Dead Fish, Living Life

The Friday night lights were blinding, or maybe that was just my exhaustion talking. I'd been running on two hours of sleep and three energy drinks, basically a functional zombie at this point. But when Maya texted "pool party @ Jake's — u coming?" I wasn't about to say no. Not when she'd finally noticed my existence after two years of sharing third-period English.

I walked through Jake's backyard gate and immediately spotted Maya lounging by the pool, her palm resting on a neon pink floatie like she was posing for a TikTok. She waved me over, and I swear my heart started doing gymnastics.

"Hey!" she called out. "You made it!"

"Wouldn't miss it," I lied smoothly, despite the fact that my social battery was basically at 1%.

The night had been going surprisingly well — until Jake's little brother decided to conduct an unofficial funeral service for his dead goldfish, Goldie, right there by the pool edge. Complete with a tiny cardboard coffin and everything.

"Goldie was a legend," the kid announced solemnly while a bunch of high schoolers tried not to laugh. "He swam with the fishes, literally."

Maya was practically doubled over, and I was trying so hard not to crack up that I accidentally backed into someone's soda cup. The resulting splash hit Jake's expensive sound system, and suddenly everyone was staring at me.

"My bad," I said, face burning hotter than the summer sun.

Maya grabbed my hand. "Hey, wanna go swimming instead?" she asked, like this was the best idea ever.

Before I could process that Maya Freaking Torres was holding my hand, she'd already pulled me toward the pool. We jumped in, clothes and all, and the cool water was exactly what I needed. Surfaces tensions and social expectations dissolved as we floated there, laughing about Goldie's memorial service and how Jake's face had looked when his speaker nearly died.

"You're pretty cool," she said, splashing water at me.

"Pretty cool for a zombie, maybe," I shot back.

She laughed, and I floated there, soaking wet and exhausted, realizing that sometimes the most awkward moments become the ones you actually want to remember. Goldie would've been proud.