Goldfish in the Orange Bag

Maya's hands were shaking so bad she nearly dropped the plastic bag. Inside, a single orange fantail goldfish swam in tiny, panicked circles. carnival music thumped somewhere behind her, but she couldn't turn back now.

"You coming or what?" Liam yelled from the parking lot. He was already three steps ahead, because Liam was always three steps ahead.

"Yeah, just—give me a sec."

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. *Mom: Where r u? U said study group.*

Maya slid it to silent. The lie had felt genius two hours ago when she'd spotted Liam by the ring toss booth. He'd looked different somehow, standing there in his orange hoodie—less like the guy who sat behind her in bio and more like someone she actually wanted to know.

She'd spent twenty bucks on ring toss, won nothing, then he'd stepped in like it was nothing. *Here.* Handed her the goldfish like it was a trophy they'd won together.

Now they were walking away from the carnival, away from her carefully planned Friday night, away from everything she was supposed to be doing.

"So," Liam said, falling into step beside her. "What are you gonna name it?"

Maya looked at the fish, suspended in its orange-tinted water. "I don't know. I wasn't really planning on—"

"Running away with a carnival goldfish tonight."

He said it with this half-smile, like he knew something she didn't. And maybe he did. Maybe that's what she was doing—running, even if she was just walking.

"Buster," she said suddenly. "His name is Buster."

"Buster." Liam nodded like it made perfect sense. "Solid choice."

The convenience store lights buzzed ahead. They'd need fish food, eventually. A proper bowl. Maya's mom was gonna freak when she found out. But for now, the goldfish swam in its orange bag, and Liam was still walking beside her, and Maya thought maybe some things were worth running toward, even if you didn't know where they'd end up.

"Hey," Liam said. "You want to get slushies?"

Maya looked at Buster, then at Liam, then at the October sky stretched out above them like something opening up.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, absolutely."