The Fox at Midnight

Maya's first real house party. Her heart thrummed against her ribs as she stepped through the doorway. Bass vibrated through the floorboards. Someone handed her a red solo cup. She took it because that's what you did, right?

She'd spent forty-five minutes on her makeup.

She noticed her best friend Jamie across the room, laughing with someone she didn't know. Maya took out her iphone, scrolling through absolutely nothing. The glow from her screen provided a shield, a reason to stand alone without looking lonely. Pathetic. But normal lonely.

"Maya!" A voice. It was Tyler from bio class. He grinned. "Didn't think you'd come."

She shoved her phone in her pocket. "Yeah, well. Here I am."

He said something else but she couldn't hear over the music and the blood rushing in her ears. She nodded anyway. Was that the right response? She couldn't tell.

Her iphone buzzed against her hip. Mom: "Your cat shredded the curtains again. 😼"

Suddenly the room felt too hot. Too bright. Too much of everything.

She needed air.

She slipped out the back door. Cool night air hit her face. She sat on the porch steps and put her head in her hands. Why was this so hard for other people? Why did everyone else seem to know the secret handshake?

Then she saw it.

A fox, standing at the edge of the yard. Not moving. Just watching her with amber eyes that seemed to see right through everything.

It didn't look away. It didn't pretend to be something it wasn't. Just a fox, being a fox.

Her orange cat did the same thing. Sat in windowsills like he owned the place. Never apologized for existing. Never tried to shrink himself to fit the space.

"You're just out here being a fox, huh?" she whispered.

The fox's tail flicked. Then it turned and vanished into the darkness.

Her iphone buzzed again. A text from Jamie: "where r u?? come back!!"

Maya stood up. Her heart wasn't thrumming anymore. Or maybe it was, but that was okay. She could feel it beating, which meant she was alive, which was enough.

She walked back inside, found Jamie, and said, "Okay, so I was just outside, and there was this fox, and it kind of changed my entire perspective on existence?"

Jamie stared at her. Then burst out laughing. "That is the most Maya thing that has ever happened."

And maybe that was okay too.