The Last Party Before Everything Changed

Jordan balanced the red solo cup on the edge of the pool table, trying to look like they belonged. This was supposed to be the party of the year—Emma's parents were out of town, which meant unlimited freedom and zero supervision. But Jordan mostly felt like they were waiting for something real to happen.

"Hey, nice hat," someone called out.

Jordan self-consciously touched the beanie they'd stolen from their older brother's closet. It was dumb to wear it indoors in August, but it was something to hide behind. A shield.

In the kitchen, Emma was doing that thing where she laughed too loud at everything someone said, especially when it came from Tyler, who was somehow even more popular now than he'd been in middle school. Jordan had known Emma since third grade, back when they'd bonded over shared peanut butter cookies and a mutual hatred of math. Now Emma wore makeup Jordan didn't recognize and used words like "aesthetic" and "valid" in ways that felt practiced.

"What are you doing back here?" Emma appeared in the doorway, Tyler trailing behind her like a shadow. His hair was perfectly messy in that way that probably took thirty minutes.

"Just... chilling," Jordan said. Why was it so hard to talk to someone they'd known literally forever?

"We're doing karaoke in the basement," Tyler said, already moving past Jordan. "You coming?"

Jordan followed them down, where someone had connected a microphone to a Bluetooth speaker and people were shouting Taylor Swift lyrics. Emma grabbed the mic, her confidence sudden and bright, and Jordan remembered the way she'd belted out songs in her bedroom when they were twelve, voice crackling with braces and unselfconscious joy.

A fox darted across the backyard, visible through the sliding glass door—orange and wild and completely unbothered by the teenagers inside. Jordan watched it slip through the fence, gone before anyone else noticed.

"What are you looking at?" Emma asked, sliding up beside them.

"Nothing. Just... saw something."

Emma's phone buzzed. "Oh shoot, my cousin's here. He brought papaya from the farmer's market because he's obsessed with making smoothies now. Want to try one?"

"Sure," Jordan said, even though they'd never had papaya in their life.

In the kitchen, Emma's cousin was blending something bright orange. His dog, a golden retriever named Max, was wagging his tail so hard his whole body shook. The dog pressed against Jordan's leg like they were already best friends, and Jordan bent down to scratch behind his ears, feeling something loosen in their chest.

"He likes you," the cousin said. "Max is a good judge of character."

Emma handed Jordan a glass. "Try it. It's literally life-changing."

It tasted like sunshine and something Jordan couldn't name, and they swallowed it all in one go.

"So?" Emma asked, actually waiting for an answer.

"It's... valid," Jordan said, and Emma laughed, really laughed, like she used to.

Jordan's phone buzzed—Mom wondering when they'd be home. But they didn't want to leave yet, not when things were starting to feel real again. The fox was gone, the papaya was strange and new, and the dog was still pressing against their leg, happy to be exactly where he was.

Maybe Jordan could be like that. Maybe they didn't need the hat after all.