Fox in the Feed

Maya tapped her phone screen, the blue light washing over her face in the dark bedroom. 3 AM again. She'd been lurking on Jordan's profile for forty-five minutes—stalking, really, though 'stalking' felt too aggressive. More like...research.

She swallowed the chalky vitamin C tablet her mom left on her nightstand. 'For your immune system,' the note said. But Maya knew the truth: her mom thought she looked pale. Thought the late nights and skipped lunches were catching up.

They weren't. Or maybe they were. Whatever.

Jordan's story popped up—a grainy photo of some party she wasn't invited to. In the corner, someone's laptop cable snaked across a bedspread, orange light pulsing. Maya recognized that cable. It belonged to Tyler's gaming setup.

So Jordan was at Tyler's. Without her.

Maya felt that familiar twist in her chest, sharp and immediate. She and Jordan had been inseparable since seventh grade. Now juniors, things were shifting. Jordan had the new friends, the invitation list, the effortless social grace that Maya couldn't fake even when she tried.

Her fingers hovered over Jordan's DM. 'Everything okay?' Too desperate. 'Cool party?' Too bitter.

She typed and deleted five times before giving up.

The notification pinged: Jordan viewed your story.

Maya's own story was just a rewatch of some fox documentary she'd obsessively streamed at 2 AM—something about how foxes mate for life, how they're loyal but independent, how they can survive anywhere. She'd captioned it: 'goals tbh.'

Stupid. So stupid.

But then: a DM from Jordan. 'u up'

Maya's heart did that embarrassing flutter thing. 'yeah'

'party is lame. tylers being annoying. can i come over'

Maya stared at the screen. This was it—her chance to be the chill friend, the one Jordan could be real with. Not the friend who got invited to parties, but the friend who got the real Jordan at 3 AM when the performative stuff fell away.

'yes. come through'

'thank u. ur the actual best'

'bring snacks'

'always'

Ten minutes later, Maya heard the familiar tap on her window. Jordan climbed inside, smelling like someone else's perfume and night air. She kicked off her heels and collapsed onto Maya's bed with a dramatic groan.

'Tell me everything,' Maya said, handing her the vitamin C stash she kept hidden in her desk drawer.

Jordan laughed. 'You're literally the only person who gets it.' She popped two tablets like they were candy. 'I mean it, Maya. Everyone else wants something from me. You're just...here.'

'I got you,' Maya said simply.

'Yeah.' Jordan leaned into her shoulder. 'You're like my vitamin. But for my soul.'

'That's so cheesy.'

'I know.' Jordan grinned, fox-like and mischievous. 'But you love me anyway.'

Maya did. She really did.

They spent the rest of the night watching the fox documentary on repeat, Jordan's phone abandoned on the nightstand, its dark screen reflecting two girls who maybe didn't have everything—but definitely had something real.