Sweaty Palms and Party Truths

Maya's palms were sweating so hard she could practically water plants with them. She clutched the red solo cup like a lifeline, wondering why she'd let Jenna drag her to Tyler's house party.

"You're literally vibrating," Jenna said, not looking up from her phone. "Chill. It's just people."

"Easy for you to say," Maya muttered. "You're not the one who accidentally told Tyler you'd 'literally die' if you couldn't come to his party. Now you actually have to talk to him."

Jenna finally looked up, her eyes widening. "Wait, you said that? That's... that's actually kinda bold, bestie. I'm proud."

Before Maya could respond, someone shrieked from the living room. "OMG, someone bring paper towels! Einstein got into the nachos again!"

Einstein, Tyler's golden retriever, had decided the cheese dip was his personal heaven. Tyler's friends were losing their minds, and Tyler himself was trying to wrangle the dog while nacho cheese coated everything.

Maya's anxiety vanished. Einstein was the goodest boy to ever exist, and this was objectively hilarious. She grabbed a roll of paper towels and knelt beside Tyler.

"Need help?" she asked, her voice steady for the first time all night.

Tyler looked up, nacho cheese on his cheek. "You're a lifesaver. This dog is my best friend and also my worst enemy."

They cleaned up the disaster together, Maya surprisingly calm. When it was over, Tyler caught her hand. His palm against hers made her heart do that annoying fluttery thing.

"Thanks," he said. "Hey, you said something earlier about dying if you couldn't come..."

Maya's face burned. "I was being dramatic. I'm good at that."

"No, it was... cool," Tyler said, ducking his head. "Actually kind of made my night."

Jenna appeared out of nowhere, winking exaggeratedly. "I'm gonna go... exist somewhere else. You two have fun."

Maya's palms weren't sweating anymore. Sometimes the worst disasters led to the best moments. Einstein wagged his tail, covered in cheese, like he knew exactly what he'd done.