Goldfish Hair and the Bear Trap

Maya's hair was supposed to be sunset copper. Instead, she came out of the bathroom looking like a goldfish that had seen better days.

"That's... bold," her brother said, barely looking up from his phone. The family cat, Pickles, wound around her legs and let out a judgmental meow.

Maya's hands shook as she checked the mirror again. The orange was aggressive. The kind of aggressive that screamed I'M GOING THROUGH SOMETHING BUT I WON'T TALK ABOUT IT. Which, honestly, she wasn't. Not since the incident with Jason at Skylar's party two weeks ago.

"Your father's gonna lose it," her brother called from the couch.

Her dad—nicknamed Bear back in his football days for the way he'd flatten opponents on the field—was the gentlest man she knew. But Bear also had feelings about appearances. Family image. The kind of things that mattered when you ran three car dealerships and everyone knew your name.

The front door opened. Heavy footsteps.

"Maya?" Bear's voice carried from the hallway. "You okay in there?"

Pickles the cat chose that exact moment to knock over Maya's goldfish bowl on her dresser. CRASH. Water everywhere. Gary the goldfish flopped on the carpet, gills working overtime.

"Gary!" Maya screamed.

Bear burst into her room, took in the orange hair, the broken glass, the dying fish, his daughter's mascara-streaked face.

And this was the moment. The one where he'd ask what happened to his daughter's hair. Where he'd tell her she looked ridiculous. Where everything would come out—Jason, the party, how she'd dyed it because some girls said she looked like a try-hard.

Instead, Bear dropped to his knees, scooped up Gary, and dumped him into the half-full water glass on Maya's nightstand.

"Saved him," Bear said, grinning. His eyes crinkled at the corners. "That color's actually kind of sick, Maya. Like, really you."

Maya stared at him. Gary swam in the glass, looking confused but alive.

"You think?"

"I know." Bear stood up, water dripping from his hands. "Also, we're getting Thai food. My treat. And I'm not asking about the hair until you want to tell me. Deal?"

Pickles rubbed against Bear's leg, purring like she'd planned the whole thing.

"Deal," Maya whispered.

Some bears, she realized, didn't need to flatten anyone to save the day.