The Pyramid Incident

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually dripping. She wiped them on her skinny jeans for the third time, staring at Jordan's house where the bass from some mumble rap track was already vibrating through the lawn.

"You got this," Chloe said, handing her a Solo cup. "Just be chill. You're overthinking it."

Maya wasn't overthinking it. She was scientifically analyzing the probability of embarrassing herself in front of Jordan, who'd been sitting behind her in AP Bio since September and had somehow never noticed her existence until last week when he'd commented on her Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie.

Inside, the house was packed. Juniors she'd never spoken to were clustered around a solo cup pyramid in the center of the living room, cheering as some guy in a letterman jacket added another level. The whole thing was wobbling.

"Maya!" Jordan materialized through the crowd, grinning. His hair was messier than at school. "You made it."

"Yeah, um, thanks for inviting me," she managed, her voice doing that weird squeaky thing it sometimes did when she was nervous. She took a sip from her cup— straight up Sprite, because she wasn't trying to be that freshman who couldn't handle their first party.

That's when the cat happened.

Nobody knew whose cat it was— maybe Jordan's sister's, maybe a neighborhood stray that had wandered in. But this gray tabby suddenly launched itself from somewhere behind the couch, landing directly in the middle of the solo cup pyramid.

The pyramid collapsed. Cups went everywhere. Someone's dog— a golden retriever that had been passed out in the corner— suddenly came to life, barking like maniacal at the cat, which was now perched triumphantly on Jordan's shoulder.

"Dude, that's my grandma's dog!" Jordan was laughing so hard he could barely get the words out.

The room went silent for exactly two seconds. Then everyone started laughing. Maya couldn't help it— she snorted, which made it worse, which made her laugh harder. Jordan was still cracking up, and his eyes found hers through the chaos.

"You good?" he asked, stepping closer.

"Yeah," she said, and for the first time all night, her palms actually weren't sweating. "I'm good."

The cat purred on Jordan's shoulder like it had planned the whole thing. Maya decided right then that this was, objectively, the weirdest, best night of her life so far.