The Vitamin D Conspiracy

Maya's purple hair was supposed to be her rebellion, her statement. Instead, it just made her feel like a neon sign blinking "look at me" in the hallway. She'd spent last summer watching YouTube tutorials, dreaming of the confident version of herself who'd walk into sophomore year like she owned the place. The reality was more like hiding behind her locker door whenever Connor passed.

That's when she noticed it — someone was definitely watching her. Not cute Connor, but something else. Her Instagram stories were being viewed instantly, even when she posted at random times. Comments appeared on her posts within seconds. Maya felt like she had a personal spy, and honestly? It was low-key creepy.

"You're being paranoid," Zara said, sprawled across Maya's bed while flipping through TikTok. "Maybe you just have a dedicated fan."

"A STALKER, Zara. There's a difference." Maya stared at her phone. "Should I go private?"

"Do it. See what happens."

Maya switched her account to private. The views kept coming.

"Okay, NOW it's weird," Zara sat up. "Wait — let me see something." She grabbed Maya's phone and started scrolling. "Maya, why does your mom's account show up on literally everything?"

"What?"

"Your mom. She's watching your stories. From her account. The one with the profile picture of your cat as a kitten."

Maya felt her face burn. "My mom is my stalker?"

"Your mom loves you and wants to make sure you're safe," Zara said, but she was laughing. "Also, she left a comment on your hair transformation post. Something about vitamin D deficiency and how you should go outside more instead of dyeing your hair in the bathroom."

Maya stared at the comment she'd somehow missed: "Love the purple! Also don't forget your vitamin D supplements — I noticed you've been inside a lot. XO MOM"

The next day, Maya actually laughed when Connor walked by. She wasn't invisible, she wasn't being stalked by some mystery person, and her purple hair wasn't making her a target. She was just a girl whose mom loved her enough to watch every Instagram story, even the ones where Maya practiced her "cool face" in the mirror for fifteen minutes straight.

"Spy duty's covered," Maya told Zara, pocketing her phone. "But I should probably take those vitamins. My mom literally knows everything."