The Fox in the Mirror

Jayden adjusted the fitted hat, tilting the brim just right—same way his older brother always did. It was his armor tonight, his shield against the absolute chaos of Maya's house party. The bass thumped through the floorboards as he stood alone by the snack table, nursing a flat soda like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Across the room, a fox.

Okay, not literally. But that's what the girls called Alex—that sharp, confident vibe, the knowing smirk, the way Alex moved through the crowd like gravity bent around them. Jayden had been catfishing Alex online for three weeks, pretending to be someone cooler, someone who didn't live in their brother's shadow, someone who actually spoke in full sentences at parties.

The doorbell rang. Someone screamed, "THE CAT GOT OUT!"

Maya's orange tabby bolted through the forest of legs, and suddenly Jayden was running—not away (which was his usual move), but toward the sliding glass door, chasing the cat into the backyard with Alex right beside him.

They cornered the cat behind the shed, breathing hard in the cool night air. Alex's hat had fallen off during the chase. Dark curls spilled loose.

"You're quieter in person," Alex said, catching their breath. "Than online, I mean."

Jayden's stomach dropped. "You knew."

"Your profile pic was wearing that exact same hat." Alex pointed to Jayden's head. "But for real? This version's better. The one who runs after escaped cats instead of just talking about it."

Jayden pulled off the hat, letting his own messy hair free. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Besides," Alex grinned, "I was catfishing too. I'm not actually this confident. I just googled 'how to act at parties' yesterday."

They stood there, two foxes without their costumes, while the cat purred at their feet. Sometimes the realest things happen when you stop running.