Goldfish & Lightning Strikes

The pool party was everything Maya dreaded. Instagram-worthy girls in bikinis that cost more than her entire wardrobe, boys doing cannonballs that displaced way too much water, and the social hierarchy on full display. She'd spent forty-five minutes psyching herself up to even show up in her one-piece from Target.

"Hey, Maya!" called Jake, her crush since seventh period English, from the diving board. "Get in! The water's perfect!"

She froze. Swimming in her backyard pool was one thing. Swimming in front of the entire sophomore class was another.

"I'm good," she managed, clutching her towel like a lifeline. "Just... warming up."

Her phone buzzed. Text from her grandma: *Your cousin won a goldfish at the carnival and can't keep it. Can you take it?*

Maya stared at the tiny fish in a plastic bag on the kitchen counter when she got home later that night, still damp from exactly zero minutes in the pool, still feeling like the only person at the party who didn't belong.

"You and me both, little guy," she whispered to the goldfish, now swimming in a temporary bowl. "Everyone else is living their best life, and we're just... here."

Then lightning cracked the sky—a summer thunderstorm rolling in like dramatic timing. The power flickered. Her phone lit up with notifications from the party group chat.

*Jake: anyone else's power go out?*

*Emma: yeah lol everyone's posting about it*

*Jake: Maya you okay? You left early*

Maya stared at the message. Her thumb hovered, hesitated. Then lightning flashed again, illuminating her room in that electric purple way that makes everything feel cinematic, like a scene from a movie where the protagonist finally does something brave.

The goldfish swam to the front of the bowl, tiny mouth opening and closing like it was cheering her on.

*Yeah I'm good! Just wasn't feeling the pool vibes lol. But we should hang tho?*

Hit send before she could overthink it. Before she could remember she was Maya-from-math-class, not Maya-who-texts-Jake.

*Jake: for sure. tomorrow?*

*Maya: bet.*

She grinned at the goldfish. "Okay, you're definitely not temporary anymore. You're my emotional support fish now."

Outside, thunder rumbled like the universe saying: *damn right.*