Goldfish Days

The goldfish lived in a bowl on Maya's dresser, swimming in endless circles while she stared at her phone, waiting for a text that wasn't coming.

"He's not gonna text, you know," said Leo, her older brother, leaning against her doorframe. "Saw him at the pool today with what's-her-face from chemistry."

Maya threw a pillow at him. "Get out, Leo."

He caught it and grinned. "Just saying. Friends don't do friends like that."

She flopped onto her bed and stared at the fish. Its name was Toast, which was funny because that's how Maya felt inside. Burnt and empty and kind of crunchy.

The pool party tonight was going to be awk-ward. Everyone knew that Tyler had ditched their three-year friendship overnight to sit with different people at lunch, but no one talked about it. That was the thing about high school — you could lose your best friend and still have to pretend everything was fine while standing around in someone's backyard in your swimsuit, trying not to look pathetic.

Maya's phone buzzed. Not Tyler. Sam.

"you coming tonight?"

"maybe"

"good. bring chips. also wear that blue suit. you look good in it"

Maya felt something weird in her chest, like water rising up to her neck. Sam had been Tyler's friend first, technically everyone's friend, the one who made terrible jokes and somehow made everything less awkward.

At the party, Tyler was already there, splashing around with the new crew like nothing had changed. Maya stayed in the shallow end, pressed against the pool wall, watching the way everyone gravitated toward them like they were the sun.

"Hey."

Sam slid into the water next to her, clothes and all. "Whoa, cold. Why are you hiding?"

"Not hiding. Just... observing. From a tactical distance."

Sam laughed. "You're so dramatic. Tyler's not worth all this, you know."

"I'm not mad about Tyler," Maya said, and realized it was mostly true. "I'm mad that everything changed and I'm supposed to act like it didn't."

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah. That part sucks. But hey — you've got me now. And I'm way more fun than Tyler ever was."

Maya looked at Sam, really looked, and for the first time in weeks, the water in her chest didn't feel so high. "Way more fun? Bold claim."

"I brought two bags of chips," Sam said. "That's friendship, right there."

Maya smiled, and it felt real. "Yeah. Okay. That's friendship."

Later, she'd text Leo that he was right, but not about everything. Some friends leave, but better ones find you when you're stuck in the shallow end, trying not to look pathetic, and they jump in fully clothed just to keep you company.

The goldfish kept swimming in circles, but Maya was done going in loops. Time to move forward.