Swing and a Miss

Maya's phone buzzed. Again. Her **iPhone** face planted on her nightstand like a desperate friend — endless streaks from the group chat she'd been ghosting since Tuesday. #wheresmaya #isshemad #did something happen.

She groaned into her pillow. Something had happened. Something humiliating. Something that made her want to delete every social media app and move to a remote island where the only judgment came from sea turtles.

Her cat, Pancake, appeared like he always did — sensing her vibes, he jumped onto the bed and kneaded her stomach with that weirdly satisfying pressure that said, 'I accept you even if you're a social pariah.'

'You're the only one who gets me, Pancake,' she whispered into his soft orange fur.

Her mom knocked. 'Maya! Jordan's waiting for your **padel** lesson!'

Ugh. Jordan. The epitome of everything Maya wasn't — confident, athletic, effortlessly popular. And now he was her tutor because she'd somehow agreed to join the club team to prove she wasn't 'the quiet girl' anymore. Total disaster.

She dragged herself to the court, heart pounding. What if he asked? What if someone had posted about it? What if everyone knew?

Jordan didn't ask. Just handed her a racket and said, 'You're gripping it too tight. Relax.'

Easy for him to say. His life wasn't one giant video circulating on everyone's DMs.

'I can't do this,' Maya muttered, missing the ball entirely.

'Do what?' Jordan bounced on his toes, annoyingly energetic. 'Hit the ball or... whatever's got you all in your head?'

Maya stared at him. He didn't know. The one person who hadn't seen the viral video of her tripping over her own feet during the spring assembly while trying to do a TikTok dance she'd practiced exactly once.

'Forget it.' She turned to leave.

'Hey.' Jordan's voice wasn't mocking. Just... steady. 'You know the first time I played **padel**, I hit myself in the face? Live-streamed it to three hundred people.'

Maya stopped. 'Seriously?'

'My brothers still call me **Bull** — like 'bull in a china shop.' Ironic, right? What was your moment?'

The truth spilled out — the assembly, the dance, the humiliation.

Jordan laughed. But not at her. 'Dude. That's nothing. At least you didn't give yourself a black eye on Instagram Live.'

Maya's shoulders dropped. She hadn't breathed properly in four days.

'So,' Jordan tossed her the ball. 'You gonna keep missing over literally nothing, or are you gonna swing?'

Maya caught it. Actually caught it.

Her phone buzzed in her bag. She ignored it.

'Swinging.' She adjusted her grip. Relaxed.

Pancake would be proud.