The Cable Disaster

Maya's hair refused to cooperate. She'd spent forty-five minutes trying to tame the frizzy disaster into something approaching cute, but her reflection showed a bird's nest instead. Her phone buzzed — Jordan, asking if she was still coming to his party. The first real party of sophomore year, and she was already running late.

She grabbed her charger, realizing too late that someone had swiped her cable. Again. Her brother, probably. The little thief had a habit of "borrowing" her charging stuff and never returning it.

"Mom! Have you seen my cable?"

"Check the couch!" her mom called back from the kitchen. "And don't forget your phone's almost dead!"

Great. Just great. Maya grabbed her phone — 12% battery — and hurried to the kitchen. Her mom was making that gross spinach smoothie again, the one that smelled like wet grass and disappointment. The smell hit her like a physical force.

"You want some? It's good for you!" Her mom held out the green sludge.

"Pass." Maya grabbed a granola bar instead. "I'm heading to Jordan's."

"Have fun! And be careful crossing the street with Buster!"

Buster, their ancient golden retriever, thumped his tail hopefully at the door. Maya sighed. She'd promised to walk him, but the party started in twenty minutes and her hair still looked like she'd stuck her finger in an electrical outlet.

"Later, okay?"

Buster's sad eyes followed her out the door. Maya felt a twinge of guilt but kept walking. Jordan's house was three blocks away, and her phone battery was already at 8%. Without her cable, she'd be phoneless by 9 PM. At a party. Where everyone would be posting stories and comparing outfits and doing whatever cool people did.

Her stomach did that nervous flip thing. What if nobody talked to her? What if she stood in the corner all night like last time at Emma's birthday, nursing a warm soda and watching everyone else have the time of their lives?

She stopped walking. Something about Buster's disappointed face kept bugging her. The way he'd looked at her, like she was breaking his heart.

Maya turned around.

The party could wait. Jordan wouldn't notice if she was fashionably late. She'd grab her cable from wherever her brother had hidden it, charge her phone, and walk Buster properly. Then she'd show up with actual stories instead of just hoping to make some.

Besides, she thought as she headed back, spinach smoothies couldn't taste worse than regret.

Buster met her at the door with full-body tail wags, like he'd never doubted her for a second. Some days, that dog was the only one who truly got her.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, scratching behind his ears. "Let's go."