Three Truths and a Lie

I stood by the **water** fountain, nursing my third cup of lukewarm punch while everyone else was living their best lives at Maya's sweet sixteen. The social **pyramid** was painfully obvious from here - popular kids near the DJ, rest of us scattered like lost satellites. I adjusted my dad's oversized **baseball** cap, trying to become invisible.

"You're being weird again," Sophie whispered, appearing beside me with knowing eyes. "Just talk to him."

"I'm not being weird," I lied. "I'm strategically observing."

"You're literally being a creep **spy** from the sidelines," she deadpanned. "He keeps looking over here wondering why you're staring like you're collecting data for a science experiment."

My face burned. She wasn't wrong. I'd been obsessing over Ethan since September, when he'd defended me from Kyle's disgusting comment in gym class. Now he was across the room, actually talking to other humans like a functioning person, while I was over here constructing elaborate fantasies and never making a move.

"You're being emotional **bear**," Sophie said softly, using her mom's phrase for when I'd retreat into my head and growl at everyone who approached. "Just go say hi. What's the worst that happens?"

"He could think I'm a loser who's been secretly staring at him for seven months," I said.

"Or he could think you're a girl who finally decided to talk to him instead of watching from afar like a weirdly committed background character." She shoved me forward. "Go. Now. Before I lose my mind."

My heart hammered as I walked toward him, every step feeling like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops. Ethan turned, those familiar hazel eyes finding mine, and suddenly the social hierarchy, the anxiety, the overthinking - it all faded into background noise.

"Hey," he said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I was wondering when you'd come over."

Maybe the real victory wasn't reaching the top of the pyramid. Maybe it was finally stepping out from the shadows and into the light, even if your hands were shaking and your face was burning and you had absolutely no game whatsoever.

"Yeah," I managed. "Me too."