The Social Pyramid Scheme

Maya hated her iPhone sometimes. Like now, during third period lunch, when the screen lit up with another screenshot from the group chat. Someone had caught her crush Trevor talking to Jessica - Jessica, who sat at the top of the school's social pyramid while Maya was practically underground, somewhere near the cafeteria floor.

"Bro, you're literally running to check your phone every time it buzzes," said Sam, sliding into the seat across from her. "Just talk to him."

"Easier said," Maya muttered, shoving the phone face-down. "Besides, I have bigger problems."

She'd accidentally become a self-appointed spy, monitoring Trevor's location on Find My Friends after he'd foolishly shared his username during that group project last month. It was getting weird, even she knew that. But she couldn't stop.

Water spilled across her tray as Maya's hand jerked. "Dang it! Now I've got—" She grabbed napkins. "This is fine. Everything's fine."

What she hadn't told Sam: Jessica had started some weird pyramid scheme thing, selling "wellness drinks" to freshmen, and Trevor was somehow involved. Maya had spent three nights scrolling through Jessica's public posts, piecing together the whole operation like the FBI.

"Okay but why are you obsessed with Jessica's sketchy business?"

"Because Trevor's caught up in it!" Maya whisper-shouted. "I'm basically saving him from a multilevel marketing disaster. That's, like, practically heroic."

"Or weirdly stalkery."

"Spy," Maya corrected, with zero hesitation.

Sam rolled their eyes. "You're gonna get yourself blocked. Or worse — known as 'that girl.'"

"That girl who saved people from losing their allowance to some scam?" Maya stood up, tray in hand. "I'll take it."

Later, walking toward the lockers, Maya's heart rate spiked. There was Trevor, at his locker. Jessica nowhere in sight.

*Just say hi,* she thought. *Literally two syllables.*

Her iPhone buzzed in her pocket. Probably another group chat disaster. But when she pulled it out, the notification made her stomach drop.

Trevor: "hey, i heard you know about jessica's thing. can we talk?"

Maya stopped running in circles and actually messaged back. For once, no spy games, no overthinking. Just two kids figuring out that maybe the social pyramid wasn't worth climbing anyway.