Sweaty Palms and Secret Agents

Maya's palms were sweating. Again. She wiped them on her shorts, feeling like a total fraud as she stood behind the cafeteria corner, spying on Liam like some weirdo stalker.

"You're being ridiculous," she whispered to herself. But her feet stayed planted.

Liam was at his usual table, surrounded by his jock friends. He'd been acting strange all week — distant, distracted, constantly checking his phone. Maya's brain had spiraled through every possible scenario: he was ghosting her, he was bored with their friendship, he'd finally noticed how awkward she got around him sometimes.

Then she saw it. He slipped something small and white into his backpack. A pill?

Her stomach did that terrible twisty thing. Was he...? No way. Liam? The guy who'd lectured her entire soccer team about staying drug-free?

Maya's legs were running before she even made the decision. She needed to know. Needed to understand what was happening to her best friend.

She caught up to him by the water fountains outside the gym.

"Liam!"

He jumped, nearly dropping his backpack. "Maya? What's up?"

"I saw you," she blurted. "With the... thing. The pill."

Liam's face went through about ten emotions in two seconds. Confusion. Shock. Then something like relief.

"You mean my vitamin?" He pulled out a small bottle. "Vitamin D. My doctor says I'm deficient because I'm never in the sun anymore, what with morning practice and..." He trailed off, looking at Maya's terrified expression.

She started laughing. Couldn't stop. "I thought... I thought you were doing drugs. I've been literally spying on you because I was so worried."

"You were SPYING on me?" Liam's grin spread across his face. "That's both terrifying and kind of amazing."

"Shut up," Maya groaned, but she was smiling too. "I'm just a good friend."

"The best," he agreed, handing her his water bottle. "You want some? You look like you need it after all that investigative work, Agent Maya."

She took it, their fingers brushing. Her palm wasn't sweaty anymore.

Maybe this friendship thing wasn't so complicated after all.