Cannonball Contest

The last thing Maya wanted to do was spend her Friday night at Jessica's pool party, especially after what happened with Tyler in homeroom. But Chloe had dragged her along, promising there'd be cute guys from the baseball team. Maya wasn't interested in cute guys — she was busy trying to disappear into herself.

"You coming in or what?" Chloe called from the diving board, already in her bikini while Maya stood poolside in her oversized t-shirt and shorts. The backyard was packed with people from school, music thumping, someone doing cannonballs off the shallow end.

Maya shook her head. She wasn't ready to be seen. Not like this. Not after Tyler had told everyone she looked like a "goldfish" when she got nervous — all wide eyes and frozen silence. The nickname had stuck like glue.

Then she saw him: Liam from the baseball team, sitting alone on a patio chair, scrolling through his phone like he'd rather be anywhere else. Something about the way he kept adjusting his baseball cap, like a shield against the world, made her feel less alone.

She made her way over, heart pounding. "I hear you guys won yesterday," she said, immediately wanting to evaporate. Small talk? Really?

Liam looked up, surprised. "Yeah. Coach says my batting average is trash though." He cracked a genuine smile. "I'm more of a bench player anyway.")

"Better than being a goldfish," Maya muttered before she could stop herself.

Liam laughed. "What?"

"Nothing. Just ... someone at school called me that. Because I get awkward and stare a lot." Maya felt her face burn.

"Huh." Liam studied her. "Goldfish actually have a three-second memory. Maybe they're just living in the moment constantly. Doesn't sound so bad." He stood up. "Hey, you wanna get out of here? There's this ice cream place down the street."

Maya looked at the pool, at Chloe doing yet another cannonball, at all the people she'd been trying so hard to impress. "Yes," she said. "Absolutely."

As they walked out the gate, she realized something: maybe being a goldfish wasn't an insult. Maybe it just meant you were finally ready to swim.