The Sphinx Behind Home Plate

Marcus stood at the edge of the pool, chlorine stinging his nose, clutching his phone like a lifeline. The party was already hitting different — people grinding on each other in the shallow end like they'd invented water, while he was stuck in the corner with his sister's service dog, Buster, who was currently giving him the side-eye.

"You good, man?" Jake called from the diving board, doing that thing where his voice got all echo-y and weird. "Or are you gonna stand there being a sphinx all night?"

Marcus flipped him off, but it came out half-hearted. The whole baseball team was there, because of course they were. Including Chloe, who was currently laughing at something Tyler said, her hair wet and perfect and why was he even looking, she'd never notice him anyway.

Then he saw it — a flash of orange near the back fence. A fox. Just sitting there, watching them like it was the weirdest human zoo it'd ever encountered. The fox looked at Marcus, looked at the baseball jersey he was wearing even though he'd never actually made varsity, and then bolted into someone's backyard.

He followed.

Because that's what you do when you're seventeen and feel like you're drowning in social situations and a literal wild animal seems more relatable than your classmates.

The fox led him to the old baseball field behind the rec center — the one nobody used anymore because the new field had actual lights and stuff. There was a dog there, some stray who looked like she'd had seven litters and was done with everyone's nonsense. She was curled up near home plate.

Marcus sat beside her. "I feel you," he told the dog. "People are exhausting."

"You talking to my dog?" a voice said.

It was Chloe. She was holding two sodas. "Saw you leave. Figured you needed an out."

She sat next to him, not too close, not too far. The fox reappeared on the dugout roof, looking down at them like they were the most interesting show in town.

"I hate parties," Marcus admitted, suddenly feeling like he could say anything. "I hate that I have to perform being cool. I hate that I tried out for baseball three times and never made it."

Chloe nodded. "I hate that everyone thinks I'm good at swimming just because I'm on the team. I literally almost drowned at age five."

The dog rested her head on Marcus's knee. The fox made this weird yipping sound that was almost like laughing.

"Wanna get out of here?" Chloe asked. "There's a sphinx exhibit at the art museum. They're doing this late-night thing. We could go be awkward somewhere else."

Marcus looked at the fox watching them, at the dog who'd decided he was worthy, at Chloe who was looking at him like he was a real person.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's bounce."