The Papaya Incident

Marcus stood behind the counter at Tropical Pools & Pets, regretting every life choice that led to this moment. His crush, Priya, just walked in with her friends, and he was wearing a polo shirt that screamed 'I gave up on dignity.'

'Hey Marcus,' she called out. That was it. Just 'hey Marcus.' Not 'hey Marcus, you look vaguely acceptable in that uniform' or 'hey Marcus, I've been thinking about you constantly.' Just the most basic greeting known to humanity.

He watched helplessly as her brother pointed at the display tank. 'Can we get a goldfish for mom's birthday?'

'Sure,' Marcus said, then immediately knocked the container of tropical fish food onto the floor. A perfect pyramid of orange pellets cascaded across the linoleum. 'Also yes,' he added, like a smooth criminal.

Priya's friends giggled. One of them—Maya, with the fox-eye eyeliner that made her look perpetually unimpressed—whispered something that made Priya's face turn the same color as the fish food.

Marcus's coworker Jordan materialized from the back room, holding a papaya like it was a newborn baby. 'Dude, your mom texted. She's picking you up early because you have that thing.'

'What thing?' Marcus hissed.

'The dentist thing?' Jordan lowered his voice. 'Wait, this is Friday. The thing isn't until—'

'THE dentist thing,' Maya announced to everyone. Her voice carried. 'Hope they don't find any cavities, Marcus.'

His face burned. He could feel it radiating heat like a malfunctioning radiator. This was it. His social life was over before it had properly begun. He'd be known as Goldfish Food Guy, the boy who spilled pellets in front of the girl he'd been secretly watching from across the cafeteria since seventh grade.

Priya stepped forward and started helping him clean up the mess. Her hands moved fast, scooping up the orange pellets. 'My brother knocked over an entire display of energy drinks at 7-Eleven last week,' she said quietly. 'The clerk made him pay for all of them. Even the ones that exploded.'

Marcus looked at her. Really looked at her. She was wearing Converse with drawings all over them, and there was a tiny smear of orange fish food on her thumb.

'Really?'

'Really.' She smiled, and it wasn't the polite smile she gave teachers. It was real. 'You should come to my party on Saturday. If you want. If you don't have the... dentist thing.'

Jordan snorted from behind the papaya.

'I'll be there,' Marcus said. 'Definitely no dentist thing.'

As Priya and her friends walked out with the goldfish in a plastic bag, Jordan slapped a twenty on the counter. 'You owe me. That papaya was supposed to be my lunch.'

Marcus watched them go, already planning his outfit. Something without a polo shirt. Something that said 'I am a person with dignity and social potential, not just Goldfish Food Guy.'

'I'll buy you two papayas,' he said. 'I'm good for it.'

'Damn right you are.'