Jake adjusted his neon-green leg warmers, squinting at his phone screen as the TikTok dance trend “The Banana Peel Shuffle” blared through his headphones. His living room looked like a tornado had barfed glitter and expired snacks. “This is gonna blow up,” he muttered, bouncing on his toes. His best friend, Marisol, leaned against the fridge, eating a bag of Cheetos. “You look like a confused raccoon,” she said. Jake ignored her, twirling into a chair that promptly collapsed under him. The camera rolled. He launched into the dance—hips swiveling, arms flailing—until his foot snagged on the couch cushion. Time slowed. His head hit the coffee table with a thud. The screen went black. “Cut!” Jake yelled, rubbing his forehead. Marisol snorted, Cheeto dust cascading onto her shirt. “You’re gonna be the first person to trend for a concussion.” The next day, #BananaPeelShuffle had 10 million views. Jake’s video? A 15-second clip of his face mid-slam, captioned: “When you try to dance but the universe has other plans.” His phone erupted. “Dad, I’m a celebrity!” he screamed. Marisol tossed him a water bottle. “You’re a cautionary tale. Now help me clean up this Cheeto apocalypse.”
