Goldfish & Lightning Kisses

The problem wasn't that I didn't want to go to Maya's party. The problem was that my mom had handed me a chewable vitamin literally ten seconds before walking out the door, and now I could taste artificial orange betrayal on my tongue. Plus, I'd somehow gotten roped into fish-sitting for my neighbor's carnival-prize goldfish, which was currently swimming in what I prayerfully hoped wasn't its final temporary home—a Solo cup on my nightstand.

"You're overthinking again," Jamie said, appearing in my doorway like she'd materialized there. She'd been my best friend since seventh grade, when we'd both gotten stuck in the same remedial math class and bonded over our mutual hatred of fractions. Now she was wearing platform Converse and confidence like they were interchangeable accessories.

"What if nobody talks to me?" I asked. "What if I stand there like a total loser while everyone's doing cool normal things?"

"What if you don't?" Jamie shot back. "Also, you forgot your phone."

The party was exactly what I expected: bass that vibrated in my chest, people holding red cups like they were accessories, Maya's older brother looking like he'd rather be literally anywhere else. I found myself in the kitchen, staring at a fishbowl on the counter that definitely hadn't been there when Maya's family moved in.

"That's Walter," someone said behind me. It was Lucas from AP English, looking unfairly good in flannel. "Maya won him at a carnival last month. She's super convinced he's gonna die any second."

"I have a goldfish too," I said, then immediately wanted to evaporate. Why was I talking about fish at a party? This was social suicide.

But Lucas smiled. "Yeah? What's its name?"

"...Greg."

He laughed, and it sounded like actual lightning—crackling and sudden and illuminating everything. Then his phone buzzed and his face changed. "My dad's making me come home. Something about a 'vitamin deficiency' he read about online."

"Bro, what?"

"I know, right?" He headed for the door, then turned back. "Hey, you wanna come over tomorrow? Help me figure out if Greg and Walter are actually gonna make it?"

"Yeah," I said, like I wasn't screaming inside. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Jamie found me later, grinning like she'd witnessed something historic. "You good?"

"Yeah," I said, and for the first time all night, it wasn't a lie. "I'm good."

The goldfish was still alive when I got home. Maybe we were all gonna make it after all.