The Bear at the Edge of Everything

Maya's **dog**, Buster, sensed it before she did — the vibration in her pocket that would change everything. Her **iPhone** lit up with a notification that made her stomach drop: Jayden had posted their first Instagram story since the fight.

"Don't do it," whispered Sam, her oldest **friend**, from the sleeping bag beside her. They were supposed to be having the ultimate post-middle-school camping trip, but Maya was too busy playing **spy** on someone who used to be her best friend.

The drama had started weeks ago at Emma's party. Maya had caught Jayden posting screenshots of their private text messages in their close friends story — the ultimate betrayal. Now here she was, three days into a wilderness escape, still obsessively checking social media like an addict.

Buster whined, nudging her hand with his wet nose. The golden retriever had been her emotional support animal since her parents' divorce last year. Dogs didn't judge. Dogs didn't screenshot your texts and post them for the whole school to see.

"I'm just gonna check it once," Maya said, already unlocking her phone.

That's when the bushes rustled.

Sam's flashlight beam caught it first — a massive shadow, unmistakably a **bear**, about twenty feet from their campsite. Maya's heart stopped. All those hours spent obsessing over teenage drama suddenly seemed incredibly small.

"Bear!" Sam shouted, scrambling to grab the bear spray they'd been told to bring but hoped never to use.

Buster, usually the chill-est dog on the planet, erupted into barks that echoed through the forest. The bear huffed, standing on its hind legs, and Maya understood with perfect clarity what real problems looked like.

They backed away slowly, Sam keeping the bear spray ready, Maya clutching Buster's trembling body to her chest. The bear watched them with dark, intelligent eyes, then dropped to all fours and ambled off in the opposite direction.

The adrenaline crash hit Maya like a wave. She was shaking, her phone still clutched in her hand, the notification from Jayden long forgotten.

"You okay?" Sam asked, sitting beside her on a log.

Maya looked at her phone, then at the forest, then at her friend who had just stood beside her through a literal bear encounter.

"Yeah," Maya said, and actually meant it. "Yeah, I think I am."

She opened her phone, went to Jayden's profile, and hit mute. Some things weren't worth the mental space.

Buster curled up beside her, and Sam passed her a slightly squashed marshmallow. The stars were brighter out here anyway.