Goldfish Confessions

The storm outside matched the chaos in my head. Literally. Lightning cracked across the sky like my mom's attempt at making herself sound 'hip' when she asked if I was 'vibing' with my crush situation. I stared into the fishbowl, watching Bubbles—my prize from last year's carnival, RIP—swim in endless circles. Goldfish have a three-second memory span, or whatever. Sometimes I wished I could be that clueless. Just swim, eat, forget. Repeat.

Instead, I was channeling my inner zombie. Four hours of sleep because Jayden finally texted back at 2 AM with 'u up?' and then proceeded to have the most mid conversation ever. Now here I was, running late for first period, hair doing something that could only be described as 'electrocuted poodle meets anime protagonist gone wrong.' I tried to tame it with water in the bathroom sink, but my reflection just stared back like, 'Girl, really?'

'You look like you died twice,' said Chloe, appearing behind me with her usual chaotic energy. She was rocking those tiny sunglasses she refuses to take off, even indoors. 'Also, Jayden's looking for you.'

My stomach did that thing where it forgets how to organ. 'What? Why?'

'Idk, maybe to apologize for being emotionally unavailable?' Chloe adjusted her shades. 'Or maybe he finally realized you're the whole package and he's been sleeping on you. Either way, fix your situation and go talk to him.'

Another flash of lightning lit up the bathroom window. I took a breath. My hair was still doing whatever it wanted, but Bubbles swam in oblivious circles, living his best unbothered life. If a goldfish could be that confident, so could I.

'Fine,' I said. 'But if this goes sideways, I'm literally moving to a cabin in the woods and becoming a cryptid.'

Chloe grinned. 'Deal. Now go get your moment, or whatever the kids are calling it these days.'

I walked out, not running anymore. The storm kept raging, but for the first time all morning, I didn't feel like a zombie. I felt like someone about to have a really awkward conversation that might change everything. And honestly? That was terrifyingly okay.