The Vitamin D Disaster

Maya's palms were sweating. Like, actually sweating. Which was gross, considering she was about to grab the hand of the cutest sophomore at Lincoln High. The pool party was in full swing—**water** splashed everywhere as someone cannonballed off the diving board, and tropical **palm** trees swayed in the breeze around Sarah's backyard.

"You okay?" asked Chloe, her best **friend** since sixth grade, handing her a sparkling water. "You look like you're about to puke."

"It's not that," Maya groaned, running her fingers through her **hair**. Or trying to. Her hair had betrayed her in the most spectacular way possible. Yesterday, in a desperate attempt to look like she'd spent summer at the beach instead of binge-watching Netflix, she'd used an entire bottle of that expensive **vitamin** E hair mask her mom kept talking about. The promised "sun-kissed waves" had turned into something more like "grease-struck disaster." Now her hair hung limp and heavy, refusing to hold any volume despite three rounds of dry shampoo.

Across the pool, Jake was laughing at something. Jake, who she'd been low-key obsessed with since September. Jake, who was currently walking toward them.

Maya's heart did that embarrassing flutter thing. "Chloe, he's coming over. My hair looks like I haven't showered in a week."

"It's not that bad—"

"He's gonna think I'm gross."

"Hey!" Jake's voice was closer than she expected. She turned too fast, sending her sparkling water splashing down her front. Great. Now she was the girl with greasy hair AND a wet shirt. Jake grinned, and Maya noticed his **hair** was also kinda damp and messy. Actually, everyone's hair was wet from the pool. Suddenly her hair disaster didn't seem so catastrophic.

"Wanna play chicken fight?" Jake asked, gesturing toward the **water**. "We need a fourth."

Her **palm** was definitely sweating again. But she said yes anyway.