Goldfish at the Kickback

Maya stood by the bathroom door, clutching her solo cup like it was a lifeline. Jordan's house party was everything she dreaded—loud music, people shouting over each other, and that weird smell of cheap body spray mixed with anxiety. She'd only come because Tyler said he might show, and honestly? She was tired of being the girl who stayed home scrolling through TikTok while everyone else lived their "main character" moments.

The goldfish bowl on Jordan's dresser caught the light from the string lights overhead, tiny bubbles rising to the surface. Maya watched a single orange fish dart between plastic plants, alone even in its own bowl. Mood, she thought.

"You gonna stare at that fish all night or actually vibe?"

Maya jumped. It was Riley—fox-eyed sharpness, messy braids, and that effortless way she commanded every room she entered. Riley was the kind of girl who could show up to school in sweats and still make it look like a fit check.

"Just thinking," Maya managed, feeling her face heat up.

"About Tyler?" Riley raised an eyebrow. "Girl, he's not worth the stress. I saw him flirting with Sarah by the snacks."

Maya's stomach did that thing it always did—like she'd swallowed something wrong. But then Riley laughed, not mean, just real.

"I'm messing. Sarah's his cousin. But you *are* bear-ing a lot of unnecessary weight over someone who doesn't even know you exist yet."

The bathroom door swung open and Tyler stumbled out, adjusting his orange hoodie. He froze when he saw them.

"Hey, Maya," he said, and then he actually smiled. Not the polite one he gave everyone, but something different. "I was looking for you. Riley said you might be hiding."

Riley winked at Maya and drifted away toward the kitchen, leaving them alone in the crowded hallway. The goldfish rose to the surface, as if it too was holding its breath.

"So," Tyler said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You want to get some air?"

Outside, the night air was cool, and for the first time all evening, Maya's chest didn't feel tight. The orange glow from the porch light made everything feel possible, like the start of something instead of the end.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I do."

And somewhere in that moment, she stopped being the girl by the bathroom door, watching from the sidelines.