Goldfish in the Deep End

The goldfish was definitely not supposed to be at a high school pool party.

Maya stood at the edge of Lucas's backyard, clutching the plastic bag with the orange fish inside. Her palms were sweating, which was honestly embarrassing because it wasn't even that hot out. She'd won the thing at a carnival three hours ago and somehow hadn't managed to give it away yet.

"You gonna put that in the pool?" Her best friend Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Because that's definitely not allowed."

"Shut up," Maya muttered, but her heart was doing that thing where it felt like it was running a marathon without her permission. Lucas—the Lucas—was currently in the deep end, laughing at something Chloe said. Chloe, who had perfectly curled hair and apparently existed in a permanent state of not winning random fish at sketchy carnivals.

"Hey, fish girl!" Lucas waved from the water. "Bring it over!"

Her palms were suddenly even sweatier. This was fine. Everything was fine.

She padded to the pool's edge, the goldfish bag sloshing dramatically. Everyone was looking now, because apparently a goldfish at a pool party was the most interesting thing to happen since someone discovered that Tyler had kissed Vanessa behind the gym last week.

"Does it have a name?" Chloe asked, doing that thing where she acted like she cared.

"His name is Fishy McFishFace," someone shouted, and the whole group cracked up. Maya felt her face burning.

"Actually," Lucas said, pulling himself up on the deck until water was streaming down his arms, "I think we should call him Goldie. Classic."

Their eyes met, and for three seconds Maya forgot to breathe. Then the bag broke.

The goldfish flopped onto the concrete, flopping helplessly in the sun, and Maya's brain went completely blank except for one thought: she had just become the person who murdered a carnival prize at a party.

"OH MY GOD," someone shrieked.

But Lucas was already moving, scooping up the fish with bare hands and depositing it into the pool with zero hesitation. The fish swam away, looking extremely confused but very much alive.

"Well," Lucas said, shaking water from his hands, grinning at her like she hadn't just almost committed accidental fish homicide. "Goldie's officially upgraded. Living the luxury life now."

Maya's palms were sweating again, but this time she didn't care. "He's gonna need a bigger pool," she managed, and Lucas laughed, and Chloe could look perfect all she wanted because Maya was pretty sure this might have been the weirdest, most perfect moment of her entire life.