The Mascot Incident

Maya's plan to survive sophomore year invisible was going perfectly until she accidentally signed up to be the school mascot.

"You'll be fine," Jenna had said, sliding the signup form across the cafeteria table. "Just wear the costume, nobody knows it's you."

That was a lie. Everyone knew it was her when she tripped over her own giant **dog** paws during the pep rally and faceplanted in front of the entire student body.

The humiliation would have been endurable if Lucas, the guy she'd been lowkey crushing on since September, hadn't been sitting front row.

Now she was stuck in this sweaty polyester nightmare, padding through the halftime crowd at the final **baseball** game of the season. The heat inside the costume was unbearable. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, and she was pretty sure she was going to pass out before the third inning.

Then she saw him: Tyler **Bull**, the starting pitcher and walking ego of the varsity team, cornering Lucas against the concession stand.

Maya didn't think. She just marched over in her oversized mascot head and shouted, "BACK OFF, BULL."

The entire student section turned to stare.

Tyler slowly pivoted, one eyebrow raised. "The **bear** is talking to me."

"IT'S A HUSKY," Maya corrected, then immediately regretted drawing attention to the school's confusing choice of mascot. "Leave him alone."

Tyler looked like he was about to laugh, but something in her body language—despite the ridiculous costume—made him pause. "Whatever, mascot girl. Lucas, your bodyguard's scary."

After Tyler walked away, Maya expected Lucas to make fun of her. Instead, he just grinned.

"That was actually really brave," he said, like he meant it.

Maya's face burned. She was trapped in a social **pyramid** where she'd just gone from invisible nobody to weird mascot girl who called out a bully, all in the span of thirty seconds.

"Want to get food after?" Lucas asked. "My treat. As thanks for the rescue."

Inside the costume, Maya smiled. Maybe being invisible wasn't the survival strategy she thought it was.

"Only if I can change first," she said.

"Deal."

Sometimes the worst decisions turn out to be the best ones. Even if you're wearing a dog costume.