The Bear Hat Strategy

Maya tugged the fuzzy earflaps down over her ears, wishing she could disappear. The bear hat—her aunt's "thoughtful" gift from Yellowstone—was social suicide at Northwood High. But it was thirty-eight degrees, and her mom refused to drive her to school with "wet hair, again."

She stepped into the cafeteria and immediately regretted everything. Three hundred heads turned. The lunchline stretched toward the silver serving trays like a hungry snake.

Maya moved like a spy, keeping to the perimeter, scanning for threats. Chad Mitchell's table—the popular cluster—was basically enemy territory. She'd rather eat alone in the bathroom than accidentally make eye contact.

The cafeteria lady slopped something green onto her tray. "Spinach, dear. Good for growing bones."

Maya stared at the limp leaves. Great. Now she'd be the new girl with the bear hat who ate like a rabbit. She turned away from the line too fast.

Her tray collided with something solid.

Green spinach scattered everywhere. Some landed on a pristine white Force 1. A white Force 1 attached to a guy wearing a denim jacket covered in patches.

Maya's face burned. "I'm so sorry, I—"

The guy looked at his shoe. Then at her bear hat. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Solid takedown. You been practicing?"

"It's my signature move," Maya heard herself say. Why was she flirting through disaster?

He bent down and picked up the one thing that hadn't made a mess: a whole papaya, which had somehow rolled off his tray. "I was gonna eat this, but I'm pretty sure it's seen enough action for one day."

Maya blinked. "Who brings a papaya to school?"

"My mom's weird health phase," he said. "Want it? It's still intact."

"I don't even know how to open a papaya."

"That's the beauty part." He slid it into her backpack pocket. "You figure it out, you let me know. I'm Leo, by the way."

"Maya."

"See you around, Bear Hat." He winked and walked off, leaving a trail of spinach behind him.

Maya stood there, surrounded by cafeteria chaos, something ridiculous and yellow in her pocket. She touched the bear hat's fuzzy ear and smiled for the first time all day.

Maybe Northwood wouldn't be so bad after all.