Berry Summer

Maya stood at the edge of Blue Lake, her toes curled into the warm sand. Behind her, the rest of the camp counselors were already in the water, laughing and splashing. This was supposed to be the best summer of her life—finally old enough to be on staff instead of a camper. Instead, she felt like a fraud.

"What's wrong, Fox?" called Jenna, sliding the nickname she'd given Maya last year like it still fit. "You afraid of a little swimming?"

The group laughed. Maya forced a smile. "Just thinking." She'd outgrown the fox persona in eighth grade, but Jenna never got the memo. Some people were stuck in middle school forever.

A rustle in the bushes made everyone freeze. A massive bear lumbered into the clearing, its fur gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Maya's heart hammered against her ribs.

"Stay calm," she whispered, recalling the training session from yesterday. "Don't run."

The bear sniffed the air, then ambled toward the picnic table where someone had left fruit out. It snatched a papaya from the bowl, its claws puncturing the bright orange skin. Juice dripped down its snout as it chewed, completely unbothered by the frozen teenagers.

Maya should've been terrified. Instead, she found herself thinking about how ridiculous this was—a wild bear eating tropical fruit at summer camp in Montana. But mostly, she noticed how everyone kept glancing at her, waiting for someone to take charge.

That's when it hit her. She wasn't the shy kid who hid behind books and let others speak for her anymore. She was seventeen, almost an adult, and she knew what to do.

"Back away slowly," Maya said, her voice steady. "Keep your eyes down. Let it finish eating."

The group followed her lead, moving as one unit toward the cabins. Once safe inside, they collapsed against the wall, breathless. Jenna looked at Maya with new respect.

"Since when did you become such a boss?" she asked, but without the usual edge.

Maya shrugged, feeling something shift inside her. The person she'd been—quiet, passive, waiting for others to decide—was gone. In its place was someone who could handle a bear, who could speak up, who knew who she was.

"Since today," she said, and for the first time, it felt true.