Wild Things

Maya's vintage jacket had a fox embroidered on the pocket—her signature, her armor against freshman year invisibility. But sophomore year? She was done being quiet.

"You sure about this?" Liam asked, kicking at a pinecone. The camping trip was his idea. Of course it was—Liam, who'd had a crush on her since eighth grade and still couldn't string three words together without blushing.

"Bull," she said, grinning. "That's what everyone says. 'Maya, don't.' 'Maya, think it through.'" She adjusted her backpack. "I'm done thinking it through."

The bear in question lived somewhere in these woods, or so the rumors went. Last year's seniors had sworn they'd seen one, blurry cell phone proof and everything. Maya figured it was just another high school legend—like the haunted third-floor bathroom or the junior who supposedly hooked up with a college guy at a party.

But then lightning split the sky, and suddenly they weren't just three miles from camp anymore.

"Great," Liam groaned as rain started falling. "Just great."

Maya's phone buzzed—group chat blowing up with everyone back at the cabins. Where r u?? Party's getting lame without u.

"Let them wait," she said, and something in her voice made Liam look at her differently.

They found shelter under an overhang, dripping wet, laughing at how ridiculous they looked. And then—movement in the trees. Not a bear. A red fox, watching them with eyes that seemed to know everything.

"No way," Liam breathed.

The fox twitched its tail and vanished.

"You saw that, right?"

"Yeah," Maya said. "Yeah, I did."

Lightning flashed again, illuminating everything—the rain, the trees, Liam's terrified-but-gorgeous face, and suddenly she was kissing him, because why not, because the world was wild and she was done being scared of it.

Later, sopping wet back at camp, everyone wanted to know where they'd been. Maya just touched the fox on her jacket and smiled.

"Out living," she said.

And for the first time, it wasn't just words.