The Fox and the Orange Note

Maya's been essentially catfishing herself for three weeks. Okay, not catfishing exactly, but definitely spying—low-key stalking Jamie's finsta from her burner account like some FBI agent. Every lunch period, she'd sit three tables away, pretending to be deeply invested in her AP Euro textbook while actually watching him laugh with his friends, his hair this ridiculous bright orange that somehow worked. Like, who dyes their hair that color sophomore year and somehow makes it look good?

"You're being creepy," Kalia whispered, sliding into the seat beside her. "Again."

"I'm observing," Maya corrected, though her face heated. "There's a difference."

"Girl, you literally have his finsta notifications on." Kalia stole a fry. "Just talk to him already. He's not, like, a celebrity."

Easy for her to say. Kalia wasn't the one who'd spent all summer accidentally liking posts from 2018 and then frantically unliking them like her life depended on it. Maya wasn't even sure why she cared this much—Jamie was just some guy with orange hair and a smile that made her stomach do actual gymnastics.

The incident happened on a Tuesday. Maya was doing her usual routine—spying, yes, fine, spying—when she dropped her phone. It slid across the cafeteria floor, stopped directly at Jamie's table. He picked it up, screen already unlocked to his profile, and their eyes met.

"This yours?" His grin was all fox-like mischief. "Interesting reading material."

Maya considered transferring schools. Possibly changing her name. Moving to a small island.

"I was just—" she started, but he was already laughing.

"Spying on me?" Jamie raised an eyebrow. "I'm honored. Also, I've been wondering when you'd actually say something."

"What?"

"Your burner account?" He tapped his chest. "Like I wouldn't notice the girl who sits three tables away every day staring at me? I'm not oblivious, Maya." He pulled an orange from his lunchbag—of course he had oranges—and tossed it to her. "Catch."

She caught it automatically. "You knew?"

"I'm basically a spy too," he said. "I've been trying to figure out how to talk to you for weeks. This is easier."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." He smiled again, and Maya's stomach did its thing. "So, Friday? There's this fox exhibit at the zoo if you're into ironically appropriate first dates. Or we could just get boba and continue being weird about everything."

Maya looked at the orange in her hand, then at Kalia, who was visibly struggling not to scream. "Boba sounds good," she said. "But I'm never living this down."

"Definitely not," Jamie agreed. "That's the fun part."