Swipe Right on Myself

My hair was doing that thing where it looked perfect in the mirror but questionable in every other reflective surface. I'd spent twenty minutes coaxing the curls into submission, and now they were staging a rebellion.

"You ready?" Maya called from downstairs.

"Almost!" I grabbed my lucky hat—the one with the slightly bent brim that made me feel like I had mysterious energy instead of just anxiety. Sliding it over my hair, I caught my reflection. Okay, actually kind of cool.

My iPhone buzzed. A notification from the padel group chat: *Elias: who's bringing the vibe today*

Panic. I was supposed to bring snacks. I totally forgot.

I grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and sprinted to Maya's car, my heart doing that thing where it forgets how to rhythm properly. This was the first time hanging out with Elias since our almost-moment at Chloe's party last month. The tension had been building like static electricity, and today felt like either discharge or disaster.

The padel courts were already buzzing when we arrived. Elias was there, stretching in that way that was both casual and conspicuously aware of being watched. His hair fell across his forehead in perfectly imperfect waves that definitely required effort.

"You made it," he said, and I couldn't tell if it was a statement or a question.

"Barely."

We played. I missed easy shots. I made ridiculous saves that shouldn't have worked. Everyone was shouting slang I'd never heard before—"that's cap," "no way, that's actual W behavior," "bro's cooked"—while I mostly tried not to think about how Elias kept looking at me when he thought I wouldn't notice.

Afterward, we sat on the bench, sharing the chips I'd brought. Elias took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, making it look even better somehow.

"Your hair," he said, gesturing to my hat. "You always wear that?"

I hesitated. This was it—the moment to choose between hiding or being seen. I pulled off the hat, letting my curls spring free. "Not always."

He smiled. And for the first time all day, my heart remembered how to rhythm properly.