The Pyramid of After-Game Parties

My baseball hat sat pulled low, doing zero percent of its job. Which was hiding me.

I stood against the wall at Jake's house, watching the social pyramid form itself like some kind of dark magic. Freshmen at the bottom. Sophomores forming the middle. Juniors and seniors at the peak, laughing like they'd invented the concept of fun. And me? Floating somewhere in the awkward ether between layers, clutching a soda like it was a lifeline.

"Nice hat,"

I jumped. Okay, I literally flinched. Maya leaned against the wall next to me, grinning like she knew exactly what I'd been thinking. Her fox tattoo peeked from her sleeve—tiny, geometric, sharp.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "It's doing great work."

"Absolutely." Her eyes danced. "Invisible woman vibes."

I snorted before I could stop myself. Maya Chen, junior varsity captain, standing here talking to me like I wasn't a complete nobody. The sphinx of the baseball diamond—mysterious, unbeatable, and apparently capable of kindness.

"You going to try out?" she asked, nodding toward where Jake and his friends were demonstrating their baseball expertise by nearly knocking over a lamp with a foam ball.

"Try out?"

"For the team. Spring season." She tilted her head. "You've got form. I've watched you during gym class."

My face burned. "You've watched me during gym class?"

"Everyone watches everyone during gym class. It's basically our national pastime." She grinned again. "So?"

"I don't know." I shifted my weight. "I'm not exactly team material."

"Yeah, no one is." She grabbed my wrist, steering me toward the chaotic foam-ball game. "That's the whole point. We start as a pyramid of awkward strangers and end up a squad. It's kind of beautiful, actually."

Jake tossed the ball at her. She caught it one-handed, fired it back, and somehow managed to wink at me simultaneously.

"Your turn, mystery person."

I adjusted my hat. Took a breath. Stepped into the light.

Okay. Maybe I could do this pyramid thing after all.