The Pyramid Scheme

Maya adjusted her lucky baseball hat, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. The varsity **padel** courts stretched before her like a battlefield, and she was about to walk onto them for the first time.

"You're trying out?" Chloe's voice dripped with that particular brand of incredulousness only popular girls could master. "The social **pyramid** exists for a reason, Maya. Some of us are athletes. Some of us... aren't."

Maya's stomach did that thing it always did when Chloe was around — like it was trying to digest a whole **papaya**, skin and all. Chloe and her friends stood at the top of the freshman hierarchy, a perfectly balanced structure of athletic prowess and effortless cruelty. Maya had existed comfortably in the middle until today, when she'd decided climbing that pyramid might be worth the risk.

"Coach said everyone gets a shot," Maya said, surprised by how steady her voice sounded.

Her backpack sat on the bench, stuffed with her gear and the papaya smoothie she'd made for energy — a recipe her abuela swore by. Now it felt ridiculous. Who brought papaya smoothies to a sports tryout?

"Whatever." Chloe flipped her perfect hair. "Just don't embarrass yourself."

Maya stepped onto the court, heart hammering. Her opponent was a sophomore named Jenna who played like she'd been born with a **padel** racket in hand. First point: Jenna's. Second point: Jenna's. Third point —

Maya's hat flew off as she dove for a ball that seemed impossibly far away. Her racket connected with something solid. The ball sailed back over the net, landing just inside the line. Jenna stared.

"Nice," Jenna said, actually smiling. "You've got a nasty backhand."

By the end of tryouts, Maya had won enough points to make varsity reserve. Chloe stood by the fence, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"Not bad," Chloe said when Maya grabbed her backpack. "For someone who's not an athlete."

Maya retrieved her hat from where it had fallen. It was dusty now, a little crooked when she put it back on. Not perfect, but real.

"Thanks," Maya said, taking a sip of her warm papaya smoothie. It was actually pretty gross now, but she didn't care. "See you at practice."

Walking away, Maya realized something about pyramids: they were built from the bottom up, brick by brick, and the ones at the top were always looking down, worried about who might be climbing up to join them.