Vitamin Cool

My palms were sweating like I'd just run a marathon. Which I hadn't. I'd just been standing here for twenty minutes, clutching this stupid solo cup like it was a lifeline. It was Tyler's house party — the social event of the freshman year so far — and I was failing. Hard. I'd spent all week building up my confidence, treating it like some essential vitamin supplement I had to take daily. Vitamin Cool. But right now? I was definitely deficient.

Then I saw Jake's golden retriever, Buster, trotting through the crowd like he owned the place. That dog had more social confidence than I'd ever have. People were literally stopping to pet him, laughing as he nudged their hands with that wet nose of his. Even the seniors. Even Chloe, who I'd been lowkey crushing on since September.

I took a desperate sip of my drink and almost choked. Orange soda. Of course. The one drink that makes your teeth look like you've been eating Cheetos for a week. Because the universe wasn't done roasting me yet.

"Hey, you okay?"

I jumped and nearly spilled my orange-stained future all over my shoes. Chloe. Standing there. Actual Chloe, with her perfect hair and that soft smile that made my brain short-circuit. She knelt down to pet Buster, who had suddenly decided my general vicinity was the best place to be.

"Yeah, just... you know," I managed, my voice cracking mid-sentence. Smooth. "Parties aren't really my vibe."

She laughed, and it wasn't mean. It was genuine. "Buster seems to disagree. He's got good taste."

The dog chose that moment to shove his wet nose into my palm, demanding attention like the golden boy he was. I scratched behind his ears, somehow forgetting to be nervous for like three seconds.

"You're not so bad yourself," Chloe said, standing up. "Want to get some air? The basement's getting kind of intense."

I looked at my orange-soda cup. At my sweaty palms. At Buster, who was looking at me like I was an idiot for not already saying yes.

"Yeah," I said, and for the first time all night, I didn't feel like I needed to fake anything. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Maybe Vitamin Cool wasn't something you took. Maybe it was just finding the one person who got that you didn't have to be cool at all.