Pyramid Scheme in Aisle Four

Marcus's first day at FoodMart wasn't supposed to involve this much chaos. His manager, Greg (who insisted everyone call him "G-Money"), had assigned him the exotic fruit section. Which meant staring at papayas all afternoon while trying to look busy.

"Yo, you gonna actually stock those or just vibe with them?"

Marcus jumped. It was Chloe, the junior varsity baseball pitcher who sat two rows behind him in homeroom. She was wearing her baseball jersey like a badge of honor, hair frizzy from practice.

"I'm strategizing," Marcus lied. "These papayas are aggressive."

Chloe laughed, actually laughed. "You're weird. But like, in a good way."

That was when the store's intercom crackled. Greg's voice echoed through the aisles: "Clean up in Aisle Four. We have a... situation."

The situation turned out to be Mrs. Henderson's cat. It had escaped its carrier and was currently perched atop a pyramid of canned beans, hissing at anyone who approached.

"That's a pyramid scheme," Chloe whispered, and Marcus snorted. She high-fived him.

Greg waddled over, red-faced. "Someone needs to get that cat down."

"I got this," Marcus said, surprising himself. He approached the bean pyramid slowly, making soft clicking sounds. The cat—a calico named Mango—watched him with suspicious yellow eyes.

"Hey Mango," Marcus murmured. "Your mom's worried."

The cat inched forward. Marcus's heart raced. This was it—either he'd save the day or end up in a viral fail compilation.

Mango leaped into his arms, and the pyramid trembled but held.

"Damn," Chloe said. "You're like, lowkey a hero."

Mrs. Henderson thanked him with a twenty-dollar bill. Greg said he'd "put in a good word." Chloe walked him to his bike after his shift.

"You know," she said, "baseball season's starting up. We could use someone with hands like that on the team."

Marcus considered the papaya-stained apron he was still wearing. "Maybe."

"Definitely maybe." She grinned. "See you tomorrow, weirdo."

As he rode home, cat scratches still stinging on his arm, Marcus thought pyramids weren't just about being at the top. Sometimes they were about having someone steady enough to hold everything together.