Sweaty Palms and Spinach

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually sweating. She wiped them on her jeans for the third time as she waited outside the movie theater, checking her reflection in the glass doors. Hair? Cute. Outfit? Definitely not trying too hard. Teeth? Spinach-free, she hoped.

"Hey!" Marcus's voice came from behind her. "You look amazing."

Maya turned, her heart doing that annoying flutter thing. "Thanks! You too." She mentally high-fived herself for not stuttering.

They grabbed pizza afterward because that's what you do when you're fifteen and someone's parents are dropping fifty bucks on a first date. Everything was going perfectly—Marcus laughed at her jokes, she didn't spill anything on her white shirt, and they were vibing.

Then she ordered a side salad because she's "health-conscious now" (her mom's words, not hers).

"So what's your favorite class?" Marcus asked, leaning in like he actually cared about her opinion.

"Definitely English," Maya said, feeling confident. "Mrs. Rodriguez is so chill—"

That's when she felt it. A piece of spinach, wedged between her front teeth like a tiny green betrayal. She'd been smiling and talking and there it was, probably broadcasting her social death to everyone.

She froze mid-sentence, suddenly hyper-aware of every facial muscle. Should she excuse herself to the bathroom? But that would look weird, right? Or would leaving spinach in her teeth be weirder?

"...so chill," she finished lamely, pressing her lips together like her life depended on it.

The rest of the date was basically her nodding and making mm-hmm sounds while silently calculating how long she'd have to bear this humiliation. Every time Marcus smiled, she panicked that he was noticing the spinach situation.

"You okay?" he asked at one point. "You're kinda quiet."

"Yeah! Just thinking about... stuff," Maya said, because that's not suspicious at all.

When his mom pulled up to drop her off, Maya basically dove into the backseat. As soon as the car door closed, she jammed her finger in her mouth and finally dislodged the stupid spinach.

Her phone buzzed five minutes later: Had such a good time tonight 😊 Can't wait to see you at school Monday!

Maya stared at her palms—they weren't sweating anymore. She grinned, checked her teeth in the mirror, and texted back. Maybe first dates weren't so terrifying after all. Well, except for the spinach. Always remember to check for spinach.