Goldfish at the Summit

Maya's phone buzzed with another text from the group chat. "U coming to jake's party?" She stared at the screen, thumb hovering. The social pyramid at Northwood High had clear levels, and she was definitely floating somewhere in the middle — not invisible, but definitely not at the top where the popular kids reigned.

"Can't," she typed back. "Pet emergency."

Technically true. Her goldfish, Nacho, was swimming sideways again, and she was pretty sure that meant fish depression. But the real truth? She wasn't ready to navigate the party scene alone.

Her older brother, CJ, caught her staring at her phone. "You're overthinking it. Just go."

"Easy for you to say," Maya muttered. "You don't have to bear witness to your crush flirting with someone else."

"Oof. That's tragic, truly." CJ laughed, tossing a pillow at her. "But seriously, you'll survive. You always do."

Nacho chose that moment to do a complete backflip. Maya rushed to the bowl, staring as her fish righted himself and swam calmly like nothing happened.

"Did you see that?" she asked.

"See what?"

"Nacho! He literally—never mind. Goldfish memory, I guess."

Her phone lit up again. A photo from Jake's party: a human pyramid collapsing in the backyard, everyone laughing. No way was she missing this. She grabbed her hoodie, checked Nacho one more time (swimming normally, weirdo), and headed out.

"Maya!" Jake's voice carried across the backyard. "You made it!"

The pyramid attempt was still going on. Someone grabbed her hand. "Climb up, you're small!" The next thing she knew, Maya was being hoisted onto shoulders, teetering at the top of a swaying human structure. She looked down — saw Tyler, her crush, grinning up at her like she was queen of the world.

"I got you!" he called, arms steady beneath her.

For one perfect moment, Maya hovered at the summit of the pyramid, phone lighting up with forgotten texts, fish swimming sideways at home, social levels dissolving into nothing. She wasn't thinking about pyramids or popularity or any of it. Just the impossible warmth of being held up by people who were happy she was there.

Later that night, she dropped a piece of goldfish food into Nacho's bowl. "You should've seen me," she whispered. "I was literally on top of the world."

Nacho did another backflip, and Maya laughed. Maybe he'd remember after all.