Four Words, Zero Chill

Marcus's phone buzzed for the twelfth time. Another DM from CatKing99—you know, the guy who'd literally ghosted him at homecoming last month. Meanwhile, Marcus was currently hiding in the school bathroom, wearing a mascot costume that smelled like three years of middle schoolers' sweat, because apparently this is his life now.

The fox head stared back at him from the gym floor. His job: mascot for the elementary school across the street. $12 an hour to wear this polyester nightmare and high-five kindergartners who'd definitely judge him later if they found out Fox Guy was also the same sophomore who'd barely survived public humiliation when CatKing99 had kissed someone else literally right in front of him.

His phone lit up again. His best friend Jasmine: 'UR LATE. BEAR IS GONNA LITERALLY END U.'

Bear. As in his older brother, Ty, aka the human embodiment of every 'protective sibling' stereotype ever, who'd somehow gotten appointed student council president and was currently running the spring fundraiser like it was a Fortune 500 company instead of a high school gym full of over-caffeinated teens trying too hard.

Marcus yanked off the fox head. His hair was tragic. His dignity was nonexistent. And somehow, someway, CatKing99—AKA Daniel—was walking through the gym doors right now.

'You good?' Daniel asked, and Marcus was absolutely NOT going to acknowledge how his heart did that annoying flutter thing it always did when Daniel used that specific voice, the one that sounded like he actually cared.

'Peachy,' Marcus said. 'Just out here living my best fox life.'

Daniel laughed. Actually laughed. And okay, maybe Marcus had spent approximately zero percent of his life preparing for this moment, but suddenly he was tired of running from everything—Daniel, the mascot thing, the fact that he'd never actually told Daniel why he'd been so weird at homecoming.

'So,' Marcus said, and the words tumbled out before his brain could veto them. 'About homecoming. And the cat thing. And everything.'

Daniel raised an eyebrow. 'Everything?'

'The bear—my brother—told me I should just say it.' Marcus swallowed. 'I like you. And I'm bad at it. Like, impressively bad.'

Daniel's face did this soft thing. 'You're wearing a fox costume, Marcus.'

'Zero chill,' Marcus agreed.

'Good thing,' Daniel said, 'I've been literally running from this conversation since October. Also, Jasmine said if I didn't come talk to you, she'd end me.'

Marcus laughed, and the fox costume suddenly felt a lot less embarrassing. Sometimes, he thought, you just had to stop running and let yourself be seen—even if you looked absolutely ridiculous doing it.