Vitamin C Confidential

Leo's hands shook as he arranged the vitamin bottles at the supplement shop where he worked after school. His crush, Maya, walked in every Tuesday at exactly 4:15, always buying the same neon orange vitamin C gummies. Leo had created a whole backstory in his head: maybe she was a singer protecting her voice, or an athlete preparing for competition.

"You're basically her vitamin dealer," his best friend Jace had joked. "You should spy on her social media. See what she's really about."

The spying thing felt weird, though. Like, wasn't that borderline creepy? But Leo's curiosity burned hotter than his embarrassment. One slow afternoon, he'd managed to find her Instagram through a mutual friend. She posted about music festivals, her cat Luna, and weirdly specific vitamin routines.

The next Tuesday, Leo's heart hammered against his ribs. Maya walked in, phone in hand.

"Hey," she said, cutting straight to his counter. "You work here?"

Leo's brain short-circuited. "Yeah."

"Cool." She leaned in closer. "I noticed you always organize the vitamin C section perfectly. My cat, Luna, actually knocked over my entire supply yesterday. Chaos."

Leo laughed before he could stop himself. "My cat used to do that. He once ate my sister's gummy vitamins and threw up orange sparkles everywhere."

Maya's eyes lit up. "Wait, you have a cat? What's his name?"

"Barnaby. He's judgmental and hates everyone except me."

"Relatable," Maya grinned. "Hey, some friends are having a bonfire this Friday. You should come. Bring the vitamin gossip."

"The what?"

"The vitamin gossip," she winked. "That's what we call it when people share stuff they shouldn't know. Plus, Luna needs more vitamin C stories."

Walking home, Leo spotted Barnaby watching from his windowsill. For the first time, the spying didn't feel so weird after all. Sometimes the most awkward encounters became the start of something real.