The Filter Broke at Midnight

Maya's fingers flew across her iPhone screen at 11:47 PM, refreshing Instagram for the fourth time in two minutes. The notifications rolled in like waves, each like a tiny hit of validation that faded way too fast.

"You're still doomscrolling?" Her best friend Chen's text popped up. "Girl, sleep is a thing."

Maya groaned and flopped onto her bed, where her cat Mochi was already claiming the good pillow. The cat gave her that judgy look that said, *You're doing it again.*

"Whatever," Maya typed back. "Just can't sleep."

Truth was, Maya's brain wouldn't shut up about tryouts tomorrow. Junior varsity track team, and she'd been **running** circles around the school track since September, her legs burning, her lungs screaming, pushing until her vision went spotty at the edges. All because some sophomore had posted "good luck" on her story and now she actually had to make the team.

Her parents' fight floated through the thin walls. Something about that **pyramid** scheme her mom had joined—selling essential oils or vitamins or whatever—and her dad saying they couldn't afford another monthly payment. Again.

Maya grabbed her water bottle from the nightstand. The **water** was warm and tasted like plastic, but she chugged it anyway. Anything to drown out the arguing, the pressure, the constant buzzing in her pocket.

Her phone lit up with a new notification. *Hey, saw you at practice today. You looked fast out there.*

It was from Jordan, the senior who ran varsity. Maya felt her face heat up. She'd been sneaking glances at Jordan all season, but they'd never actually spoken.

"Thanks," she typed, then deleted it. Too basic.

"Yeah, hoping to make JV," she tried. Deleted again. Too desperate.

Mochi stretched, flexing his claws into her blanket, completely unimpressed with her teenage drama.

Maya finally typed: "Thanks! Nerved for tomorrow though lol"

"Don't be. You've got something. See ya there."

Maya set her phone down. Her heart was racing, but not from anxiety anymore. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be a disaster. Maybe the arguing next door would fade. Maybe she didn't need to filter everything to make it look perfect.

She drifted off with Mochi purring against her chest, the phone finally silent beside her, ready to run like she meant it.