturday? - Lucas

Maya stared at the screen. Then she called Jenna.

"He still texted me," she said. "With the spinach."

"Told you," Jenna said. "He likes you, genius. Now get some sleep."

Maya fell asleep with her phone in her hand and a dog across her feet, feeling like maybe, just maybe, she was starting to figure this whole high school thing out. Eventually. Possibly. With some dental floss involved.