The Bear's Riddle

The bear costume smelled like every middle school drama production ever staged, but I wore it anyway because Lydia said it would be "low-key iconic" for the homecoming game. Spoiler: it wasn't. I stood by the bleachers like a six-foot stuffed animal with social anxiety, watching the real people exist in their natural habitat.

Then Harper appeared—sphinx makeup flawless, golden dress catching the gym lights, moving through the crowd like she owned every square inch of high school hierarchy. She spotted my bear self and changed course, making a beeline for me and my awkward.

"Nice bear," she said, dipping her head like this was completely normal conversation. "You stuck in there, or is this a vibe?"

"My friends ditched me," I admitted, feeling ridiculous in faux fur. "They said they'd be right back. That was forty minutes ago."

"Classic." Harper leaned against the bleachers, crossing her arms. "Want to know what I think?"

"Not really?"

"Too bad." Her eyes sparkled. "Those aren't friends. Friends don't leave you wandering around in a bear costume at a football game. That's weak energy."

"They're just—"

"Busy? Nah. Busy people send texts. Fake friends vanish and hope you'll take the hint." She checked her phone, then fixed me with a sphinx-like stare. "Here's my question: what's heavy but light as air, stronger than steel but breaks in seconds?"

"What?"

"Trust. You're carrying around all this trust for people who don't return the energy. That's heavy, bear." She gestured at my costume. "But letting it go? That's light as hell."

The fight song blared, students screamed, and there I was—getting life advice from the sphinx queen of eleventh grade. But somehow she wasn't wrong.

"You're weird," I said.

"You're wearing a bear costume to a non-costume event. We're both weird." She held out her hand. "I'm Harper. Want to get food court tacos and talk about how much this game sucks?"

I looked at the empty spot where my friends were supposed to be. Then I looked at Harper, waiting like she had all the time in the world.

"Lead the way." I unzipped the bear head. "But I'm changing first. This fur is itchy as hell."