The Human Pyramid

The **water** in Maya's backyard pool shimmered like liquid diamonds, but Quinn stood at the edge fully clothed, clutching her phone like a lifeline. It was Tyler's sweet sixteen, and somehow everyone from school was here—the actual popular kids, not just the ones Quinn's brother claimed were popular because they wore their hoodies unzipped.

"Yo Quinn, you gonna stand there all day or what?" called Derek, who was somehow shirtless and confident simultaneously. The social **pyramid** of sophomore year had placed Derek near the top and Quinn somewhere in the basement, but today she'd actually been invited. That had to mean something, right?

Tyler's mom appeared with a fruit platter. "Anyone want fresh **papaya**? It's from the farmer's market, so good!"

The entire pool went suspiciously quiet. Papaya at a birthday party? Quinn had never even seen papaya outside of her aunt's failed wellness phase.

"I'll try it," Quinn heard herself say. Because why not? Her social capital was already at negative whatever.

She took a bite. It tasted like someone had made a mango feel confused about itself. "It's... interesting?"

"That's so random," said Sarah, the girl who sat behind Quinn in bio and never spoke to her. "I love that you just went for it."

**Goldfish** crackers. That's what Quinn's brain supplied. The snack she'd been stress-eating all week while overthinking this party. But Sarah was smiling, actually smiling.

"My grandma calls it 'fruit melon' because she thinks it sounds fancier," Quinn said, then immediately regretted everything.

Sarah laughed. For real. "You're funny. Why don't you ever talk in class?"

Before Quinn could process that someone thought she was funny, Derek yelled: "HUMAN PYRAMID TIME! Everyone in!"

And somehow, impossibly, Quinn found herself in the pool, balancing on Derek's shoulders with Sarah supporting her from below, water dripping down her face, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. The pyramid wobbled dangerously, but nobody fell. Not yet, anyway.

Maybe sophomore year wouldn't be so terrible after all. Or maybe this was just papaya-induced confidence. Either way, she'd take it.