The Pyramid Scheme

Freshman year at Northwood High worked like a pyramid. Seniors at the top, then juniors, sophomores, and us at the bottom—barely visible, crushed under the weight of everyone else's expectations.

I'd been taking this vitamin supplement my mom bought, trying to bulk up because maybe if I didn't look so scrawny, Sydney Chen would finally notice me existed. The bottle promised "maximum growth potential" which felt like exactly what I needed.

"You coming to the game?" Marcus asked at lunch. He'd been my best friend since kindergarten, back when we both still thought we'd become professional baseball players. Now Marcus actually had a shot—varsity shortstop as a sophomore, already getting letters from colleges.

"Probably," I said, picking at my pizza. "Why?"

"Sydney'll be there. Cheering.

"I grinned. "You trying to tell me something?"

"No, dumbass. She's been asking about you."

I nearly choked on my milk. "What? Why?"

"Dunno. Maybe she likes scrawny guys who take weird vitamins." Marcus punched my arm. "Anyway, Lucas is pitching tonight. First varsity start."

Lucas—my brother, the golden child. Senior, captain, had already signed with Ohio State. The pyramid favored people like him. People who didn't have to try.

The game was packed. I found Sydney near the fence, wearing Lucas's jersey.

"Hey," she said. "Your brother's amazing."

"Yeah. He's something."

"You think he'd sign my jersey after?"

Something tightened in my chest. "Sure."

I watched Lucas on the mound—confident, effortless. The pyramid had rewarded him with everything. Meanwhile, I was down here taking vitamins that probably didn't even work, hoping someone might accidentally notice me.

"Actually," Sydney said, "I was asking Marcus about you because I noticed you always stay after games to help clean up. That's cool. Not many people do that."

I blinked. "Oh. Thanks."

"Yeah. Lucas is great, but he's always surrounded by people. You seem... I don't know, more real."

The pyramid started to feel less like a crushing weight and more like something I could climb on my own terms—not by becoming someone else, but by being exactly who I already was.

"Hey," I said. "You want to get food after? With me? Not Lucas."

Sydney smiled. "I'd like that."

Later, I threw the vitamins in the trash. Some things you can't supplement. Some things you just have to grow into.