The Spinach Incident

Maya's first mistake was agreeing to join the country club's junior **padel** league just because Ethan played there. Her second mistake was eating the **spinach** artichoke dip at the welcome mixer.

Now she stood courtside, pretending to understand the rules while everyone else moved with practiced ease. Padel was like tennis but cooler, apparently—played in an enclosed court with walls you could hit off, and everyone here treated it like a religion.

"You're Ethan's friend, right?" Chloe appeared beside her, all confident energy and perfect hair. "I saw you watching him during warmups."

Maya's face burned. "I wasn't—"

"Relax, I'm not judging." Chloe lowered her voice. "I've been playing **spy** since seventh grade. It's basically a requirement when you're crushing on someone who plays team sports."

The confession caught Maya off guard. Chloe, who seemed to have everything figured out, was just as confused as the rest of them.

"He does **baseball** too," Maya found herself saying. "That's actually how I know him."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Wait, you've known him since baseball season and you're JUST making your move now? Girl, what are you waiting for?"

The question hung between them as Ethan walked over, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Hey Maya!" He grinned, and something in his smile made her feel like she was **swimming** in warm water, weightless and terrified all at once. "You gonna play or what?"

Then Ethan leaned closer, his expression shifting. "Um, you've got a little..." He gestured to his own teeth.

Spinach. Of course.

Maya wanted to evaporate. But then Chloe handed her a compact mirror without making a big deal, and when Maya looked up, Ethan was still standing there, still smiling, somehow making it feel like the most natural thing in the world.

"So," he said, "want to be partners for mixed doubles?"

Sometimes, Maya decided, the universe had a weird way of working things out. Even if it involved public humiliation first.