Maya, a middle school girl with lively brown eyes and an unmistakable outie belly button, pokes at her shirt, glancing around shyly before lifting it just enough to reveal her little secret. Her friends, Lila and Sophie, lean in, eyes widening with curiosity.
"Look, mine sticks out! Isn't that weird?"
"No way, that's actually kind of cool," Lila replies, reaching out hesitantly.
Sophie, the most adventurous of the group, grins and pokes at Maya's outie, her finger pressing gently against the soft skin. Laughter bubbles up as the girls take turns poking and tugging, their giggles echoing through the nearly empty room.
"Does it hurt when I do this?"
"Not really, it just feels funny," Maya responds, squirming a little but unable to stop smiling.
Lila's fingers pull a little too hard, and to everyone's horror, Maya's outie belly button comes off in her hand. The girls freeze, eyes wide, the tiny piece of skin pinched between Lila's trembling fingers.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Maya, I'm so sorry!"
"Put it back! Put it back!" Maya cries, her face turning pale.
Sophie grabs a tissue and tries to press the outie back onto Maya's belly, but it wobbles and falls off again. Lila is on the verge of tears, her hands shaking.
"Maybe we can tape it? Or glue it? Oh no, what if you need it to live?"
"Guys, I don't want to be the girl with no belly button!"
They try a Band-Aid, but it doesn't stick. Tape makes it look even stranger, and the glue stick is too messy to use. Lila looks like she might faint.
"We have to tell the nurse. Or a teacher. They'll know what to do," she whispers, barely holding back tears.
With Maya's outie nestled in a tissue, the group approaches the nurse's office, ready to face whatever consequences await. Their friendship, tested by panic and laughter, now feels stronger—even if a little more cautious.
"Next time, let's just play cards at lunch," Sophie says, managing a weak smile as they push open the nurse's door.
