The Bear's Backyard Betrayal

Jake stood at the edge of the pool, clutching his phone like a lifeline. Summer before sophomore year, and Mia had actually invited him to her party. His best friend Ryan had ghosted two hours ago, leaving Jake alone in a sea of lacrosstitudes and girls who looked like they'd stepped out of a TikTok trend cycle.

"You gonna stand there all day or actually get in?"

Jake spun around. It was Mia's dad, a massive guy everyone called Bear—not because of his size but because of the literal bear tattoo spanning his back. He held two papayas in one hand like they were tennis balls.

"I'm good," Jake managed, though his voice cracked mid-syllable.

Bear laughed, setting the fruit on a table. "Your loss. Mia's inside. She's been asking about you."

Jake's heart did that thing where it forgot how to rhythm properly. Then he spotted them—Mia and her friends gathered around the padel court in the backyard, laughing as some guy in Vineyard Vines absolutely served everyone. Jake knew padel. He'd played with his grandma. But these guys made it look like an Olympic sport.

He watched Mia laugh at something Vineyard Vines said, and suddenly Jake was back in middle school, the last one picked for everything, always the friend never the crush. The papaya on the table mocked him with its tropical confidence.

Then Bear appeared beside him again, shirtless now, bear tattoo on full display. "You know how to play?"

"Kinda."

"Good." Bear tossed him a racquet. "Show them how it's done."

Jake took the racquet, fingers shaking. What did he have to lose? He'd already embarrassed himself by staring at Mia for forty-five minutes.

Three games later, Jake was wiping the floor with Vineyard Vines and his crew. Bear hollered from the sidelines. Mia watched from the pool's edge, her legs dangling in the water, actually smiling at him.

"Where did you learn to play like that?" Mia asked later, as they sat on the pool deck watching sunset paint the sky.

Jake shrugged, suddenly aware of how close she was. "My grandma. We play every Sunday."

Mia laughed, and it was better than any serve he'd ever hit. "That's kinda adorable."

They talked until Bear called everyone for papaya smoothies (which were actually amazing, Jake had to admit). And when Mia texted him that night—today was fun, btw 🥺—Jake realized sometimes the best moments happened when you stopped overthinking and just jumped in the pool.