The Hairless Cat Conspiracy

Maya was late. Again. She hated the way her chest burned when she was running, how her backpack thumped against her spine with each stride like an accusatory drum. The bell would ring any second, and she'd have to slide into AP Bio looking like a hot mess.

"Smooth entrance, spy girl," Noah teased as she collapsed into the desk beside him, breathless. That was the thing about Noah — he'd called her that since freshman year, back when she'd been caught watching the popular kids' table during lunch like she was gathering intel for an important mission. The nickname had stuck, mostly because she never corrected him. She was kind of spying, in a way. Documenting the social ecosystem of Northwood High for her eventual memoir, or possibly revenge.

"Shut up," Maya whispered, rummaging through her backpack. "I had to stop at home. My mom's all obsessed with this new vitamin regime now, she made me take these massive supplements before I could leave." She made a face. "It's her midlife crisis phase. Last month it was pilates. Now it's anti-aging everything."

Noah laughed, then his expression shifted. "Speaking of weird things at home... you know how I've been saying my parents are getting a sphinx cat?"

"Yeah?"

"They picked it up yesterday."

Maya gasped. "No way. Those hairless cat things are GENETICALLY-Engineered-freaky."

"Exactly," Noah said, leaning closer. "But here's the thing. I was reading up on them last night, and apparently they're super affectionate? Like, they'll follow you around everywhere? Which would be fine, except my mom's already talking about bringing it to family dinner. With your family."

Maya froze. Family dinner. That was next Friday. The dinner where her dad had already made three comments about how Noah's parents were "so interesting" and Maya had been desperately trying to keep her crush on Noah from becoming visible from space.

"Your sphinx cat is going to be there?"

"It's literally the only thing my mom can talk about. She's already planning outfits. For the cat."

Maya buried her face in her hands. This was fine. Everything was fine. Her crush's parents were coming to dinner with their hairless cat while her parents were in their vitamin obsession phase, and she was still running late every morning because she couldn't wake up on time.

"Hey," Noah said softly, touching her wrist. "You know what would make it better?"

Maya peeked through her fingers. "What?"

"If you came over early. We could... prepare. Strategize. Like old times."

And somehow, with Noah looking at her like that — like she wasn't just spy girl, not really, but someone he actually wanted around — the sphinx cat and the vitamins and the running didn't seem like such a disaster anymore. They were just life. Messy, weird, wonderfully ridiculous life.

"Yeah," Maya said, smiling despite herself. "Yeah, I'll be there."