Goldfish in the Storm

Maya wasn't supposed to be at Tyler's party. Her strict parents thought she was at Ava's studying chemistry, which technically wasn't a total lie—they'd spent forty-five minutes on ionic bonds before Maya convinced her to sneak out. Now she was cornered by some guy named Luke who wouldn't stop mansplaining his band's creative process.

"The fox represents cunning," Luke said, gesturing with his red Solo cup. "That's why it's our album cover."

Maya nodded like she cared. She just wanted to find the bathroom and maybe text Leo—the junior she'd been lowkey obsessed with since homecoming. He'd posted on his story that he'd be here, but so far, zero sightings.

Then lightning flashed through the sliding glass doors, illuminating the backyard. Everyone oohed like they'd never seen weather before. Maya took the distraction as her exit, ducking toward the kitchen for some water.

That's when she saw Leo by the snack table, looking unfairly good in his flannel and ripped jeans. He was talking to Sarah, the pretty sophomore with the perfect hair. Maya's stomach did that annoying thing where it felt like it was simultaneously collapsing and expanding. She grabbed a handful of spinach dip crackers to look busy, like she wasn't staring.

A loud crack of thunder shook the house. Someone screamed dramatically. The power died, plunging them into darkness punctuated by phone flashlights swinging wildly.

"Everyone stay calm!" Tyler yelled from somewhere. "I've got backup power!"

The lights flickered back on, revealing total chaos. In the confusion, Maya ended up next to Leo, who was laughing at something.

"Are those good?" he asked, nodding at her crackers.

Maya looked down. She had spinach stuck in her braces. She'd literally been talking to him with green stuff in her teeth. Her face burned.

"No," she said. "These are terrible. Actually terrible."

Leo laughed. For real laughed, not the fake kind he did at school. "I'm Leo, by the way."

"Maya." She swallowed her mortification. "And I promise I usually have better dental hygiene."

"I wasn't gonna say anything." He grinned. "Hey, want to see something cool?"

He led her to a glass bowl on a side table. Inside swam a single goldfish, darting around in tiny, frantic circles.

"This is Neptune," Leo said. "Tyler won him at a carnival last summer. Somehow still alive."

"Resilient little guy," Maya said.

"Yeah." Leo watched the fish, then looked at her. "Sometimes I feel like him. Just swimming in circles, you know? Like, everyone else has it figured out, and I'm just trying not to die."

Maya's chest did that thing again, but different this time. Better. "Same. I feel like I'm constantly pretending to know what I'm doing."

"You're not alone."

Another lightning strike split the sky, closer this time. The lights stayed on.

"I should probably get back," Leo said, but he didn't move. "Or... we could hang out? Talk about something other than fox symbolism?"

Maya smiled. "I'd like that."

As they sat by the goldfish bowl, Maya thought maybe this party wasn't so terrible after all. Sometimes the best moments happen when you're not looking for them—like finding someone who gets your weird, anxious brain, spinach teeth and all.