The Papaya Playlist

Maya's mom had dropped her off with the usual: a Tupperware container of sliced papaya, which Maya immediately shoved to the bottom of her backpack. Because nothing says 'uncool' quite like fruit that smells like your grandmother's house at the baseball field.

"You coming to Ryan's party tonight?" Chloe asked, sliding into the bleacher seat next to her. "Liam'll be there."

Maya's stomach did that annoying flip-flop thing. "Maybe."

The truth was, Maya had been Crushing on Liam since he'd complimented her Spotify playlist in homeroom. But she also had zero social confidence and the anxiety levels of a shelter dog during fireworks. Hence the vitamins her mom insisted would 'help with stress' — which basically meant Maya was basically a walking pharmacy.

The baseball game was actually kinda lit. JV, not varsity, but still. When Liam hit a double, Maya found herself cheering along with everyone else, even though she understood approximately nothing about the sport. Something about innings and outs and why everyone clapped at random moments.

Afterward, Liam jogged past the bleachers. His hair was sweaty, his uniform was dirt-stained, and Maya's brain short-circuited.

"Hey, Maya, right?"

She nodded. Possibly too enthusiastically.

"You coming tonight?"

"Yeah!"

The word escaped before she could even process it.

"Cool." He grinned. "Bring snacks if you want."

So that was how Maya ended up at 7-Eleven at 9 PM, staring at the papaya in her backpack like it held the secrets to the universe. Her mom had packed it again, because apparently Maya was five years old.

Whatever. She was going to Own It.

Ryan's house was exactly what Maya expected: too loud, too many people, the bass too heavy. She found Chloe in the kitchen, pouring something suspicious into a Solo cup.

"You came!" Chloe squealed. "And Liam's literally looking for you."

Maya's heart pounded. She wasn't ready. She needed—

"What's that?" Chloe pointed at the Tupperware.

Maya pulled it out. "Papaya. My mom's weird about nutrition."

Someone laughed. It was Liam, leaning against the doorframe. "No way. That's actually my favorite."

Maya blinked. "Really?"

"Dude, yes." He grabbed a slice. "My abuela makes me eat it all the time. Said it's, like, packed with vitamins or whatever."

The room went quiet. Then everyone started laughing, but not mean laughing. Relieved laughing.

"I thought I was the only one," Maya admitted, and something in her chest loosened.

Liam grinned. "Dude, you are not."

And just like that, the papaya wasn't embarrassing. It was proof that maybe, just maybe, Maya wasn't as uncool as she thought.