Pyramid Schemes

Leo adjusted his cap, fingers trembling. The varsity baseball tryouts spread before him like a battlefield—and the social pyramid of sophomore year loomed even larger overhead. At the top? Tyler, the golden-boy pitcher whose dad owned half the town. At the bottom? Leo and his best friend, Maya, who'd somehow talked him into this humiliation.

"You got this," Maya whispered, though her own knee bounced nervously. She'd made varsity softball as a freshman, a feat that should've placed her higher on the pyramid but somehow made her more of a target. Too talented, too threatening.

Coach Hernandez blew his whistle. "Batting practice! Let's see what you got."

Leo stepped up, heart hammering. The first pitch sailed high and outside. Strike one. Tyler smirked from the dugout. The second pitch? Leo connected—solid, perfect crack of the bat. The ball arced toward the fence, climbing like it was building its own pyramid against the sky.

"Nice hit!" someone called. But Leo couldn't celebrate. He'd have to bear down for the next pitch, prove it wasn't beginner's luck.

Third pitch: ground ball to short. Easy out. His stomach dropped.

After tryouts, Maya found him behind the bleachers. "Heard Tyler talking. Says if you make the team, he's making your life miserable."

Leo stared at his cleats. "Worth it."

"Is it?" She twisted her friendship bracelet. "Some pyramid, huh? Where doing something you love means climbing over people who want to see you fail?"

The roster posted Monday morning. Leo's name: third string, but there. Tyler's note next to it: *Charity case.*

"Whatever," Maya said when she saw his face. "We'll build our own pyramid. Base of it? People who actually know what friendship means."

That afternoon, they skipped practice together. First time all season. sat on the bleachers, watching JV run drills, Leo nursing a bruised ego and Maya sharing her secret stash of sour skittles.

"Next year," she said, "we try out for co-ed. You, me, anyone else who's sick of Tyler's pyramid."

Leo grinned. "Team name?"

"Pyramid Schemes," she said. "Cause we're flipping it upside down."