The Bullseye Bet

Maya's phone buzzed with a DM that would change everything: 'I spy with my little eye... someone who's about to crash and burn.'

Her bestie Chen wasn't playing games. This was serious. The annual Fall Fling was three days away, and somehow the entire sophomore class had decided Maya would be the perfect candidate to ask Jason—the college guy who worked at The Bean & Leaf coffee shop—to be their pseudo-chaperone. Because nothing says 'responsible adult supervision' like a twenty-year-old who skateboarded to work.

'This is such bull,' Maya muttered, face-planting into her Statistics textbook. 'I can barely order pizza without hyperventilating, and now I'm supposed to ask Jason?

Her calico cat, Mr. Puddles, hopped onto her desk and knocked over her highlighter collection. Typical.

'Straight up, you're overthinking it,' Chen texted back. 'Just slide into his DMs like a normal person.'

But Maya wasn't normal. She was the girl who still got nervous walking into parties alone. The one who practiced conversations in her shower. The massive overthinker whose brain ran worst-case scenarios like movie trailers on repeat.

Wednesday found her at The Bean & Leaf, heart hammering against her ribs like it was trying to escape. Jason was wiping down the counter, his fading blue hair somehow making him more intimidating.

'What's up, Maya? Your usual?' He smiled—that easy, confident smile that belonged to people who didn't rehearse their coffee orders in front of mirrors.

'Actually, I—' Her voice cracked. Smooth. 'I wanted to ask...'

Twenty awkward seconds later, Jason was laughing. 'You want me to what? Spy on your high school dance?'

'Not spy! Just... be there? You know, so people don't do stupid stuff?'

'Maya, I'm honored.' He was definitely making fun of her. 'But I'm working that night.'

Oh.

'However.' He leaned closer, lowering his voice. 'My roommate Zoe? She's been looking for an excuse to visit her old high school friends. She's chill. Twenty-two, studies graphic design, will absolutely bring snacks.'

Maya blinked. 'Wait, really?'

'Dude, I'd pay good money to watch high schoolers be awkward again.' Jason scribbled Zoe's number on a napkin. 'Text her. Tell her I sent you. And maybe lay off the coffee—you're vibrating.'

Mr. Puddles was waiting by the window when Maya got home, probably judging her for taking so long. But for the first time in days, Maya's brain wasn't running disaster scenarios. She'd done the scary thing. She'd survived.

Her phone buzzed again. Chen: 'Well????'

Maya grinned, already typing. 'Bestie, you won't believe this, but I just played myself completely straight and somehow still won.'