cided that today was another day for Lia Rivera

dition at

ed to myself as I closed my locker, backpack hanging off one shou

been styled. His sneakers looked like they'd just stepped out of a commercial.

lway with a pencil behind my ear and a granola bar

scape-right into t

d a mop somehow slapped my leg li

fr

topped

cked

ed at t

n a

he la

ai

shook and he tried not to smile too big, but couldn't help

ike a traffic cone. Cove

at p

like this wasn't the third time he'

"Just checking if the mop

bli

hed

're funny, yo

how to

a soft smile st

glued to the floor,

yself. "He laughed. Again. Th

GAIN," Maya yelled

ng w

OU FELL IN LOVE

igh

POINT

r guy" means you're confident,

hing you do, expects you to be perfect all the ti

do

existential dread. My parents are Korean immigrants. Strict, proud, and very into the idea of me becoming a do

e "did you eat?" way, not the

afternoon is for Korean school, where my grandma reminds me I hold chopsticks wrong. I love them,

hool's a br

iends despite our failed dating experiment), and Jenny (clas

ve been notici

Ri

because she was impossible to ignore in the best way. She walked like her thoughts

ke "Socially Anxious But Still Cute" or "Emotiona

freshman year. She hit me with a

ized, and we both fled

mes. Last week, she tripped and tried to use a p

thinking

s moved like they were trying to catch up to her brain. And wh

, I not

he Spaghett

pproaching death itself. I could see it o

then

dles. A whole

ia was speechless. I wa

inara like she was owning it. Like she

something about being

ost

rder than I

to cover it up. She just shrugged

pecte

it from planning some student council thin

xted

he replied

lo

to today. The

tor cart. The chaos

d

't stop

er to class. But instead, I just stood there, stunned

t on purpose. Maya's been acting suspicious. And Lucas kee

s her "gettin

not w

aking me li

k t

e bathroom

old Maya. "I am a

" she said. "That boy is ob

hed at m

r into you or he has

me?" I whispered. "Th

"Do you want

p liking him. Th

t n

didn't

wasn't just th

who texted me j

e exact place I t

ed like h

orst

making f

notic

notic

it wasn't uncrushi