The iPhone Stakeout

Jamie hadn't spoken to Maya in three days. That was basically forever in friendship time, especially since they'd been besties since seventh grade. Now sophomores, they usually texted nonstop—memes, complaints about geometry homework, speculation about who Tyler was dating this week.

But Maya had gone ghost.

"She's definitely hiding something," Lex said, watching Jamie stare at Maya's Instagram story for the tenth time. "That's what people do when they're plotting against you."

"Plotting?" Jamie rolled her eyes. "This isn't a movie."

"No, but you could be the spy." Lex grinned. "Use your iPhone to track her location. You're still sharing it, right?"

Jamie hesitated. That felt borderline psycho. But then again, Maya had lied about being "busy" three times this week. What if she was replacing Jamie with someone cooler? Someone who didn't still wear hoodies from middle school?

Fine. One quick check.

She pulled up Find My Friends. Maya wasn't at home. She was at the rec center—their rec center, the one they'd sworn was too basic for cool kids. Jamie's stomach did that awful twisty thing. Was Maya meeting someone there?

"I'm going over there," Jamie announced, grabbing her backpack.

"James, that's literally stalking behavior—"

"I'm just saying hi! To my friend!"

The rec center was quiet. Jamie crept toward the back courts, heart pounding like she'd drank three espresso shots. Through the glass doors, she saw movement. A figure in athletic clothes, swinging a racket.

Padel. Maya was playing padel.

But that wasn't the weird part. The weird part was the dog—a golden retriever wearing a tiny bandana—barking excitedly at the fence while Maya served against a wall. Every time the ball bounced, the dog jumped like it was the most thrilling thing that had ever happened.

"What?" Jamie pushed through the door.

Maya jumped, dropping her racket. "Jamie?"

"You've been ghosting me for... padel?"

Maya's face turned the color of her racket. "I'm trying out for the tournament next month, okay? I didn't want to tell you because it's embarrassing—I suck at sports. I've always sucked at sports. And then this place lets volunteers bring shelter dogs to hang out while they play, and Buster here needed exercise, and—"

"You're secretly practicing because you're afraid of embarrassing yourself?" Jamie started laughing. "That's literally the least terrifying secret ever."

"Shut up." Maya kicked at the court. "I didn't want you to see me fail. You're good at everything."

"Everything except geometry. And talking to boys. And not being awkward in elevators." Jamie picked up the ball. "Teach me."

"You? Play padel?"

"Why not? Could be our thing." Jamie grinned. "Besides, Buster seems to think I'm a natural."

The dog wagged his tail like he approved.

Maya finally smiled. "Fine. But you're going down, Hamilton."

"Bring it, Williams."

Later, as they walked home with Buster trotting between them, Jamie realized she'd been the one acting like a spy—suspicious, paranoid, ready to believe the worst. Maya hadn't been pulling away. She'd just been protecting something fragile: the part of herself that wasn't confident yet. The part that still needed practice.

"Hey," Maya said. "Thanks for not... you know. Making fun of me."

"Please." Jamie bumped her shoulder. "Making fun of you is literally my job. But we can start with the padel humiliation tomorrow."

"Deal."

Her phone buzzed. A text from Lex: "Well? Did you catch her committing crimes?"

Jamie typed back: "Worse. Caught her being human. It's disgusting."

Maya laughed without seeing the screen. Some friendships just had that radar.