The Night Everything Went Sideways

Maya's first real high school party was supposed to be legendary. Instead, she ended up hiding in a bathroom with some random sophomore's emotional support **bear**—a matted stuffed animal named Gerald that smelled like vanilla and regret.

"You okay?" The guy knocked. "I have snacks."

The door creaked open to reveal Jay, the lacrosse player who'd spent the last hour doing a zombie impression because someone said he looked dead inside. Now he held a plate of **papaya** slices like they were offering to a deity.

"Who brings papaya to a party?" Maya wiped her eyes. Her waterproof mascara was definitely a lie.

"My mom's obsessed with 'exotic superfoods.'" Jay leaned against the doorframe, lanky and awkward. "Want some? It's actually not terrible."

They ended up on the roof, eating papaya and watching two drunk juniors try to out-stubborn each other. Literally—everyone called it being a **bull** about everything, but these two were acting it out.

"So," Jay said between bites, "you hiding from Tyler or the existential crisis?"

"Both?" Maya laughed. "He tried to kiss me and I panicked. Like full **fox** mode—scurried away and left him hanging. Which is insane because I've had a crush on him forever."

"Classic." Jay nodded like this was wisdom. "Bro, I showed up in zombie makeup because my sister did my face. I thought it looked cool. Now everyone thinks I'm weirdly committed to a bit."

Maya actually laughed. A real one.

Downstairs, someone started playing the wrong song and the moment shifted—just like that. Tyler found them on the roof, shirt untucked, hair messy, looking like someone who'd finally figured himself out.

"Hey," he said. "Can we try that again? Without the running away part?"

Maya looked at Jay, who was already slipping back through the window like he knew when to make himself scarce.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, we can."

Some nights were disasters. Some nights were perfect. This one was both, somehow, and that felt exactly like being sixteen.