The Night Everything Changed

Kai's hair was a zombie shade of orange—like he'd dyed it during a mental breakdown at 3 AM, which honestly, he had. Three days without sleep will do that to you.

"You look like a traffic cone that gave up on life," Maya said, sliding onto the bench next to him. The homecoming game was in full swing, the field blazing under stadium lights. Kai couldn't remember the last time he felt less like showing up.

"That's bull," he muttered. "This color is totally intentional. It's called 'apex predator chic.'"

Maya laughed, and something in his chest did that weird lightning-strike thing it always did around her. Kai had been dealing with feelings for Maya since seventh grade, and now they were juniors and he was still firmly in the friend zone while she dated guys whose biggest personality trait was owning a truck.

"You okay?" she asked, actually looking at him instead of the field.

Kai considered lying. That's what you did, right? But the words came out before he could stop them. "No. Not really."

He told her everything. About his parents' divorce that was eating him alive. About the pressure to choose a college when he couldn't even decide what to order for lunch. About walking around like a zombie because anxiety was his new normal. About how terrified he was that everyone would leave eventually.

Maya listened, really listened, and when he finished, she put her hand on his. "Kai, you don't have to carry all that alone."

The game-winning touchdown happened behind them. The crowd went wild. But neither of them moved.

"I could help," she said softly. "If you wanted. With the orange disaster on your head, at minimum."

Kai smiled for the first time in days. Maybe weeks. Some things were falling apart, sure. But sitting there with Maya's hand in his, he thought maybe—just maybe—some things were finally falling together.