The Spy in the Mirror

Maya's hair was supposed to be her glow-up moment. Freshly dyed espresso brown, the kind of rich color that says 'I have my life together' even when you absolutely don't. But as she sprinted down the hallway, dodging AP Bio students like she was in an Olympic sport—running, literally running—she caught her reflection in the trophy case and almost cried.

The humidity had hit her hair like a betrayal. The sleek strands she'd spent forty-five minutes flat-ironing were now doing their best impression of a frizz explosion. Great. Just perfect.

'You look like you're being chased,' said Jace, falling into step beside her.

'I basically am,' Maya huffed. 'I feel like everyone's been spying on my dorm. Literally every time I turn around, someone's asking about the campaign.' She was running for junior class president, which apparently made her public property.

Jace side-eyed her. 'You think people are spying on you? That's a little paranoid, don't you think?'

Maya slowed her pace, suddenly self-conscious. Was she being dramatic? Probably. But between the group chat rumors about her and Caleb (who she'd spoken to exactly once, but whatever) and people leaving weird comments on her finsta, she felt like she had zero privacy. Her hair was the only thing she could control, and even that was failing her now.

Her phone buzzed. A DM from Caleb: 'saw your campaign poster. looking good, future president ;)'

Maya's stomach did that annoying fluttery thing. 'Oh my GOD,' she whispered, showing Jace the screen.

His eyebrows shot up. 'Wait, is he...?'

'I don't KNOW, that's the problem!' She groaned, covering her face. 'I've been essentially cyber-spying on his story every day trying to figure out if he's actually flirting or if I'm reading into everything.'

Jace laughed, loud and genuine. 'Dude, that's not spying, that's just being a teenager with a crush. We're all weird online. It's practically a requirement at this point.'

Maya's phone buzzed again. Another DM from Caleb: 'also your hair looks cool today. the brown is a vibe.'

She froze. 'Wait. How does he even KNOW about my hair?'

Jace's grin was wicked. 'I mean... you did post about it on your story. With that selfie from your locker.'

Maya's face burned. She HAD posted that selfie. Which meant she'd been... spying on herself? Broadcasting her own surveillance? She started running again, faster this time, away from the embarrassment and toward first period.

'Spying was the wrong word!' she called over her shoulder.

'You're literally running away from your feelings!' Jace yelled back.

Her phone buzzed one more time. Caleb: 'want to get boba after school?' and suddenly Maya wasn't running anymore. She stopped in the middle of the hallway, frizzy hair and racing heart and all, and typed back: 'yes.'