Dead Fish & Living Ghosts

My brain felt like a zombie — dead inside, shambling through Jordan's house party while everyone else seemed actually, terrifyingly alive. I clutched my red Solo cup like a lifeline, watching Maya laugh across the room with that effortless energy I'd been crushing on since September.

"Dude, you look like you're about to puke," said Tyler, appearing beside me with suspicious timing.

"Just socially anxious," I admitted. "It's fine."

"Nah, you need this." He pressed something into my palm. A vitamin C supplement? "My mom says it helps with stress. Placebo effect, bro, but honestly? Placebos work if you believe they do."

I dry-swallowed it. Anything.

Then I spotted it — a cat crouched on the kitchen counter, licking something from a bowl. Jordan's cat, Mango. The absolute legend.

"Is that..." I pointed.

Tyler squinted. "Wait, isn't that the—"

"THE GOLDFISH BOWL," we both said together.

But here's the thing: the fish was fine. Swimming in its backup tank on the windowsill, completely unbothered. Mango had just been munching on the fish flakes like the little chaos goblin she was.

That's when Maya appeared. "What are you two whispering about?"

"The cat almost murdered Nemo," I said, gesturing dramatically.

Maya's eyes lit up. "Wait, Mango? Again? She's been obsessed with fish food since Jordan got her. It's actually kind of impressive." She turned to me, really looking at me for the first time all night. "You're really observant. I like that."

Something shifted. Lightning-struck clarity.

"Yeah," I said, suddenly breathless for a completely different reason. "I notice stuff."

"Cool," Maya said. "Wanna help me make sure Mango doesn't evolve into a serial killer?"

"Absolutely," I said.

My zombie brain shuffled back to life. Sometimes the most mortifying moments — standing alone at a party, panicking over nothing, nearly accosting a cat — become the ones that change everything. Also, Tyler's vitamin might've actually helped. Or maybe that was just Maya smiling at me like I was someone worth noticing.

Either way? Best party ever.