Goldfish Ghosts

I'd been moving through sophomore year like a zombie — dead inside, just going through the motions. Algebra at 8 AM will do that to you. But then Jake transferred in and sat three rows over in AP Bio, and suddenly I was anything but brainless.

My social life was basically nonexistent unless you counted Fin, my pet goldfish. I'd come home every day and spill all the tea to him while he stared blankly through the glass. He was the only one who knew about my massive crush on Jake.

Which is how I ended up lowline spying. Not like, creepy stalking or whatever. Just following Jake's finsta from my burner account, soaking up details: his obsession with retro video games, how he secretly hated basketball but played for his dad, the time he posted a blurry pic of a sunset captioned "wish I could just disappear sometimes."

I related to that harder than I wanted to admit.

Then came the homecoming game, and Brittany from varsity cheer started spreading total bull about me — said I'd been talking smack about her behind her back. The rumor hit the group chat like a bomb, and suddenly I was public enemy number one.

I was ready to stay home drowning my feelings in Netflix when my phone buzzed. Jake had DM'd me.

"Hey. You okay? Heard what Brittany's saying. That's cap, right?"

I almost dropped my phone. Jake knew I existed?

"It's straight up lies," I replied, hands shaking. "She's mad I wouldn't let her copy my chem homework."

"Figured. Want me to say something?"

The next day at school, Jake shut that bull down in front of everyone. Brittany got exposed as a drama queen, and I somehow ended up sitting with Jake and his friends at lunch.

Turns out he wasn't just the popular jock I'd built up in my head. He was awkward and genuine and had a stuffed animal collection he lowkey cherished.

"Your fish is cool though," Jake said when I told him about Fin later. "Goldfish are underrated."

That night, I floated into my room feeling more alive than I had in months. No more zombie mode. Fin swam to the front of his tank, and I swear he was smiling at me.

Maybe high school wasn't complete BS after all.