Bear Market at Home Plate

Marcus stood at the edge of the lake, toes curled into the mud while the rest of the baseball team hooted and splashed like they'd never seen water before. This was supposed to be the victory celebration after winning regionals—a swimming party at old man Miller's pond. But Marcus had a secret.

He couldn't swim.

Not even a little.

"Yo, Mar! You coming or what?" Tyler yelled, doing a cannonball that sprayed water everywhere. Tyler was the team's star pitcher, all golden boy charm and zero self-awareness. Also, Marcus's crush since freshman year.

"Yeah, yeah, give me a sec," Marcus called back, heart hammering against his ribs like it was trying to escape his chest.

That's when he heard it—a rustle in the woods behind him. Then a low, guttural sound that made every hair on his arms stand up.

A bear.

An actual freaking bear emerged from the trees, a massive ball of brown fur and muscle that looked like it could bench press the entire baseball team. The bear huffed, eyeing the splashing teenagers like they were an all-you-can-eat buffet.

"BEAR!" Marcus screamed, grabbing a baseball bat he'd left on the bank. "EVERYBODY OUT NOW!"

The bear lunged. Marcus swung—no idea what he thought he'd accomplish against a 500-pound animal with a piece of aluminum, but in that moment, he was nothing but instinct and terror. The bat connected with the bear's snout with a hollow *thwack*.

The bear reared back, confused and annoyed. And then—

"Bernice! BAD GIRL!"

Old man Miller came charging out of his house, waving his arms. "Get back here, you old drama queen!"

The bear's ears drooped. She let out this almost pathetic little whimper and trotted back toward Miller's porch like a scolded dog.

"That's... that's a BEAR," Tyler said, scrambling onto the bank in his boxers. Marcus tried really hard not to look at his abs. Failed. "You fought off a BEAR with a baseball bat!"

The team went wild. Marcus was instantly the coolest person alive, the guy who'd saved them from certain death. The legend of Bear Fighter Marcus spread through school like wildfire.

Later, when they were all eating pizza on Miller's porch—Bernice the bear sleeping harmlessly nearby, apparently a rescue who thought she was a dog—Tyler sat beside him.

"That was so badass," Tyler said, their shoulders brushing. "Hey, you never did get in the water though."

Marcus froze. Then he shrugged, feeling weirdly okay with it. "Nah. I'm good."

"Cool." Tyler grinned. "Maybe next time, I'll teach you."

Next time. Marcus let himself smile. Maybe he'd finally tell them the truth. Or maybe he'd just be the guy who fought a bear with a baseball bat. Either way, he figured he'd be okay.