Survival Skills and Crushes

Maya stood in the camping aisle, clutching a bottle of orange vitamin C gummies like they were a lifeline. Her mom's voice echoed in her head: "Take your vitamins, honey, camping is serious business." Meanwhile, Jake—the same Jake who'd sat behind her in bio since freshman year—was checking her out from the supplements section. Not checking her out like *that*. He was literally examining her camping gear selection with raised eyebrows.

"Nice setup," he said, nodding at her cart. "You going to war or what?"

Maya felt her face heat up. "My mom's... thorough."

"Threat level midnight," Jake joked, flashing that lopsided grin that made her stomach do actual gymnastics. "Same. My dad made me pack enough beef jerky to survive a zombie apocalypse. We good?"

"We're good," she managed, though her palms were sweating.

The camping trip was Lucas's idea—senior year, make memories, all that nostalgic stuff. But by nightfall, everything that could go wrong did. The bear bag they'd hung fifteen feet up? Apparently, this bear was an Olympian gymnast. Maya woke to rustling, peered out of her tent, and saw a massive silhouette dismantling their food supply like a pro.

"Bull," Lucas whispered, staring at the scene. "That's bull. We followed every rule."

"Bear wants snacks too, I guess," Maya whispered back, though her heart was hammering.

Jake moved closer, their shoulders brushing. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just... adrenaline."

"Hey." His voice dropped. "You're pretty chill for someone whose cliff bars are getting demolished."

Maya laughed, and somehow that broke the tension. They spent the rest of the night around a dim flashlight, sharing stories and weird facts, while the bear finished its midnight snack and lumbered off. Jake's water bottle had rolled toward her; she passed it back, their fingers brushing.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"No problem."

Later, watching the sunrise paint the sky in shades that reminded her of her vitamin gummies' packaging, Maya realized something: disasters were just stories waiting to happen. And sometimes, the best parts of growing up were the parts you never saw coming.

Jake sat beside her, close enough that she could smell his soap. "So... worst camping trip ever?"

Maya smiled. "Actually? Best."