Electric Fish and Dead TVs

The party was dead and I was the only **zombie** walking through it. Maya's house thumped with bass that vibrated in my chest, but I felt like I was moving through syrup—just going through the motions, you know? I grabbed a soda and slipped out the back door.

The pool area was empty, thank god. Just me and this plastic bag with a **goldfish** inside that Maya had won at the carnival earlier. She'd handed it to me like it was some precious treasure, then immediately disappeared into the crowd with her friends. The fish swam in tiny circles, and honestly? Same.

I sat on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the **water**, watching the ripples distort my reflection. That's when I noticed it—the thick black **cable** snaking across the patio, plugged into some outdoor speakers. Someone had left a laptop connected nearby, and the screen showed a paused movie.

"You gonna join us or just brood by yourself all night?"

I jumped. Kai. He was standing there with two sodas, offering me one. Kai, who I'd had a crush on since eighth grade but never actually talked to because, well, *obstacles*.

"Maybe I like brooding," I said, but I took the soda anyway.

He sat next to me, close enough that our knees almost touched. "Maya said you saved her fish."

"She abandoned it five minutes after winning it."

"That's kinda Maya." He laughed, and the sound made something in my chest loosen. Then he pointed at the laptop. "Wanna finish the movie? I was watching it before everyone started arriving."

It was some cheesy horror film. We sat there, shoulder to shoulder, making fun of the terrible effects while the fish swam between us. And then—*crack*.

**Lightning** split the sky, illuminating everything in this sudden, blinding flash. For a split second, I could see Kai's face turned toward mine, surprised and real and way too close.

The power went out. Everyone inside screamed. But out there by the pool, everything was quiet and electric, and Kai didn't move away. In the darkness, his hand found mine.

"This is better than the party anyway," he whispered.

The fish swam on, oblivious. But for the first time all night, I didn't feel like a zombie anymore. I felt alive.