The Padel Protocol

The ethernet cable lay disconnected on my floor like a dead snake, another victim of Dad's "home improvement" weekend. No WiFi meant no texting Kai, the cute junior who'd actually noticed me at lunch yesterday.

"You're coming," Maya said, not asking. She yanked a yellow racket from her bag. "Padel with the crew. Be there in twenty."

"I don't even know how to play."

"It's tennis but easier. Don't overthink it."

I stood at the glass walls of the padel court, watching everyone hit the little blue ball back and forth like they'd been born with rackets in their hands. Kai waved. My stomach did that embarrassing flutter thing.

"You're up," Maya whispered. "Just don't hit it into the fence."

I stepped onto the court, my grip sweaty on the borrowed racket. Someone served. The ball came at me fast. I swung—

And missed completely, stumbling backward directly into Kai.

"My bad," he said, steadying me with hands that smelled like expensive cologne. "First time?"

"Is it that obvious?" I felt my face burning.

"Nah." He grinned. "You've got spinach in your teeth."

Every. Single. Part. Of. My. Soul. Died. Right there. I'd had a smoothie that morning. Why did I agree to this?

I spent the rest of the game pretending to be deeply interested in the fence texture while Maya destroyed the competition. Afterward, Kai found me sitting on a bench, contemplating transferring schools.

"Hey." He sat down beside me. "Want to know a secret?"

"That you're secretly terrible at this too?"

"Worse." He pointed to his car in the parking lot. "That's my mom's car. I can't drive for shit. Failed my test twice."

I laughed. A real one.

"My cat threw up on my sociology project this morning," I offered. "That's why I was late."

"Deal." He pulled out his phone. "What's your number? In case, you know, padel emergencies happen again."

Maybe the cable situation was a blessing. Maybe embarrassing yourself is just the fastest way to figure out who's worth knowing.

"Put it in as 'Padel Disaster,'" I said.

"Done."

My phone buzzed an hour later when the WiFi finally came back. Kai: Same time next week?

Some disasters are worth repeating.