Vitamin Gummy Spy Mission

Maya's thumb hovered over the Instagram story, heart doing that thing where it forgot how to beat normally. Her best friend since seventh grade, Sierra, had posted something at 11:47 PM on a Tuesday – practically illegal behavior for someone who claimed to be "sooo tired" every day after school.

The story showed Sierra's hand holding a fluorescent orange gummy **vitamin** bottle, captioned: "New squad goals 😜✨"

Maya's stomach did a flip. New squad?

She'd been feeling like a third wheel in their own friend group since freshman year started. Sierra had joined cheer, gotten a boyfriend, and basically leveled up while Maya was still stuck in the embarrassing middle school phase of oversized hoodies and social anxiety.

Now this.

Maya became a **spy**. She started showing up early to lunch, strategically positioning herself near Sierra's locker between periods, even created a fake Finsta account to follow Sierra's closer friends. Her **iphone** battery died twice in one week from all the stalking.

The paranoia was exhausting. Every time Sierra laughed at a text or mentioned plans she couldn't detail, Maya felt like she was watching their friendship dissolve in real time.

"You good?" Sierra asked on Friday, sliding into the booth across from Maya at their usual boba spot. "You've been weird all week."

Maya shrugged, picking at the tape on her cup. "Just tired."

"Liar." Sierra reached across the table and stole one of Maya's boba pearls. "Spill."

So Maya did – told her everything about the vitamin bottle, the squad goals post, feeling like she was being replaced. The words tumbled out in this embarrassing rush, and Maya felt her face burning.

Sierra stared at her for a solid five seconds, then started laughing. Not mean laughing, but like, actual doubled-over can't-breathe laughing.

"What?" Maya demanded, feeling attacked.

"Oh my god, Maya." Sierra pulled up her Instagram and showed Maya the rest of the post she'd only seen part of. "Those are my mom's new pregnancy **vitamin** gummies. She made me post that as part of her MLM thing. 'Squad goals' was literally about her downline team."

Maya processed this. "Your mom... sells vitamins?"

"Apparently now?" Sierra rolled her eyes. "And the only reason I've been secretive is because I've been planning your surprise birthday party for TWO MONTHS."

She slid a flyer across the table: "Maya's Sweet Sixteen Spy Mission" – a murder mystery party where everyone had to dress as undercover agents.

"Oh," Maya said, feeling like the actual worst person on earth. "Also, I've been taking those gummies," Sierra added thoughtfully. "My hair has never looked better."

Maya laughed so hard she almost choked on her boba. Some friend she was, turning vitamin MLM drama into an existential crisis. But somehow, this was exactly why they were friends – they could survive anything, even each other.