Goldfish in the Blender

I swallowed the goldfish at Tyler's party because his older brother dared me, and apparently that's what it takes to be legendary in tenth grade. The goldfish—named Gerard by Tyler's little sister—flopped down my throat like a sad, slimey vitamin I hadn't signed up for.

Everyone cheered. Someone posted it. I existed in sixteen frames of vertical video, and for exactly three days, I was the guy who ate a pet.

'I can't believe you actually did that,' Maya said, sliding into the cafeteria seat beside me on Monday. She had this way of making everything sound like she was secretly laughing at you, but maybe also with you? Impossible to tell. 'You're literally insane.'

'Legendary, apparently.' I pushed my tray lunch around. The spinach salad looked like something that had already been digested by Gerard.

'My dad says goldfish carry diseases.' She stole a grape from my tray. 'Also, that hat you're wearing—it's giving.'

I touched the beanie I'd been wearing nonstop since Saturday. Partly to hide the haircut I'd given myself at 2 AM after the goldfish incident, partly because I thought it made me look mysteriously brooding instead of just profoundly regretful.

'Giving what?'

'Giving ... I don't know.' She shrugged, and I caught her smiling. 'Like you're trying too hard? But also kind of working for you?'

We sat there for twenty minutes while she dissected the social hierarchy of our grade like she was paid to do it. I learned that Tyler's party was 'mid' and that goldfish-swallowing was 'ghetto ass behavior' but also 'lowkey iconic' depending on who you asked. Mostly, I learned that Maya had opinions about everything and I desperately wanted her to keep having them where I could hear them.

'So,' she said as the bell rang. 'You doing anything Friday? My mom's making this spinach casserole that's actually terrible, and I need someone to suffer through it with me.'

I pulled the hat lower, grinning like an idiot. 'Would I be legendary?'

'Maybe,' she called over her shoulder. 'Bring your own vitamin supplements. You're gonna need them.'

I watched her walk away, already planning what I'd wear. Not the hat. Definitely not the hat.