Summer Courts and Secret Crushes

My vitamin gummies clattered in my backpack as I trudged toward the community center, my stomach doing backflips. First day of padel camp, and I'd never even held a racquet.

"You again?" I spun around to see Maya leaning against the fence, her baseball hat backwards. The Maya. Junior varsity captain. The girl whose Instagram I stalked until my thumb hurt.

"Me," I squeaked. Smooth, Jordan. Real smooth.

She smirked. "Nervous?"

"No. Just... hydrated." I gestured to my water bottle like it was some kind of trophy.

"Cool." She pushed off the fence. "You can warm up with me."

My brain short-circuited. THIS WAS NOT IN THE SIMULATION.

We hit the court, and I immediately proved why I'd chosen eSports over actual sports. My serve slammed into the net. Twice. Maya's dog, a golden retriever named Buster, barked from the sidelines like he was personally offended.

"Your grip's too tight," Maya said, moving behind me. Her breath ghosted against my ear. "Relax. Like this."

Her hands guided mine on the racquet handle. Time dissolved into static. The ball connected perfectly. It sailed over the net, landing exactly where she'd aimed.

"See?" She stepped back, grinning. "Natural talent."

Later, as I gulped water by the bleachers, my phone buzzed. Mom: *Don't forget your vitamins!*

Maya dropped beside me, close enough that our arms brushed. "Hey, you doing anything after?"

I nearly choked on my water. "No. I mean—unless you count existential dread."

She laughed, actually laughed. "Wanna get smoothies? I know a place."

"Yes. Definitely. A thousand times yes."

"Good." She stood, stretching like a cat. "Because you're gonna need protein if you're gonna keep up with me."

I watched her walk away, Buster trotting at her heels. My phone buzzed again. I ignored it. Some things were more important than vitamin gummies.

Like strawberry smoothies. And possibly, just maybe, my first real friend. Or maybe more.

The ball sat in my bag, a promise I wasn't ready to name yet.