i peeked at her bio and i'm thinking either they could've met because mal went to one of her dances classes after being forced to by a friend (she'd rather die than go willingly) OR maybe through a birthday party mal went to for a friend's kid that naina happened to be working at? either an ex or a fling/fwb works for me, but i'm kinda thinking the latter because mal is essentially obsessed with the same things she is and i assume they could have various colorful arguments about disney and hp