Vitamin C & Screen Dreams

Maya's iphone lay face-down on her comforter, its screen glowing with incoming notifications she couldn't bring herself to check. Another party at Jared's house—her third weekend in a row declining because her Instagram feed made it look like everyone was living their best life while she was stuck feeling blah.

Her mom knocked once, then pushed the door open with that careful energy parents use when they suspect something's off but don't want to make it weird.

"Honey, I got you those vitamin D supplements we talked about," her mom said, setting a bright orange bottle on her nightstand. "And remember—you don't have to be 'on' all the time. It's okay to just... be."

Maya nodded, fighting the sudden lump in her throat. Her phone buzzed again—another Snapchat from her best friend group chat. The fear of missing out was real, but so was the exhaustion from constantly performing happiness.

She grabbed an orange from her desk, peeling it slowly. The citrus scent filled her room, sharp and grounding. Something about the ritual—sticky fingers, the spray of juice when she pulled too hard at the peel—felt more real than any curated post.

"Mom?" Maya called out. "Can we... I don't know, watch that documentary you mentioned? The one about anxiety?"

Her mom appeared in the doorway, smiling soft. "Only if you let me make you that vitamin smoothie I've been experimenting with."

"Deal."

Maya reached for her iphone and powered it off. The screen went dark, and for the first time in weeks, the silence in her room felt peaceful instead of lonely. Sometimes the bravest thing wasn't showing up—it was logging off.