Electric Fish

Maya's **goldfish**, Neptune, floated at the top of his bowl again. Third time this week. She'd won him at the carnival last summer, back when her life still made sense. Before the **friend** group imploded. Before she became the girl who sat alone at lunch while checking her **iPhone** every thirty seconds to prove she had somewhere to be, someone to text.

The storm outside matched her chest—tight, electric, ready to crack. **Lightning** flashed across her window, turning her room strobe-blue for half a second. In that moment, Neptune's scales caught purple-orange.

Her phone lit up. A notification from Clara, her ex-best friend: *u still coming to jake's party?*

Maya stared at the screen. Her thumbs hovered. The truth was she'd been planning to stay home, fake sick, scroll through TikTok until she felt less hollow.

But then—a memory. Last year, during that sleepover at Clara's, they'd stayed up until 3 AM talking about everything. Clara had confessed she was scared of failing geometry. Maya had admitted she still slept with a stuffed rabbit. They'd promised to tell each other everything forever.

The **water** in Neptune's bowl rippled from the thunder that followed. Maya jumped, her phone slipping from her hand and landing screen-down on her rug.

She stared at her fish. Neptune wasn't dead. He was just... still. Waiting.

Maya scrambled for her phone, cracked screen be danged, and typed back: *yes. picking up sarah too. u need a ride?*

Three dots appeared immediately.

*yes pls!!!!*

Maya laughed. A real laugh, from somewhere she hadn't felt in months. Neptune darted to the surface, bubbles rising from his mouth like tiny silver pearls.

Outside, rain lashed her window. But inside, something shifted. Maybe parties were still terrifying. Maybe her social battery was the size of a AA. But she had a ride to give. A friend to pick up. A fish that was definitely not dead, just waiting for the right moment to swim again.

She grabbed her hoodie. The storm was just getting started.