The Vitamin Incident

Marcus stood outside the convenience store, clutching the bottle of neon-orange gummy vitamins like they were contraband. Which, technically, they weren't — unless you counted his mom's strict no-supplements policy as law. But at sixteen, Marcus had bigger problems than parental guidelines.

"Yo! Marcus!" Jayden's voice cut through the parking lot like, well, like lightning — sudden and impossible to ignore. "Coach is gonna make you run laps if you're late again."

Marcus shoved the vitamins into his backpack. The track team. That was the real problem here. He'd joined to impress Chloe, who definitely did not need any vitamin supplements because she was basically perfect already, with her effortless running form and hair that defied physics. Meanwhile, Marcus couldn't even bear to look at himself in gym mirrors anymore.

"I'm coming!" Marcus yelled back, but his phone buzzed. A text from Chloe: 'meet behind bleachers? need to talk'

His stomach did that thing where it simultaneously dropped and rose. This was it. Either she was finally going to confess her undying love, or she was going to gently explain that his presence on the track team was, as his little sister would say, 'cringe af.'

He jogged toward the school, each step heavy with anticipation. The sky darkened. Perfect. Dramatic weather to match his dramatic life.

Behind the bleachers, Chloe was waiting, looking unexpectedly nervous. "Marcus, I have to tell you something."

"Me too," Marcus blurted. "I bought vitamins because I read online they help with running performance and—"

"What?" Chloe laughed. "Marcus, those are basically candy. My little brother eats those."

"But the website said—"

"No, listen, I wanted to tell you..." She stepped closer. "I see you taking those extra laps after practice. I noticed how you always wait for everyone else to finish before you leave the track. You're trying so hard, and it's... honestly? It's kind of amazing."

Marcus stood frozen, processing. This wasn't a rejection. This was the opposite of rejection.

"But you're still eating those vitamins?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because that's embarrassing and I can't be seen with you if you're going to be like that."

He grinned. "Deal."

Lightning cracked overhead as they sprinted toward the gym together, and Marcus thought maybe, just maybe, he could bear being seen as the guy who tried too hard if it meant running alongside someone like Chloe.