Sweaty Palms & Viral Fame

My palms were practically Niagara Falls as I clutched my iPhone, heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to break free. Live streaming. Me. The girl who once passed out from just answering a question in class.

"You got this, queen," Mia mouthed from across the cafeteria, giving me a dramatic thumbs-up.

I was about to perform the TikTok challenge that everyone at Northwood High was doing—the one where you lip-sync and dance in public places. But here's the thing: I have zero rhythm. Like, my coordination is so bad I trip while walking on flat surfaces.

I hit "GO LIVE" and somehow my feet started moving. I was flowing, actually flowing, until I spotted Tyler—the guy I've had a crush on since seventh grade—walking toward me with his perfect smile and his stupid perfect hair.

My brain short-circuited. Suddenly, I wasn't dancing anymore. I was running. Full-on sprinting away from the cafeteria, phone still in hand, thousands of people watching live as I essentially fled the scene of my own potential embarrassment.

"Aria, WAIT!" I heard Tyler yell behind me.

I kept running until I slammed into something solid and furry. Mr. Henderson's golden retriever, Buster, who'd somehow escaped his backyard again. We went down in a tangle of limbs and fur, my phone skidding across the sidewalk.

The whole school saw it. The viral clip of me literally running away from my crush, only to be taken out by a dog.

But here's what nobody expected: Tyler didn't laugh. He helped me up, made sure I was okay, then grabbed my phone. "Can I?" he asked. I nodded, cheeks burning. He went live on MY account, holding Buster's squishy face. "Aria was actually killing it before I showed up and made her nervous. 10 out of 10 performance, and Buster agrees."

The comments went wild. My followers tripled. Tyler and I started studying together. And I learned sometimes the most humiliating moments become the best stories.

Now when I go live? My palms still sweat. But I don't run anymore. Unless there's a dog involved.