Bear Country

Maya couldn't remember the last time she and Chloe had been real friends. Eighth grade had blown everything apart—Chloe got contacts and joined the volleyball team, while Maya stayed in her oversized hoodies, collecting rocks behind the gym and failing algebra.

Now they were stuck together on this stupid weekend camping trip because their moms were best friends and refused to acknowledge their daughters had become strangers.

"Hey," Maya said, trying to sound normal. "Want to look for constellations tonight? I printed a chart."

Chloe barely glanced up from her phone. "Maybe. Sarah's having a party. I'm missing it for this."

The silence stretched, uncomfortable and jagged. Maya grabbed her backpack and headed toward the bathroom. That's when she saw it—a massive black bear, thirty feet away, casually nosing through their campsite.

Her breath caught. The bear looked up, eyes dark and intelligent. Then it turned toward Chloe, who was still scrolling through Instagram, completely oblivious.

"Chloe," Maya whisper-shouted. "Chloe, bear. BEAR."

Chloe's head snapped up. She screamed, then froze. The bear took a step toward their food cooler.

"Throw something," Maya yelled, weirdly calm. "Throw your phone."

"No way—"

"Just do it!" Maya grabbed her keys and jingled them wildly. The bear startled, then lumbered back toward the trees. They stood there, hearts racing, until it disappeared.

"Oh my god," Chloe breathed, finally looking at Maya. "You saved my life."

"You would've thrown the phone," Maya said, and they both started laughing, this weird release of tension that had been building for months.

Later, as they sat by the fire watching actual constellations emerge, Chloe reached into her bag. "Want a gummy vitamin? My mom makes me take them on trips. Says it's 'immune support' or something."

Maya took one. "I hate cherry."

"Me too," Chloe said, popping one in her mouth. "Hey, remember when we made that documentary about worms in fourth grade?"

"And you cried because the dirt got under your nails."

"Shut up." Chloe laughed, and it sounded real. "You were the only friend who didn't make fun of me."

The fire crackled between them. Some things had changed, Maya realized. But maybe not everything had to.