Fox Cunning, Zombie Running

Maya adjusted her baseball cap, trying to look like she belonged in the batter's box. Varsity tryouts, junior year. The moment everything supposedly changed, except right now she just wanted to throw up.

"You've got this," said Finn, the senior with the fox-like grin who'd been flirting with her since summer league. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and Maya's stomach did that annoying flip thing it always did when he looked at her like that.

The coach hit a line drive toward right field. Maya sprinted, glove extended, heart hammering against her ribs. The ball connected with leather—*thwack*—perfect. But as she planted to throw back to infield, her ankle rolled sideways. Not enough to snap, but enough to make her stumble. The return throw sailed high, wide, humiliating.

Across the field, someone laughed. Not loud, but enough. Maya's face burned.

That night, she limped into the diner where the team hung out, feeling like a zombie from studying until 2 AM and trying to prove herself on the field. Everyone was already there—the golden group, the ones who made everything look easy. Finn sat next to Chloe, who practically radiated captain energy and had zero bruises on her ego.

Maya considered turning around. She'd barely survived tryouts. Why subject herself to watching them all bond over something she'd almost certainly failed?

But then she saw it—the little fox figurine on the table between Finn and Chloe. The same one Finn had shown her at the batting cages last week, the one he said his grandma gave him for luck.

He'd told her it was special. And now he was sharing it with Chloe.

Maya's chest tightened. She'd thought the connection between her and Finn was real, but apparently, she was just another teammate. Another option.

"Hey!" Finn called, spotting her. "Saved you a seat."

Maya forced herself forward. She could bear this—sit through one awkward dinner, then move on. She'd survived algebra and sprained ankles and middle school bangs. She could survive a boy who wasn't what she thought.

But as she slid into the booth, Finn slid the fox figurine toward her.

"For luck," he said, grinning that same fox-like grin. "Chloe was just helping me clean it. It was getting dusty."

Maya looked between them. Chloe rolled her eyes. "He's been talking about you all week, you know."

"Really?" Maya asked, heart doing that flip thing again.

"Really," Finn said. "So. Tomorrow. You're trying out for first base, right?"

Maya smiled, finally letting herself believe it. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."