The Party Crash Protocol

Maya's palms were sweating so bad she could practically water plants with them. This was it — Jordan's party. The one everyone would be talking about on Monday. The one where she might finally talk to him.

"You got this, girl," her best friend Kai said, but Maya felt like she might throw up. She'd spent three hours on her hair, tried three outfits, and practiced conversation starters in the mirror like she was training for some mission.

Inside, the bass thumped like a second heartbeat. Someone's older brother had clearly supplied the "spy tech" — black lights making white clothes glow, those fog machines creating atmospheric clouds. Maya grabbed a cup from the table, trying to look casual.

Then she saw him. Jordan. Standing by the food setup, looking unfairly good in that flannel shirt. Her stomach did that thing where it felt like swallowed birds were fighting to escape. She started toward him, rehearsing her opening line in her head.

But then disaster struck. Someone's enormous Newfoundland — apparently they called him Bear because he was basically a furry car — decided Maya's cup looked interesting. He head-butted her hand, and spinach artichoke dip splattered everywhere. All over her white shirt. In the black light, it glowed radioactive green.

"Oh my GOD," someone whispered. A freshman started filming.

Maya's face burned hotter than the sun. She considered faking her own death, moving to another country, changing her name to something unpronounceable. But then Jordan was there, handing her napkins, actually laughing but not in a mean way.

"Bear does that to everyone," he said. "Last week, he took down an entire pizza." His smile was genuine. "You're Maya, right? From English?"

She nodded, unable to form actual words, certain this was the most humiliating moment of her entire life.

"Good," he said. "Because I've been meaning to ask you about that analysis you wrote. It was honestly fire."

The freshman put down his phone. Someone else offered her a clean sweatshirt. Bear wagged his tail, proud of his chaos.

And just like that, Maya realized: the disaster she'd been terrified of? It wasn't the end of the world. It was just a story. One she'd be telling for years.