The Spinach Incident

Maya's life was officially over. She checked her reflection in the cafeteria window—huge, neon-green spinach speckled between her front teeth. Of course this would happen the day Caleb finally noticed her.

She'd spent twenty minutes perfecting her eyeliner, debating whether to wear the vintage beanie her mom called 'that ridiculous thing' or let her curls loose. The hat won, obviously. Now she looked like a spinach-toothed hipster disaster.

Her iPhone buzzed with three new Instagram notifications. Probably another group chat roast session. Whatever. Maya grabbed her tray, ready to escape to the bathroom and die of shame.

But someone stepped into her path.

"Hey." Caleb. Actual Caleb, with his stupid perfect smile and that flannel shirt he wore every single day like he was some kind of soft-grunge Pinterest board. "I like your hat."

Maya froze. Was this real life? Was this a prank? Behind her, she heard Jenna and her minions doing that thing where they whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Thanks," Maya mumbled. Then the panic set in—did she still have spinach in her teeth? Should she cover her mouth? Act casual? What was casual again?

"So," Caleb leaned against the lockers, all devastating confidence, "my friend Fox is having this thing Friday. His band, The Fox Den? They're playing at the Bear's Den downtown. You should come."

Maya's brain short-circuited. Fox. Bear. Hat. Spinach. iPhone. All the universe's chaotic elements had converged into this one impossible moment.

"The Bear's Den?" she repeated, like an idiot.

"Yeah. It's this dive bar, but they let kids in during shows." Caleb scratched the back of his neck, suddenly looking nervous. "Unless... unless you already have plans. Obviously you have plans. You're—you know."

Maya realized what was happening. Caleb thought SHE was out of his league. The hottest guy in sophomore English was intimidated by HER.

The spinach didn't matter. The hat didn't matter. Jenna's whispers didn't matter.

"I'd love to," Maya said, and actually smiled. "What time?"

Caleb's face lit up like she'd just handed him a million dollars. "Seven? I could, like, meet you there? Or we could walk from school if you want—"

"Walking sounds perfect."

Maya floated through the rest of the day, barely registering the normal high school chaos. Jenna made some comment about Maya's hat, but Maya just laughed. Whatever. She had a date with Caleb Rodriguez.

The universe, it turned out, had a weird way of working itself out. Sometimes all it took was a little spinach in your teeth to realize you were the main character all along.