The Friendship Pyramid

Maya's hair was NOT cooperating. She'd spent forty-five minutes trying to achieve the effortless waves that looked so good on TikTok, but instead she ended up with something closer to a frizzy explosion. At least the oversized beanie hid the disaster.

"You good?" Jordan asked, plopping beside her on the bleachers and offering a shared earbud. His Knicks hat sat backwards, because of course it did.

"Just dreading tonight," Maya admitted, accepting the earbud. "Why did I agree to this party again?"

"Because Riley's gonna be there." Jordan wiggled his eyebrows. "And you've been lowkey obsessing over Riley since—"

"Shut up." Maya shoved his shoulder, but her phone buzzed in her pocket. Her heart did that annoying fluttery thing.

The problem wasn't Riley. The problem was that Riley existed at the top of the social pyramid at Northwood High, while Maya and Jordan occupied space somewhere near the bottom, hanging out with band kids and theater geeks. Crossing that invisible boundary felt like violating laws of physics.

Riley's texts had been flirting with the line between friendly and... something else. For weeks. But what if it was all just a game? What if Maya was being catfished by someone sitting three tables away at lunch?

"You're spiraling," Jordan said, not looking up from his phone. "Stop overthinking. Just talk to them like a normal person."

Easy for him to say. Jordan didn't care what anyone thought. That's why he'd worn that absurd cable-knit sweater to homecoming and owned it like it was high fashion.

Her phone buzzed again. Riley: u coming tonight? might need help finding sam's cat again lol

Maya stared at it. This was it—the invitation. The chance to climb—no, not climb. To step across. To be brave.

"Jordan?"

"Yeah?"

She pulled off the beanie, letting her frizzy, imperfect hair breathe. "Can we go early? Like, now early?"

Jordan's grin widened. "Now we're talking. But for the record?" He stood up and offered his hand. "You don't need a hat to hide behind. You're kinda great without it."

Maya swallowed past the lump in her throat, took his hand, and headed toward the party that could change everything—or nothing at all. Either way, she was done hiding.