Ghosting the Fox

The snap-back **hat** sat pulled low over Maya's eyes, her curated disguise for Jordan's party. It was her brother's stash-find—vintage, slightly smelled like basement, but it gave her that I'm-unbothered aura she desperately needed. Inside, the bass thumped against her ribs.

"Maya! You made it!" Jordan materialized, red solo cup in hand. Someone shouted "**Fox**!" from the kitchen, and Jordan's face lit up. "Oh my god, you have to see this."

He dragged her through sweaty bodies to the backyard where a girl with neon-orange hair stood on a picnic table, performing what looked like an interpretive dance. "That's Fox," Jordan whispered reverently. "She goes by Fox now. Changed it last week."

Fox caught Maya's eye and winked. Maya's **palm**s went sweaty against her phone. Social battery draining faster than Jordan's drink.

"Yo, is that a **cat**?" someone yelled.

An orange tabby had appeared on the picnic table beside Fox, who immediately abandoned her interpretive dance to scoop it up. "His name is Tangerine!" Fox announced to the cheering crowd. "We're spiritually bonded!"

Maya's phone buzzed—her ex, Liam, had posted a new story with some girl from debate club. Her stomach did that familiar flip. She pulled her hat lower.

"You good?" Jordan asked, suddenly beside her again.

"Yeah, just..." Maya gestured vaguely at everything. "Socializing is my cardio."

Fox hopped off the table, cat still in arms, and marched straight toward them. "Hi, I like your hat. It says 'I'm mysterious but approachable.'"

Maya laughed before she could stop herself. "That's exactly the vibe I paid zero dollars for."

"I'm Fox." She stuck out her hand, Tangerine balanced precariously on her shoulder. "Wanna help me find Tangerine some water? I feel like he's judging everyone's life choices."

"Hard same, buddy," Maya said to the cat.

They found a bowl in the kitchen. As Tangerine lapped water, Fox fixed those electric-orange eyes on Maya. "You look like you're hiding from something. Or someone."

Maya's defenses crumbled. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to fellow experts." Fox grinned. "So, hat theory: you wear it when you're feeling fake-it-till-you-make-it. Am I close?"

"Distressingly."

"Cool." Fox nodded like Maya had just confessed to being a secret alien. "I only do the whole 'I changed my name to Fox' thing when I'm terrified no one will like the real me. So, we're both thriving."

Maya snorted. "High-key."

"Wanna go stare at Jordan's weird fish tank and make up backstories for them?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

By midnight, Maya had abandoned the hat somewhere near the speakers. She sat cross-legged on Jordan's bedroom floor with Fox, inventing elaborate soap opera plotlines for three neon tetas. Her phone buzzed again—Liam again—but she didn't even check.

Some ghosting was worth it.