The Pyramid Scheme That Wasn't

Maya stared at her reflection, her hair refusing to cooperate despite three different products and approximately zero patience. The Homecoming dance was in four hours, and her curls had decided to stage a rebellion.

"You ready yet?" her brother yelled from downstairs. "Everyone's meeting at the park!"

"Almost!" She texted her best friend: *This hair situation is giving me major stress. Like, why can't I just wake up looking effortless?*

Her phone buzzed. *Chill. You're gonna look fire. Besides, Tyler will be there.*

Maya's stomach did that annoying fluttery thing. Tyler. The one who sat behind her in bio and made terrible puns about mitochondria.

She was finally ready—or ready enough—when her mom's voice floated up. "Maya, can you walk the dog? And feed the cat? I'm running late for my shift."

Seriously?

She grabbed Buster's leash and filled Luna's bowl. The cat glared at her like she'd personally offended her entire lineage. Outside, the golden retriever spotted a squirrel and immediately decided that today was the day he'd finally catch one.

"Buster, NO!"

She was running down the street, still in her good jeans, clutching a leash that connected her to a 60-pound torpedo of enthusiasm. Her hair? Completely wrecked. Her dignity? Rapidly following suit.

The squirrel led them straight to the park, where—because the universe had a twisted sense of humor—Tyler and his friends were hanging out near the skate park.

Buster finally stopped. Maya bent over, wheezing, her hair looking like she'd just survived a wind tunnel experiment.

"Nice entrance," Tyler said, grinning. "Your dog got moves."

She was mortified. She wanted to disappear. But then Tyler handed her a water bottle and said, "Seriously, that was legendary. We're building this pyramid over by the benches—you know, for the TikTok. You in?"

A human pyramid. With his friends. Including her.

"Why not?" Maya said, suddenly realizing her hair was the last thing on her mind.

Sometimes the best moments happen when your plans completely fall apart. Sometimes you end up in a pyramid with a boy who makes terrible science puns, dog hair all over your outfit, and—she had to admit—it was pretty perfect.