The Hat Incident

Maya's beanie wasn't just a hat—it was her emotional support object, her security blanket against the cruel fluorescent lights of freshman year. She tugged the gray wool down farther over her forehead, certain everyone was staring at the pimple that had colonized her skin overnight.

"You good?" Liam asked, sliding into the cafeteria seat across from her. "You look like you're about to rob a bank."

"I look like I'm about to die," Maya corrected, stabbing at her lunch tray. "I have a calculus test I haven't studied for and my mom packed me spinach salad again because she thinks I'm obsessed with my health."

"That's cause you complained about feeling lethargic literally every day last week."

"That's different! Being tired is a personality. Eating spinach is a lifestyle choice I didn't consent to."

Maya's fork launched a spinach leaf directly onto her nose.

Liam lost it. "Dude. You've got—" He wheezed. "You've got spinach on your face while you're wearing your 'I don't care about anything' hat. This is peak comedy."

Maya wiped her face, mortified. The worst part wasn't the spinach. It was that she'd been secretly spying on Chloe's Instagram story for twenty minutes earlier, watching her post stories from some party Maya wasn't invited to. Again.

"Whatever." Maya pulled her phone out. "I'm just over everything today. I wish I could hibernate like a bear until junior year."

"Bears don't hibernate until junior year." Liam pointed out. "And you're literally going to Chloe's thing tomorrow night. She told me she invited you."

Maya paused. "She what?"

"Dude, check your DMs. She sent you the address like three hours ago. You're too busy feeling sorry for yourself to notice you're actually invited."

Maya's heart did that stupid fluttery thing it always did when hope happened. She pulled off her hat, letting her messy hair spring free. The spinach incident was still catastrophic, but maybe—just maybe—she didn't have to bear the weight of the world alone tomorrow night.

"Pass me the salad," Maya said. "If I'm going to this party, I should probably embrace the healthy lifestyle my mom thinks I have."