The Social Pyramid Scheme

Maya's bedroom had become a command center, which was really just a fancy way of saying it looked like a cable factory had exploded everywhere. HDMI snakes coiled across her floor like digital vines, all leading to the gaming setup she'd spent three months perfecting. Her twitch stream had twelve followers, and she was pretty sure eight of them were bots.

"You're actually gonna do it?" Leo asked from his spot on her beanbag chair, running his hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous. Which was constantly.

Maya adjusted her ring light. "Today's the day. The pyramid scheme ends today."

Her cat, Nacho, chose that moment to knock over her vitamin water, sending a sticky orange river toward her expensive keyboard.

"NACHO," Maya yelled, lunging for the bottle. Too late. The keyboard was now bathing in immune-boosting goodness.

"That's five dollars down the drain," Leo said.

"That's not the point." Maya grabbed paper towels. "Today's the day I finally talk to Jordan's squad without feeling like I'm about to throw up."

Jordan's friend group sat at the top of the school's social pyramid – the kind of effortless popularity that seemed scientifically impossible. They probably woke up looking like they'd stepped out of a TikTok edit.

"You don't have to prove anything," Leo said, and something about the way he said it made Maya pause.

"I know."

"Then why are you doing this stupid stream?"

Maya stopped cleaning. Why WAS she doing this? She'd been trying to crack into Jordan's circle for weeks, posting stories, liking posts, making sure her lighting was perfect in every hallway encounter. She was performing instead of living.

She looked at Leo, who was in her room on a Friday night because he'd rather hang out with her than anyone else. Who knew about her vitamin anxiety and didn't make fun of her for it. Who helped her organize cable management without complaining.

"Hey Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna order pizza and play Mario Kart instead?"

He grinned. "Finally. I was waiting for you to chill out."

The stream never happened. Nacho slept on her mousepad. Jordan's pyramid could wait – Maya had better things to do.