Cable Knotted Around a Goldfish

Jordan stared at the goldfish bowl on Maya's desk, watching the tiny orange fish swim in endless circles. Outside, rain drummed against the window, matching the knot in their stomach.

"You're not gonna say anything?" Maya asked, not looking up from her phone. The ethernet cable lay snaked across her floor like a dead thing, disconnected since their fight three days ago.

Jordan shifted, the vitamin gummy they'd pocketed from the kitchen cabinet burning a hole in their pocket. Their mom insisted these stupid gummies would help with "mood swings," but honestly? The only thing that helped was having a best friend who actually talked to them.

"I didn't mean to crash your party," Jordan said finally. "I just... I thought we were doing stuff together. Like we always do."

Maya's laugh was sharp. "Yeah, well, maybe I'm tired of 'we' always meaning 'whatever Jordan wants.' Maybe I want to make new friends. Maybe I'm done being the sidekick in your movie."

The goldfish nudged the glass, its tiny mouth opening and closing. Jordan felt suddenly small.

"I never—"

"You DO, though." Maya finally looked up, eyes red. "It's not just the party. It's everything. You cancel plans when something better comes up. You talk over me. You don't even notice when I'm having a bad day unless I spell it out."

Jordan's throat tightened. They'd never thought about it like that.

"I'm sorry," they whispered. "For real. I didn't realize."

Maya's expression softened, just a little. "Yeah, well. Now you know."

Silence stretched between them, thick with things unsaid. Jordan reached into their pocket and pulled out the squished vitamin gummy, holding it out like an offering.

"Peace offering? My mom says these are 'mood support,' which is obviously BS, but..."

Maya actually laughed. "You're the worst."

"So... we're good?"

Maya sighed, plugging the ethernet cable back into her laptop. "We're working on it. But you're buying snacks, and I get to pick the movie."

"Deal." Jordan grinned, shoulders finally dropping. "And maybe we can get your fish a friend? He looks lonely swimming in circles like that."

"Don't push your luck." But Maya was smiling now, really smiling, and Jordan knew they'd be okay. Eventually.