The Vitamin C Incident

Marcus's first real summer job at Tech Haven was supposed to be his glow-up moment. Finally making his own money, finally someone his coworkers wouldn't look through like he was invisible. But Day Three found him literally tangled in a mess of HDMI cables behind the display wall, while his crush Jasmine stood exactly three feet away, critiquing his cable management skills.

"You're gonna trip someone with that bull, Marcus," she said, nodding toward the way he'd looped the cables. "That looks straight-up dangerous."

Marcus froze. His heart did that thing where it felt like it was trying to escape his chest. "Oh. Yeah. Totally fixing it."

His hands shook as he reordered the cables. Why did she have to be so simultaneously intimidating and gorgeous? Meanwhile, Dylan—the actual bull who'd been giving Marcus grief since seventh grade—leaned against the counter, smirking like he knew exactly how much Marcus was struggling.

"Bro, you need some vitamin D or something," Dylan said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You're looking kinda pale."

The whole back area erupted in ooohs. Marcus's face burned hotter than the overhead lights. He scrambled to finish organizing the cables, his fingers working furiously despite the sweat gathering at his hairline.

That night, Marcus lay in bed staring at his ceiling, replaying the moment on an endless loop. He grabbed his phone and texted his best friend: *I think I'm done. Dylan's never gonna let me live that down.*

Three days later, Marcus showed up with a fresh orange from his mom's kitchen and a new approach. When Dylan started in with the vitamin jokes again, Marcus didn't shrink away. Instead, he held up the orange like a weapon.

"You're right, Dylan. I actually brought this for you," Marcus said, deadpan. "Since you're so concerned about my health."

Jasmine snorted. Dylan blinked, completely thrown off his rhythm. The back area went quiet, then someone—a tiny freshman named Kai—started laughing. Like, really laughing.

Marcus felt it before he understood it: the shift. The balance of power had tilted, however slightly. He wasn't just the guy who couldn't manage cables anymore. He was the guy who'd stood up to the bull.

Later, when Jasmine dropped by his cable organization station, she didn't critique his work. Instead, she held out her hand.

"You're actually pretty funny," she said, smiling like she meant it. "Wanna hang after your shift?"

Marcus's heart did that escape-thing again, but this time he leaned into it. "Yeah," he said, finally untangling the last cable. "I'd like that."