The Party Survival Guide

Maya's hands wouldn't stop shaking as she stood outside Jake's house, the bass thumping through the walls like a second heartbeat. Her first real high school party. She'd spent two hours on her makeup, three outfits rejected, and now she was frozen.

"You got this," she whispered to herself, then immediately felt ridiculous.

Inside, the air smelled like cheap body spray and something tropical. Someone had blended up papaya and rum in the kitchen — Maya could see the sticky orange mess across the counter. She grabbed a soda instead, clutching it like a lifeline.

"Hey! You made it!" Jake appeared, grinning, with his golden retriever, Bear, bounding beside him. The dog's tail knocked into a group of sophomores, sending drinks flying. Everyone laughed. Maya laughed too, even though she didn't think it was funny.

"This is Bear," Jake said, ruffling the dog's ears. "Best wingman ever."

Maya's face burned. Was that a joke? Was he—

"Oh! And this is Chloe," Jake continued, gesturing to a girl with wispy red hair and a fox tattoo on her ankle. She wore it like armor, like she'd already figured out everything Maya was still trying to understand.

Chloe sized Maya up with cool eyes. "Freshman?"

"Sophomore," Maya managed, surprised by her own voice sounding steady.

"My bad," Chloe said, and something like respect flickered across her face. "You want to see something?"

They ended up on the roof, watching people spill into the backyard. Chloe told stories about getting caught sneaking out, about her older brother's college friends, about how she'd gotten the tattoo on a dare.

"What about you?" Chloe asked. "What's your story?"

Maya thought about it — really thought about it — while Bear barked at something in the darkness below, while someone's papaya drink got knocked over inside, while Jake laughed with his friends.

"I'm still writing it," Maya said, and it wasn't a line. It was the truest thing she'd ever said.

Chloe nodded, like that was exactly the right answer.

"Cool," she said. "Let me know when you're ready for me to read it."

Maya's hands had stopped shaking.