The Pyramid Scheme in Palm Beach

Maya's palms wouldn't stop sweating. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, applying her third layer of deodorant before the Spring Fling. Her mom's voice echoed from downstairs: 'Did you take your vitamin D gummy, honey?'

'Yeah, Mom!' Maya called back, grabbing her phone. Three notifications from Jordan already. 'u coming???' 'it's lit rn' 'where u at???'

The Spring Fling wasn't even officially a dance—it was basically the cafeteria decorated with streamers and a DJ who played the same five songs on loop. But it was SOCIAL EVENT OF THE SEMESTER according to Jordan's texts (all caps, obviously).

Maya's little brother Leo appeared in the doorway, holding his science fair project. 'My teacher said my pyramid replica looks like a triangle got sick.' He held up a lopsided foam structure. 'Whatever. At least I'm not going to the dance to stand around awkwardly.'

'Shut up, Leo.' Maya checked her reflection one more time. Her curls were frizzy in the humidity, but whatever. She was going.

At school, the gym was transformed into a maze of strobe lights and bass-heavy music. Maya found Jordan immediately—Jordan, who always knew everyone, who moved through crowds like they were parting seas. 'FINALLY,' Jordan yelled over the music. 'You missed Tyler trying to hit on Sarah. It was painful. Like, watching a car crash in slow motion.'

'Maya's here!' Sarah appeared, grinning. 'We were just talking about how Mr. Henderson's Sphinx riddle in English was basically his way of flirting with Ms. Davis.'

'The riddle about what walks on four legs then two then four?' Maya rolled her eyes. 'He's been using that same pickup line since September.'

They dissolved into giggles, and Maya felt it—that golden moment where everything clicked. Where she wasn't the girl with frizzy hair or the one who forgot her vitamin gummies or the sister of the pyramid-building science geek. She was just Maya, part of this circle, part of something.

Then Tyler materialized, looking suddenly very tall. 'Hey Maya, wanna—'

'Wanna go outside?' she cut him off, grabbing Jordan's arm. 'It's too hot in here.'

They burst through the gym doors into the cool night air, laughing at nothing, everything ahead of them. Maya's palms were still sweating, but for the first time all night, she didn't even care.