Spying Through Split Ends

Maya's hair had betrayed her.

What was supposed to be subtle caramel highlights had turned her chestnut waves into what her brotherJake called "stripy popcorn." Now she was hiding in the girls' bathroom during third period, Instagram-stalking her crush Liam's new girlfriend through a haze of pineapple-scented conditioning treatment.

She was basically a certified **spy** at this point. She knew Brianna's coffee order (oat milk latte, extra foam), her go-to study playlist (Lo-Fi Beats, obviously), and that she'd just posted a sunset pic captioned: "some people are just ✨sunshine✨"

Maya tossed another **vitamin** gummy into her mouth. Her mom had bought the "Teen Girl Glow-Up Pack" from a wellness influencer who was definitely twenty-two pretending to be sixteen. Six gummies daily: hair, skin, nails, mood, energy, and something vague called "radiance."

Radiance. What even was that?

Her reflection stared back—frizzy strands, dead eyes, the conditioning timer counting down like a bomb. She'd been spying on Brianna's life for so long she'd forgotten how to live her own.

"Hey, you good?"

It was Chloe, who Maya hadn't realized was standing there. Chloe with her purple hair and zero f's to give, who'd once worn the same hoodie three weeks straight because why not.

"My hair," Maya whispered. "It's—"

"A disaster?" Chloe grinned. "Bold choice for picture day."

They laughed, and something in Maya's chest unclenched.

"Want to see something?" Chloe pulled out her phone. "I've been spying on the student council group chat. They're planning to ban crop tops in the cafeteria."

"Wait, what?"

"Exactly. We should go crash it."

They walked out together, Maya's ridiculous striped hair catching the light. The vitamin gummies burned in her stomach like a revolution. She wasn't sunshine. She wasn't caramel highlights. She was a frizzy-haired conspiracy detective about to overthrow student government.

And honestly? That was way better.