Vitamin Waiver

Maya stared at her cracked iPhone screen, thumb hovering over yet another Instagram story of people living their best summer lives. Meanwhile, she was stuck working at her grandma's bodega, surrounded by dusty cans and tropical fruit that seemed to mock her social life.

"Try this papaya, mija," Grandma called from the back, thrusting a suspiciously orange fruit toward her. "It's good for your skin. All those vitamins you need."

Maya wrinkled her nose. "Grams, I'm fifteen. I don't need vitamins from weird alien fruit. I need a life."

Her grandma just laughed, that knowing cackle that made Maya wonder if she'd been fifteen once too, probably with better hair and less anxiety.

Just then, the bell chimed. In walked Ethan—the Ethan from AP Chem, who sat three rows back and had that quiet intensity that made Maya's brain do backflips. She froze, papaya in hand like some sort of exotic weapon.

"Hey," Ethan said, all casual-like he hadn't just short-circuited her entire nervous system. "Your grandma said you might have..." He gestured vaguely at the fruit.

"Papaya?" Maya squeaked. Why was her voice doing that?

"Yeah. For my sister. She's vegan now and needs all those exotic vitamins or whatever." He shrugged, and Maya's heart did this little flutter thing that definitely wasn't medical.

She handed him the papaya like it was contraband. Their fingers brushed—barely, but it might as well have been lightning. "Here. Good... luck with the vegan thing."

Ethan grinned, actually grinned, and Maya felt it in her knees. "Thanks. Maybe I'll see you around? Not just at random bodegas?"

"Maybe," she managed, not dying inside.

Later that night, Maya's iPhone dinged. A DM from Ethan: *Thanks again for the papaya rescue mission. My sister says it's officially 'lit.'*

She fell back on her bed, grinning at the ceiling. Grandma was right about some things. Maybe papaya wasn't so bad after all. And maybe, just maybe, this summer wouldn't be so terrible either.