The Green Smile Disaster

Maya was already ten minutes late when she bolted out the front door, her purple Nike high-tops slapping against the pavement. She hated running—especially in 85-degree Florida heat—but Mom had forgotten to charge her phone overnight, and her backup charging cable was fraying at the wires like everything else in her chaotic life.

"You're not actually eating that, are you?"

Maya froze. Jake was leaning against his locker, looking annoyingly perfect in his varsity jacket. She glanced down at her Tupperware. Okay, so maybe the sautéed spinach and quinoa salad wasn't exactly cafeteria cool, but her Track & Track coach had been going on about "fueling your body" all week.

"Yeah," she said, lifting her chin. "It's actually fire. You want some?"

Jake's friends snickered. Maya's face burned hotter than the asphalt outside. This is why she ate lunch in the band room usually.

"Nah, I'm good." Jake pushed off his locker. "Hey, are you coming to Tyler's party tonight? Everyone's gonna be there."

Maya's stomach did that weird flip thing. "Maybe."

"Cool." He grinned. "Bring your... spinach."

He walked away laughing with his friends. Maya retreated to the bathroom and pulled out her iPhone. The screen was basically destroyed from when she'd dropped it at homecoming, but it still worked. Mostly.

She stared at herself in the mirror. And there it was—bright green, wedged between her front teeth like a tiny betrayal. Spinach. The enemy of social interaction since the beginning of time.

Maya groaned and scrubbed it away with her fingernail. This was it. This was her life. Running late, destroying cables, eating brain food while everyone else lived off vending machine Cheetos.

Her phone buzzed. Unknown number.

hey it's jake from bio lol sorry bout earlier at lunch. the spinach thing was messed up. anyway tyler's party starts at 8 if u wanna come. i heard u're running track now? that's sick.

Maya stared at the screen. Then she smiled.

maybe. bring your own snacks tho.

She hit send. Maybe high school wasn't so different from middle school after all—still awkward, still confusing, but sometimes, just sometimes, people surprised you.

Her cable was dead, her phone was cracked, and she'd humiliated herself at lunch. But Maya thought she might just survive freshman year after all.