Goldfish in the Deep End

The sun beat down on the back of my neck as I stood by Maya's inground pool, clutching my **vitamin** water like a lifeline. I'd been crushing on Maya since seventh period English, and now I was actually at her legendary summer kickback. Naturally, I was pretending to be deeply fascinated by the bowl containing her sister's prize-winning **goldfish**, which sat on a patio table beneath a swaying **palm** tree.

"You gonna actually **swim**, or just stand there looking like you're guarding the fish?" Marcus called out, cannonballing into the water and sending a splash my way. I wiped water from my face as everyone laughed. Even from across the pool, I could see Maya watching me.

My phone buzzed. Mom: Did you take your vitamins? Make good choices!

I groaned and shoved my phone in my pocket, then noticed something terrifying. The goldfish was floating sideways at the top of its bowl. Dead. Maya's sister was going to lose it, and I'd been standing right next to it like a security guard who fell asleep on the job.

Without thinking, I shoved my **hat** onto my head, grabbed the bowl, and made a run for Maya's indoor kitchen. I dumped the fish onto a plate, stuck it in the fridge, and replaced it with a goldfish cracker from the snack bowl on the counter.

"What are you doing?" Maya appeared in the doorway, droplets of pool water glistening on her shoulders.

"Your fish died," I blurted. "I was buying time to tell your sister. Is that weird? That's definitely weird."

Maya stared at me, then at the cracker floating in the bowl, then burst out laughing. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "That fish died yesterday. We're keeping it on ice for the funeral service my sister's planning. You literally just moved a dead fish into my refrigerator."

I stood there, heat rising to my cheeks, as Maya reached out and gently adjusted my crooked hat. "You know what? You're the only person who would panic-rescue a dead goldfish. That's kinda... I don't know, sweet? Weird, but sweet."

She smiled, and something in my chest did that terrifying fluttery thing. "Wanna help me plan a proper funeral? Then you can finally come **swimming** with the rest of us."

"Yeah," I said, and somehow the word felt like the start of something real. "Yeah, I'd like that."