Fox in the Fray

Maya's palms were sweating so bad she could practically water plants with them. First house party of sophomore year, and she'd already spent twenty minutes hiding in the bathroom scrolling through Instagram like her life depended on it.

"You good in there?" her best friend Kai texted. "Jackson's asking about you."

Jackson. The boy she'd been lowkey crushing on since homeroom. The one with the messy hair and that lazy smile that made her brain short-circuit.

Maya wiped her hands on her dress and took a deep breath. She could do this. She was not about to be that awkward girl who spent parties petting the host's cat instead of actually talking to humans.

The living room was packed. Someone had brought a cat—that orange tabby from down the street—and it was currently weaving through legs like it owned the place. Maya spotted Jackson near the soda pong table, laughing with his friends.

Her fox emoji hoodie suddenly felt incredibly childish.

She grabbed a sparkling water from the kitchen and tried to look casual. Normal. Like someone who belonged at parties.

"Hey!" Jackson materialized beside her. "I love your hoodie. You matching with your outfit or just repping your spirit animal?"

Maya's brain short-circuited. "Uh—"

"I'm kidding." His smile was actually nice up close. "I'm Jackson."

"Maya."

"Cool name." He leaned against the counter. "So, you running away from something or just here for the free sparkling water?"

She laughed before she could stop herself. "Both. Maybe."

"Fair." He gestured toward the backyard. "Wanna get some air? This many people in one house is kind of overwhelming."

They ended up on the porch swing, talking about everything and nothing. Mr. Harrison's cat jumped onto Maya's lap and started purring like a motorboat. Jackson made fun of how the cat looked like it was plotting world domination.

For the first time all night, Maya's palms weren't sweating.

"You know," Jackson said suddenly, "I was gonna leave early. But now I'm kinda glad I stayed."

The cat rubbed its head against Maya's hand.

"Me too," she said.

Sometimes the best moments weren't the ones you planned for. They were the ones where you stopped running long enough to let them find you.