The Fox and the Stray

Maya's legs burned as she pounded the dirt path, the cross-country course stretching endlessly before her. Again. Every Thursday, Coach Henderson made them run the same hill workout, and every Thursday, Maya questioned every life choice that led her to join the team.

'Smoke that hill, Martinez!' Coach yelled from his pickup truck.

Maya resisted the urge to flip him off. Barely.

Then she saw it—a flash of rust-colored fur darting between the pines near the trail. A fox. Actual wildlife in suburban Pennsylvania. It stopped, watching her with calculating amber eyes, like it knew something she didn't.

'Hey little guy,' she panted, slowing to a walk. 'You running from something too?'

The fox tilted its head, then disappeared into the undergrowth.

That's when she heard it: barking. Not cute woodland creature barking. Like, full-on disturbed beast mode barking.

A golden retriever burst from the trees, tongue lolling, chasing nothing. Then it spotted Maya and made a beeline straight for her.

'Oh no, no, no,' she backed away, but the dog was already jumping all over her, muddy paws everywhere. 'Who's a good boy? WHO'S A GOOD BOY?' someone shouted from uphill.

Maya looked up to see Liam—the Liam who sat behind her in AP Bio and never talked to anyone—running down, breathless. 'Buster! I'm so sorry, he never—'

'It's fine,' Maya said, though her new running shoes were definitely ruined.

Liam's eyes widened. 'You're Maya, right? Martinez? You got that crazy time at last week's meet.'

'You noticed?'

'I notice things.' He shrugged, trying to play it cool, but his ears were turning pink. 'I mean, I run too. Sometimes. When I'm not chasing my escaped dog through state park land.'

Maya laughed, and for the first time all season, the hill workout didn't seem so terrible.

'So,' Liam gestured toward where the fox had disappeared, 'you seen the wildlife around here before?'

'First time. You?'

'Every Thursday. He shows up like clockwork.' Liam smiled. 'Almost like he's waiting for someone worth watching run.'

Maya's stomach did that weird fluttery thing. 'Is that your way of saying you run here on Thursdays too?'

'Maybe I just like foxes.' He paused. 'Or maybe I finally found a reason to keep coming back.'

The dog barked again, and they both laughed. Maya's phone buzzed—Coach was timing them. But suddenly, the hill didn't seem so steep anymore.

'Race you to the top?' she asked, already picking up speed.

'You're on,' Liam called, chasing after her, the dog bounding happily alongside them both.