Goldfish & Other First-Time Disasters

Maya's life officially ended at 3:47 PM on a Tuesday.

The sequence of events: her crush Leo (who she'd been lowkey eyeing since September) decided to finally notice her existence exactly twelve seconds after her neighbor's elderly dog, Buster, knocked over the fishbowl. Three goldfish flopped desperately on the hardwood floor.

"Oh my god, are you serious right now?!" Maya scrambled toward the fish, but Leo was already there, scooping them into his hands with zero hesitation. His fingers brushed hers and she literally forgot how to breathe.

"Kitchen sink," he said, like it was obvious. They sprinted.

Water everywhere. Fish gasping. This was fine. Everything was fine.

After saving the goldfish (RIP to the vase, though), Maya's mom poked her head in. "Maya, sweetie, did you finish that spinach smoothie? It'll turn brown if you don't—" She paused, taking in the chaos: Leo's soaked hoodie, three fish in a mixing bowl, water dripping from the ceiling fan somehow. "Oh! I didn't know you had a friend over."

*Friend.* The word hit different with Leo standing there looking unfairly good even while dripping wet.

Later, sitting on Maya's front porch eating emergency pizza, Leo wiped tomato sauce off his chin. "So, about those fish—"

"They're fine, thanks to you." Maya picked at the pepperoni. "Sorry you had to witness my entire life falling apart."

Leo laughed, and wow, the sound was better than anything. "Are you kidding? That was legendary. Besides..." He looked at her, really looked at her. "I've been trying to find an excuse to talk to you for months. Just didn't think it would involve saving goldfish from certain death."

Maya's face hurt from smiling. "Worth it."

"Totally." He paused. "So... can I get your number? For, like, non-emergency purposes?"

She grabbed his phone, her hands steady for the first time all day.

The goldfish watched from their mixing bowl on the counter. Buster slept through everything. And Maya? She was pretty sure her life wasn't ending—it was just beginning.