Goldfish in the Pyramid

The pyramid scheme that was sophomore year social hierarchy had Maya at the bottom, staring up at the cool kids like they were celebrities and she was extra #27. Tonight was Jordan's pool party—the event of the season—and Maya was hiding in the bathroom, checking her reflection for the third time.

"You good, Maya?" her best friend Priya called through the door. "Everyone's in the pool. The water's actually not freezing for once."

Maya wiped her mouth again. That piece of spinach from the veggie pizza at lunch had been haunting her since sixth period. "Yeah, coming."

She stepped out into the backyard chaos. Pool lights underwater created this rippling blue effect on everyone's faces. Jordan—actual Jordan, who'd sat behind her in bio since freshman year—was standing by the deep end, laughing at something. Their eyes met for like two seconds, and Maya felt it—this literal lightning crack of recognition. Her stomach did that thing where it forgets how to stomach.

"Hey," Jordan said, swimming over as Maya dipped her feet in. "You made it."

"Yeah, um, thanks for inviting me." Maya's voice cracked. Smooth.

Jordan's phone buzzed. They fished it out of their pocket and—*splash*—it sank like a stone. "Oh my GOD, my phone."

Without thinking, Maya dove under. The water distorted everything into blue blur, but she spotted it glinting near the bottom. She grabbed it and surfaced, gasping.

"You're literally a lifesaver," Jordan said, laughing. Their fingers brushed when they took the phone, and Maya's brain short-circuited again.

"Least I could do after you invited me," she managed, then froze. "Wait. Did you just say you invited me?"

Jordan's face went bright red. "I mean, I asked Priya to make sure you came, but like, whatever."

"Whatever?" Maya couldn't stop grinning. "Jordan, that's not whatever. That's—"

"I know what it is, okay?" Jordan looked away, then back. Their friends were doing this weird pyramid formation in the shallow end, someone's goldfish flopped onto the deck during the chaos, and everything was loud and chaotic and perfect.

"My goldfish!" someone yelled.

Maya and Jordan both started laughing. The social pyramid didn't feel so steep anymore. Maybe she wasn't at the bottom after all. Maybe—just maybe—she was exactly where she was supposed to be.